devnews:licencing

The Korec Licence Manager

The Korec licence manager is a web based application that allows you to allocate,search and edit FastMAP and GeoSite licences. The main functions of the tool are:

Search for licences
Reset licences for reuse, installation and troubleshooting
Allocate POP certificates directly to customers
Email POP certificates as reminders both internally and externally

The default licence manager web screen

The licence manager can be split into 3 parts:

Column Headers:
Licence database records:
Search functionality:

By default the licence manager lists the licences in sales generation order i.e. newest sales order numbers first. This is to make it easier to allocate as the newest orders wil be higher up the list

You can customise the screen view to make searching as efficient as possible. You do not need ALL the database records on the screen to use this tool just the most common fields to find and allocate licences. A recommended starting point is to use the following field headers:

Doc No: This is the Trimble order number
PO:This is your Korec sales order number
Part Number: Software Part Number
POP Number: This is the unique licence code required to licence the software
Customer: Customer reference id for the POP certificate
Device ID: If blank would indictae an unused POP - if this is populated then the POP has been used and allocated

To add or remove column headers and customise the licence manager you must do the following:

Right click on the Column Header
Select Columns
Select the fields you wish to add or remove
Refresh the browser (F5 button)

The new columns will be added to the licence screen

Searching For a Licence

The licence manager search functionality is hidden by default. You must expand this using the [+] icon at the bottom left of the screen.

The Search tool allows you to search by any fields in the licence database.

To Search you must:

Choose the Search Field
Select a query operator (i.e equals if you know the exactly what you are seraching or or contains if you only have some information)
Add in the search data
Hitting APPLY searches the database
The results are displayed in the window

The example above shows a search based on POP number that equals KOREC123456789

You can add or remove as many search fields as you wish using the red X icon and the green + icon on the search menu

If you wish to search for multiple licences at once you can by selecting the correct search criteria and highlighting the 'Match Any' option

Resetting a licence

Search for the licence to reset
Right click on the database record
Select Reset

Enter the reason for resetting the licence
Select Ok

Allocating a licence

Search for the licence to reset
Right click on the database record
Select Allocate

Enter the customer\ company name
Enter the email address - this is where the POP certificate will be sent to

The customer name details will appear on the software splash screen on start up. Make sure the these details are correct before allocating

Select Ok

You can allocate and reset multiple licences in one go by using the Shift or Ctrl keys and clicking on the records you need. You can then just right click and choose the option you require for all the highlighted records

Email and Print Functionality

The email and print options are there for primarily internal use. If a customer has forgotten his POP or deleted his POP certificate email then you can find the licence and use the email option to email the POP certificate again. The Print option reformats the database record in a print friendly format

Licencing Process Overview

The licencing system consists of a single Licence File. The Licence File sits in any folder which is writeable by the user, and is used to store one or more Licences. Each Licence contains information which will allow a single application to run. It also contains information about the support date for that application, and which application modules are available. The Licence File also contains some “secret” information which prevents the file from being modified.

When the application is started it looks in the Licence File for an available licence. If it does not find a suitable licence then the application will not run. If a suitable licence is found, then it will be marked as being in use. This will prevent anyone else from using that licence until the first user releases it by closing the software.

Installing a Licence

On Vista systems, the licencer MUST be run as administrator (right click on the shortcut and choose “Run as Administrator”

Also on Vista, DO NOT store the licence file anywhere in the program files section, as normal users will not be able to write to files in this location and all licence actions will fail

When the Licence Manager is first started it will create an empty licence.lic file in the application folder.

Changing the Licence File Location

If the licence file is to be located somewhere else (usually on a USB stick or on a network drive) then this must be done before the PoPN is entered and the licence updated.

Click the browse button (to the right of the Licence File Location box) and browse to a suitable location. Type the name of the licence file and click OK

Set the Hardware Reminder

It is a good idea to enter a Hardware Reminder as this will make it easier to reapply a licence file to a machine in the event of the file getting damaged.

On a desktop machine this should be a textual description “Desktop 123” or “Wyns PC”. On a mobile device this should ideally be the serial number printed on the side of the device

Enter the Proof of Purchase Number

If the system is online (shown by the green “LED”) then enter the PoPN (Proof of Purchase Number) and click the Upgrade Licence.

The manager should show a confirmation message, then close.

Dealing with Internet Issues

Sometimes the pc cannot connect properly to the Licence Server, either due to a poor internet connection or sometimes because of firewall policies. It is possible to manually update the licence as long as there is another pc available which can connect to the web.

Sometimes the pc will allow a connection to the server using a web browser, so this method can sometimes be used on the actual machine itself

Click the Advanced link at the bottom of the screen.

Then click the Manual Update button.

Copy the text from the Manual Update screen and paste into the box at http://licencing.psgpages.com/manual.php

Make sure the [START] and [END] markers are included

Enter the PoPN (on the web site) and click the Manual Update button.

The web site should now display a new code. Copy this code, including the [START] and [END] markers and paste it back into the Manual Update screen, replacing the original code. Now click the Update button. The system should update the file and close as before.

This technique can also be used on a pc which has no internet access. Copy the contents of the manual update box to a different pc, and use that pc to access the web. Then paste the contents back to the original pc.

Creating a USB Licence

It is acceptable (and within the terms of the EULA) for a single user to store the licence file on a USB stick (or similar) so that it can be moved between two or more pcs. There are no special instructions, just make sure that when the licence manager is started (on each of the machines) it is pointing at the licence file on the stick.

If several sticks are plugged into the machine at once then it is possible that the drive letter assigned to the stick containing the licence file might change. In this case run the Licence Manager and browse to the licence file again before starting the application

Creating a Network Licence

There is no difference between a standard licence file for 1 pc and a “network” licence for several users. If a pc can “see” the licence file then it can use it.

All that needs to be done differently from a standard installation is to make sure that the licence file location is set to a part of the network which is visible to all the pcs which are going to use the licence. This will normally be a shared folder on a server.

All users and pcs must have write access to the folder where the licence file is stored

The steps to create a network licence are

On the first client pc set the licence file location, then download the licence using the PoPN
On all the other client pcs run the licence manager, and simply browse to the licence file location

The PoPN only needs to be entered on the first client pc

It is a violation of the EULA to share a single licence among several users. Therefore a network licence file must contain at least two licences

Adding Licences

Normally it will be known in advance that a network licence is required and the PoPN will be configured to deliver more than one licence into the licence file. If this is not the case, or if additional licences have been bought then they can easily be added to the file

Run Licence Manager on any pc which is using the licence file
Make sure it is using the correct licence file, and not a local copy
Enter the PoPN as normal