Licensing concepts in redundant system

Note

This article is from the perspective of licensing in a redundant configuration.
For the redundancy function, please refer to this article.

Overview

Various redundant system are increasingly being used to increase system availability.
However, depending on the redundancy system, it is necessary to consider about the product license.

It is difficult to make general statements because of the various redundancy systems, here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked redundancy questions.
Althogh, these answers do not guarantee the operation of the redundant system. Please be sure to thoroughly check before introducing the redundant system at your own risk.

1. When switching to a cold standby state PC in case of PC failure

2. When operating in a hot standby state in case of PC failure

3. When operating in a dedicated redundant system

Introduction

"Serial No" and "License Key (HW key or SW key)" are required for license activation of the product.
Not required when installing as a demo version. However, there are some operation restrictions in the demo version.
It is possible to manually transfer the "Serial No" and "License Key" applied to one environment to another environment.
The transfer method is as follows.

How to transfer "Serial No"

• Please unregister the "Serial No" in the old environment and register in the new environment.
• Note that the product license will be stopped if the same "Serial No" is detected at the same time.
• In case which the "Serial No" cannot be unregistered when the PC trouble, there is no problem unless the PC which is registerd the same serial number started.

​How to transfer HW key

Unplug the HW key from the old environment and plug the HW key into the new environment.

How to transfer SW key

• Deactivate the SW key in the old environment and activate the SW key in the new environment.
• Please refer to the user's guide about how to activate and deactivate SW key.
• However, if you cannot deactivate the SW key in the old environment because of PC crash, you cannot transfer. Please contact us.

About license server function (Ver.6 only)

• The Ver.6 SW key and HW key can be used as a license server by activating them in another environments.
• It is necessary to set up "CodeMeter Runtime" in the environment that will be the license server and activate the license key.
• The product can use the license key which activated in another environment (license server environment).
• Only the "Serial No" needs to be transferred when switching the OPC server, and switching the envorinment of OPC Server can be done smoothly.

Case 1: Switching to a cold standby state PC in case of PC failure

• Please install as a demo verson on the cold standby PC.
• When the PC breaks down, please register the same "Serial No". (The "Serial No" must be unregistered from troubled PC, or don't launch the troubled PC.)
• In the case of HW key, unplug the HW key from troubled PC and plug it in the cold standby PC.
• In case of SW key, deactivate the SW key on the troubled PC and activate it in the cold standby PC. If the SW key cannot be deactivated depending on the type of failure, it will be necessary to contact us. In this case, the downtime will be longer, so we recommend you to purchase a license for Cold Standby.

Case 2: When operating in a hot standby state in case of PC failure

In the case of hot standby, licenses for the standby environment are required because they are started simultaneously.

Case 3: When operating in a dedicated redundant system

When operating in a dedicated redundant system (clustering configuration, etc.) for the purpose of availability and zero downtime, we will not support it officially, so please consider introducing the system after fully understanding the following license related mechanism.

• The product license will be stopped when the same "Serial No" is detected. (Simultaneous use with the same "Serial No" is prohibited)
• In the case of the SW key, the unique information of the activated environment is recognized. It monitors various unique information in a composite manner and is not invalidated by the expected general environment change, but it may be invalidated when it is determined that the operating environment has changed significantly due to redundancy switching. 
• In the case of the HW key, the unique information of the activated environment is not recognized. But which PC should be inserted HW key depends on the redundant system.