Understanding Cloud Licensing
This section describes an additional model for generating and distributing software-based licenses, based on an extension to software-based
Overview
Sentinel LDK provides an alternative for software-based licensing called cloud licensing. This model is based on software-based
Using this licensing model, the vendor generates and installs all required product licenses on a single license server machine with Internet access. The vendor generates and distributes a unique license string for each end user. The end user installs the protected application and the license string on their machine.
The end user can access the license server and consume a license to execute the protected application online or detach a license and then run the protected application offline.
Deploying Cloud Licenses
For the vendor-hosted implementation of cloud licensing, the vendor installs the SL licenses for all customers on a single license server machine.
The vendor creates a separate protection key on the server for each customer organization and installs the SL licenses for each organization in the relevant key.
Within each protection key, the vendor creates a unique client identity for each end user in the customer organization who is allowed to use the protected application. The vendor provides the corresponding identity string for the end user. The end user installs the provided identity string on their machine.
When the end user executes a protected application, the local license manager uses the identity string to consume a license from the relevant protection key on the vendor's license server machine. Alternatively, the end user can use the identity string to detach a license from the license server machine and then execute the protected application offline.
Benefits of Cloud Licensing
Some of the benefits provided by the cloud licensing model are as follows:
>License Mobility. End users can consume and detach licenses from anywhere. Once they receive and install the identity string, they can execute the application, regardless of where they are.
>Implementation. Cloud licenses are easy for vendors to implement, with no compromises on security. No changes to Sentinel Licensing API are required. The model is fully supported by Sentinel LDK Envelope. Licenses are easy to deploy.
>End-user control. Identities can be disabled by the vendor at any time, or be limited to a certain number of machines.
>VM solution. Cloud licensing provides a simple licensing solution for virtual machines and containers (such as Docker) that is both secure and fully agnostic. There is no need to deal with fingerprints, no risk of cloning
>Clone protection without fingerprint issues. Users can easily upgrade hardware and update the operating system.
>Secure license information. Secure storage (license information) has increased security and reliability, and is Inaccessible to end users. As a result, it cannot be deleted or reverted. Since the secure storage is accessible to the vendor, it can be deployed on highly dependable RAID arrays and be backed up regularly.
>Business insight. Since the vendor hosts the server, they can view usage data and patterns that would otherwise not be available.
>Manage trials. The vendor can easily manage trials by creating a single SL license and then providing users with expiring client identities that consume the same license. For example, the vendor can host a single cloud-enabled SL key with a perpetual license and, as needed, create client identities that are active for 30 days to be provided to evaluators.
>Provide emergency cloud licenses. The vendor can provide customers with emergency limited-time client identities in case they face issues with their local HL or SL key.
>Manage user access to network seats. An IT administrator can manage which users can access network seats and for how long by distributing client identities with expiration dates.
Working with detached licenses provides the following additional benefits:
> Less demanding on server and network infrastructure. Communication to the server is limited to only a single detach operation. This also removes much of the need for server redundancy.
> Performance identical to local licenses. Once a license is detached, consuming it is unaffected by network latency.
> No need for constant connectivity. Once the license is detached, the user's machine can remain offline.
NOTE While intended primarily for implementation by software vendors, the cloud licensing model can also be implemented by the vendor’s customers for distribution of identity strings within their organization.
Obtaining Additional Information
For more information about cloud licensing, see Cloud Licensing Using Sentinel Admin Control Center.