New Features, Enhancements, and Changes
NOTE If you are upgrading from a version of Sentinel LDK that is earlier than 8.4, be sure to review the release notes for all intervening versions. Significant enhancements and changes are introduced in each version of Sentinel LDK. You can download a .zip file that contains all Sentinel LDK release notes.
Release: 8.5
>Simplified Installation of an Identity String on End Users' Machines for Cloud Licensing
>Enhancements to Sentinel LDK Envelope
>Protected Applications in Linux Docker Containers on a Windows Host
>Java and .NET Licensing APIs Can Now Reserve and Release Executions
>Customized RTE Installer Supports Installing External Unlocked Licenses
>Dynamic Memory File Size for SL Keys Is Now the Same as HL Keys
>Sentinel Admin Control Center Help is Now Available Online
>Dropping Support for HASP HL 1.x API and HASP4 API
Simplified Installation of an Identity String on End Users' Machines for Cloud Licensing
The Sentinel LDK Run-time Environment now supports simplified installation of an identity string on an end user's machine. For vendors who are using Sentinel Admin Control Center to manage client identities, this makes implementation of cloud licensing faster and easier. (This feature is also utilized by Sentinel LDK Cloud Portal.) Using Sentinel Admin Control Center on the cloud license server machine, you can generate a custom URL for each client identity. The URL should be provided to the relevant person or entity. When the recipient accesses the URL on their machine, the required identity string is automatically installed.
Enhancements to Sentinel LDK Envelope
Sentinel LDK Envelope now supports the following functionality:
>Key Disabling
The following enhancements to key disabling have been implemented:
•Key disabling for the Windows V3 engine
When protecting an application with the Windows V3 engine, you can now select the Disable keys for attempted tampering protection parameter. This instructs the Envelope run-time to disable the license for a protected application when attempted tampering is detected.
•Key disabling for CL keys
Previously, key disabling was only supported for HL keys. Now, applications protected using Sentinel LDK Envelope (Default, V3 or .NET engine) and licensed using a CL key can also be configured to disable the key when tampering is detected at runtime. To support this functionality for CL keys, Sentinel LDK Run-time Environment 8.51 or later is required on the user's machine.
>Import protection
The Window V3 engine now enables you to protect the import of an application or DLL for your application. This helps to prevent reconstruction of the protected executable from a memory dump. This option is controlled by the IMPORT_PROTECTION_V3 parameter on the Advanced tab of the Settings page for the Windows V3 engine. This option is enabled by default.
>Data file protection
The following enhancements to data file protection have been implemented:
• Windows applications protected with the Envelope V3 engine can now work with data files that are protected with Version 2 data file protection.
•For all Envelope engines that support data file protection, the Advanced Data File Protection module is no longer required in your Sentinel LDK Master license. This feature is free to use for all Sentinel LDK users. Any references in the documentation to the requirement for the Advanced Data File Protection module can be ignored.
>.NET Applications Protected With AppOnChip Are Now Supported by the Performance Profiler
Sentinel LDK Envelope can now insert performance counters in a .NET application and add the counter values and locations into a profiler log.
Envelope processes this information to understand how frequently and in what timespan specific methods or code gadgets are executed. Envelope uses the results of this process to recommend which functions should be disabled for protection using AppOnChip to avoid any significant performance impact.
Protected Applications in Linux Docker Containers on a Windows Host
Thales has tested the scenario in which a protected application runs in a Docker Linux container on either a Linux or Windows host. The Run-time Environment and SL or CL key can reside outside of the Docker container on the host machine or a remote machine.
Java and .NET Licensing APIs Can Now Reserve and Release Executions
The functionality of reserving and releasing executions for Features that are licensed with the Execution Count license type was previously only available when using C-language function calls.
This functionality has now been extended to the Java and .NET Licensing API.
This functionality is only available with SL keys. For the Java and .NET Licensing API, the function requires Run-time Environment 8.51 or later.
Customized RTE Installer Supports Installing External Unlocked Licenses
The customized RTE installers generated by the Sentinel Master Wizard now supports installing external unlocked licenses together with installation of the customized RTE. This replaces the functionality that was removed from Sentinel LDK-EMS 8.4.
Dynamic Memory File Size for SL Keys Is Now the Same as HL Keys
The size of a new dynamic memory file for an SL key is limited to 65 K. This is the same as the maximum size of a dynamic memory file for an HL key.
Sentinel Admin Control Center Help is Now Available Online
You can now access the help for the latest version of Sentinel Admin Control Center from the Sentinel LDK documentation site.
You can search for specific topics in the help using either the integrated search facility or using Google.
Dropping Support for HASP HL 1.x API and HASP4 API
HASP HL 1.x API and HASP4 API are no longer supported with RTE 8.41 or later.
If your application requires either of these APIs, then to resolve this issue, do either of the following:
>Rebuild the protected application with the latest Sentinel Licensing API.
>On the end user's machine, first install RTE 8.31, and then upgrade to the latest RTE.