License Attributes

A software application comprises various features and modules. The license attributes are the properties that control the specific behavior of an associated feature or module—such as the maximum number of users who can run the software, the machines they can use the software on, and so on. By choosing and combining these attributes, you can create a business model—a tailor-made software business package in accordance with the licensing agreement with the customer.

In this section, we briefly describe the major attributes available in Sentinel RMS and Sentinel LDK. For a detailed list of attributes and defining them, refer to the Sentinel EMS User Guide.

NOTE Not all of the attributes described here are displayed while creating license models and adding Features and Products in Sentinel EMS. Some attributes can be set only at the time of creating entitlements.

License Attributes Supported by Sentinel RMS

Attribute Group	Deployment Mode Support
Duration—The time period for which the license is valid, for example:
Start Date: The date (day, month, and year) and time (hours and minutes) when the license becomes active and usable. End Date: The date (day, month, and year) and time (hours and minutes) when the license expires, and the licensed software can no longer be run. Never Expires: A flag that configures the license to last indefinitely (perpetual license).
Trial Period: Allows the licensed software to be run for a fixed number of: >Trial Duration Days: Calendar days beginning from the first use of the license. >Trial Duration Hours: Total number of hours (cumulative elapsed hours) for which the application can be used.
Limits—The various limits that control the application access and behavior, for example:
User Limit: The maximum number of users in a network who can run the licensed software simultaneously. If the user limit is ‘N’, then ‘N’ number of users can run the licensed software concurrently. However, when the N+1 user or machine tries to run the application, the request will be denied because all licenses are in use by other users.
Soft User Limit: A sub-limit, lower than the user limit, that can also be set to generate notification alerts. For example, when the sub-limit is reached, the end user can be notified that RMS License Manager is close to running out of licenses.
Policy—Specifies the choices made by the vendor regarding certain violations, for example:
Time Tampering: The concept of time-based licensing loses most of its relevance when an end user has the freedom to roll the system clock back to artificially extend the license duration. To safeguard against this, you can enable time tamper detection. When enabled, if the system clock is rolled back beyond the defined tolerance period (24 hours, by default), then the licensed application returns an error. VM Detection: Virtual machine environments open up the possibility of license misuse either inadvertently or otherwise. To handle such scenarios, you can enforce a policy through the license to deny or allow application usage when a VM is detected on a machine.
Locking—Specifies the fingerprinting attributes of a license, for example:
When a license is restricted to specific permitted machines, clients or License Managers, the corresponding locking information (such as IP address, host name, disk ID, or a custom criterion such as the display card) is embedded in the license code. When locking information in the license does not match the machine, the licensed application fails to run.
Vendor Information—Specifies the additional information that you may want to include in a license code, for example:
Vendor information can include a customer reference number, a purchase order, or any information that is used as part of a customized license scheme. The licensed application can retrieve the vendor information at any time. Vendor information can be kept encrypted or as readable plain text within a license string.
Miscellaneous Network Licensing Attributes—Specifies network licensing-related options, for example:
Redundancy: A pool of License Managers that provide failover if the primary RMS License Manager goes down. License Commuting: Allows your end user to detach a network license token from RMS License Manager and use it on a remote machine for a specified number of days and then check in the license token on return. Grace Period: The duration (days or hours) for which a network application can run even when the network is not accessible. The grace period provides the convenience of using the application under unforeseen circumstances, like network outages. License Holding: Allows holding a license token for some time after it is released by a specific user. During that time, only the original requester of the license can be granted the license again. This may be useful for applications that are typically short-lived, such as compiling or building a project.	(Lease network mode only)
License Sharing: Allows multiple instances of a licensed application to share the same license token. You can specify additional limits on how many copies of your software can share a single license token.
Lease-related Licensing Attributes—for example, the frequency of renewing lease:
Lease Duration: The duration of the lease during which the RMS License Manager can remain disconnected from SCC. Optionally, you can choose the lease duration the same as the license duration. Lease Renewal Frequency: The time after which the assigned machine must connect to the SCC to renew the lease. You can also skip unnecessary lease renewals and opt for renewals only in the case of entitlement updates. Fingerprint Registration: Only the machine registered (by providing fingerprints) is allowed to obtain the license. It can be a standalone system or a server that also hosts the RMS License Manager. For example, in the case of a standalone lease, a system administrator on the customer site can specify the fingerprints of machines that are permitted to obtain the lease.
Usage-related Licensing Attributes—for example, whether to collect usage or not?
Collect Usage: Specifies whether the client node collects usage data for reporting and billing. Applicable to the on-premises and lease modes.
Usage Synchronization Frequency: The time after which the usage data collected by the client machine is synchronized with SCC. The default is 24 hours.

License Attributes Supported by Sentinel LDK

Attribute Group	Shown While...
Locking type—The type of Sentinel protection keys that can be chosen for deployments
>HL: Indicates that licenses can only be locked to Sentinel HL keys. >SL-AdminMode: Indicates that licenses can only be locked to SL-AdminMode keys. This locking type is required to support cloud licensing using Sentinel LDK. >SL-UserMode: Indicates that licenses can only be locked to SL-UseMode keys. >HL or SL-AdminMode: Indicates that licenses can only be locked to HL keys or SL-AdminMode keys. >HL or SL-AdminMode or SL-UserMode: Indicates that licenses can only be locked to HL keys or SL-AdminMode keys or SL-UserMode keys.	Adding Products under Catalog
Sentinel HL-related only—Attributes that are applicable to Sentinel HL locking type exclusively
Upgrade to Driverless: Sentinel HL (HASP configuration) keys can be upgraded in the field to Sentinel HL (Driverless configuration) keys using this attribute. Sentinel HL (Driverless configuration) keys provide several advantages over Sentinel HL (HASP configuration) keys. The primary advantage is that the Driverless configuration HL keys do not require the Run-time Environment in order to run a protected application and instead make use of operating system-based drivers. This allows the end user to use these keys without installing any additional support software.	Adding Products under Catalog
Use Virtual Clock: All Driverless keys (except for Basic keys) support a virtual clock for time-based licenses. By selecting this attribute, you can generate time-based licenses for on-time Driverless keys.	Adding Products under Catalog
Sentinel SL-related only—Attributes that are applicable to Sentinel SL locking type exclusively
Rehost: Allows a Sentinel SL key to be transferred from one end user computer to another. The rehost process is performed entirely by the end user, with no interaction with the vendor.	Adding Products under Catalog
Clone Protection: Products that are licensed with SL protection keys can be guarded against machine cloning. The default setting of Platform Default automatically applies the most appropriate clone protection scheme for the end user environment.
Unlocked from Device: Create unlocked products that are not locked to a specific machine. You may choose to not to implement any licensing restriction but can use Sentinel LDK to protect the program.
Memory—Attributes to set up the protection key memory space.
The data defined in memory is written to the secure memory of the Sentinel protection keys together with the Features, license terms and other data defined for the Product. You can create the following types of memory files: >Read/Write: Data that can be updated when the deployed protected application is running, such as dynamic values for counters. >Read-Only: Data that can be read when the protected application is running but cannot be changed. For example: the Product version number, text to be used in a “Welcome” message, fixed threshold values for counters. >Read/Write-Once: Data that can be updated once when the deployed protected application is running. After a successful update, the memory becomes read-only memory.	Adding Memory under Catalog
License Types—The various license types that define the duration of a license.
>Executions: The maximum number of times the Feature may be used. >Expiration Date: The date on which the license for the Feature will expire. >Perpetual: The license can be used an unlimited number of times and for an unlimited period. >Number of Days: The number of days until the license expires. The number of days is counted from the date on which the licensed Feature is first used.	Adding a License Model
License Terms—The additional terms associated with the availability of a license.
>Concurrency—The number of instances (network seats) associated with a license. A licensing attribute that can be specified to allow a single protection key on a computer in a network to be used by one or more instances of a protected application running on different computers in the network. You can specify the number of concurrent instances allowed (or an unlimited number), and you can select how concurrent instances are counted: •Station: All login requests from the same machine are counted as a single instance (default). •Process: All login requests from the same process are counted as a single instance. •Login: Each login request is counted as a different instance. >Allow Detaching: The license can be temporarily detached from a pool of network seats and attached to a remote recipient machine for a specific period. At the end of the detachment period, the license is automatically restored to the network pool. >Accessibility: The access options for a protected application beyond the physical machine. If required, you can specify that a user working in Remote Desktop (terminal machine) mode can access the license. Similarly, you can specify that the license can be enabled to run on a virtual machine.