PROMOTIC HW Key

Basic information:

PROMOTIC hardware key (further "HW Key") serves for the protection of the PROMOTIC system and for the protection of the designer's "know how". There is burnt the complete information about purchased license in this key. The HW Key is the most commonly used license carrier.

Each PROMOTIC HW Key is labeled by 4-digits number that identifies the license number. This number can be found on the white label that is attached on the HW Key. The information regarding the connected key can be obtained in the runtime mode by the Pm.LicenceInfo method, or in the INFO system of running application - /SYSTEM/License page.

The PROMOTIC system uses SENTINEL license keys manufactured by the SafeNet Ltd company. When ordering a PROMOTIC licence several different key types can be choosen:

USB key: of the standard size is plugged in the USB port of the PC.

USB key: of the minimal size is plugged in the USB port of the PC.

WARNING - this key type is functional since version PROMOTIC Pm8.2.16 and PROMOTIC Pm8.3.17.

USB key: connected to USB port on PC motherboard.

WARNING - this key type is functional since version PROMOTIC Pm8.3.8.

According to the license content we distinguish 2 types of PROMOTIC licence keys:

- Development licence key. It is supplied together with the PROMOTIC development environment (at a price of the PmDev license) Without the development licence key the PROMOTIC development environment runs in the PmFree regime.

- Runtime licence key. It is used as a PROMOTIC runtime license carrier. With the runtime licence key the PROMOTIC system is always launched into the application runtime mode. With such key the application can be edited or modified only if the key contains the licence PmDevForRt (since version PROMOTIC 7.3.0).

Other licenses can be added into the runtime HW Key anytime. This can be done either by "overburning" the HW Key (i.e. the key has to be conveyed) or by sending the file (e.g. by an email) with the content of new license, see License file SWK extending the content of license key.

Upgrade HwKey

The licences contained in the licence key can later be extended easily by:

- License file SWK extending the content of license key or

- Remote modification of licence hardware key content

hinstall.exe - Hardware key drivers

Note:

For the correct behavior of the HW Key it is necessary to set parameters that can be changed by the Hinstall.exe program (it can be launched from the cmd command line) that is located in the PROMOTIC folder (\Pm). The PROMOTIC installation program sets these parameters by default but in special cases it is possible to change the parameters by the user. The basic commands of the HInstall program:

Caution in OS Windows Vista, 7, Server 2008 it is necessary to run as Administrator

>\Pm\hinstall -i .. Install HW Key driver

>\Pm\hinstall -r .. Removes HW Key driver

>\Pm\hinstall -h .. Display next possible commands

>\Pm\hinstall -info .. Statement of the installation state (version, priority for searching the key, etc.)

Known problems with the installation of the HW Key driver

- Problem connected with running the PROMOTIC application on OS Windows servers and virtual machines.

Although it seems the installation of the key driver on this OS is completed successfully, the application cannot be lauched due to the inaccessibility of license. See:

- PROMOTIC system and Windows remote desktop

- PROMOTIC system and virtual computers

- PmNetKey

- PmRtManager - manager of running apps

- In the terminal service client process (remote desktop) it is not possible to access the HW Key driver.

The reason is insufficient permision of the logged-in client for computer hardware access. This also concerns the driver that is used for HW Key access.

The PROMOTIC system cannot be installed in this mode.

Compatibility table OS Windows and version PROMOTIC

The following overview indicates the compatibility of PROMOTIC version with OS Windows version. Installation of HW Key drivers is a part of PROMOTIC system installation. This way the application can accesss the content of the HW Key via the driver. There may be problems in situation when an older PROMOTIC version is installed on a new OS Windows that was not known at the time the PROMOTIC version was released.

PROMOTIC	98, ME	XP	XP embed	Vista, 7, Server 2003	7 embed	10	Server 2008, 2012, 2016
	32/64 bit OS Windows
version <= 6(SP14f)	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	-	-	-
version <= 7.3.8	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	-	-	-
version >= 7.3.9	-	Yes	Yes	Yes (*)	Yes (*)	Yes (*)	Yes (*)
version <= 8.0.13	-	Yes	Yes (**)	Yes (*)	Yes (*)	Yes (*)	Yes (*)
version <= 8.1.13	-	Yes	Yes (**)	Yes (*)	Yes (*)	Yes (*)	Yes (*)
version <= 8.2.23	-	Yes	Yes (**)	Yes (**)	Yes (**)	Yes (**)	Yes (**)
version <= 8.3.25	-	Yes (^)	Yes (^)(**)	Yes (**)	Yes (**)	Yes (**)	Yes (**)
version >= 8.3.25	-	Yes (***)	Yes (***)	Yes (***)	Yes (**)	Yes (**)	Yes (**)

(*) = only with new HW key driver - Driver HASP

(**) = OS Windows may require newer version of HW key - Driver HASP

(***) = Installed version of PROMOTIC SCADA software includes the installer of hardware key driver that is not compatible with this version of OS Windows. It is necessary to (manually) install an older version of the driver. - Driver HASP

(^) = The installation may require higher version of Windows installer - Windows Installer

Recommendation:

If the older Promotic version is installed on newer OS Windows and the HW Key driver provided with PROMOTIC is not functional, then:

- Abort the current installation by closing the error window.

- Download installation package of current driver Driver HASP and follow the installation steps indicated in the manual.

- up to version 7.3.8 by the DriverHWkey_4.104.5.24 driver

- since version 7.3.9 by the DriverHWkey_6.51 or newer DriverHWkey_7.41 driver

- for Windows Embedded there is a special driver HASP_XPE_5.95

- the 6.60 driver supplied since version Pm8.2.11 that supports Windows Embedded and OS Windows 7 Embedded standard SP1

The version of installed driver can be identified by running the HW Key driver installer with the -info parameter. For example: c:\Pm\hinstall -info.

Running the installer of HW Key driver with -? parameter, for example: c:\Pm\hinstall -? will indicate the version of the driver that is contained in such installer.

Promotic

PROMOTIC HW Key

Upgrade HwKey

hinstall.exe - Hardware key drivers

Known problems with the installation of the HW Key driver

Compatibility table OS Windows and version PROMOTIC

See also: