In the PROMOTIC system since version 8.2, there is a new licencing method available - PROMOTIC network license. With this solution the PROMOTIC application does not need the license HW Key to be present, but the application can use license that is located on the license server that is accessible via network connection.
How does the PROMOTIC license work? There is a designated computer in the company where PmNetKey license server program is installed. License files (.SWK) are then copied to this PC, representing licenses for corresponding applications. The license server that is operating as Web server configures itself as operating system service during its installation - it runs on the backgroud without the need of any specific user being logged in.
The PmNetKey license server program is available for free download at https://www.promotic.eu/en/ and can be operated on OS Windows XP and higher. The computer with installed license server may not be dedicated solely for running the license server itself and can be used also for other purposes. The license server itself is protected by a special HW Key that is designed specificaly for license servers and therefore cannot be used individualy (without .SWK license files) for any PROMOTIC application. The license server does not work without the HW Key.
Once you have the license server you also need the license for the specific application. This license is bound to the specific license server and therefore cannot be used with another licence server or individually. Single license server may contain multiple licenses for different applications.
The application checks the license availability on launch and periodically during its operation. The application can be launched on any computer that is connected (by network) to the license server and therefore is not bound with specific PC.
If you want to order new license(s) it is necessary to define the need of network license in your purchase order. If this is your first network license, then you will get:
If this is not the first network license (the PROMOTIC license server already exists), then it is necessary to define the license server number (where the license will be used) on your purchase order. The price of network license is identical with licenses delivered on HW Keys/SW Keys based on the current pricelist. The PROMOTIC network license in the form of .SWK file must be located on the computer with running license server in the same folder where the license server program is installed (by default "C:\Program Files (x86)\Promotic\Promotic Net Licence Manager – PmNetKey").
where netkey means that there is a network license to be used, http (or https) means standard (or secured) communication protocol. Behind the IP address of the license server (or its name) there is the port number (81 by default, can be modified in the configuration file of the license server) and Pm5555.swk means the name of license file (located on the server) to be used.
The PROMOTIC network license can be extended the same way as other PROMOTIC license. The customer always gets the new version of license file that replaces the original (old) license file SWK on the license server.
All license files are being archived by the manufacturer, but we strongly recommend to backup your .SWK license files for your licence server locally.