License files
The Pro and Cerberus editions of the ionCube Encoder include the ability to generate license files which are linked to encoded files via a passphrase. Keeping the license file separate in this way allows you to manage user licenses independently of your encoded projects giving you flexible control over how your software is accessed and used.
Protecting Your Software Investment
License files help ensure that only authorized users can run your software. This prevents unauthorized distribution and protects your revenue.
Enforcing Usage Limits
You can define specific usage terms, such as expiration dates, domain restrictions, or hardware locking, ensuring customers use your software according to their agreements within your licensing terms.
Managing Subscriptions and Trials
License files allow you to implement time-limited trials and recurring subscriptions. You can easily renew licenses, giving you full control over access.
Supporting Different License Models
License files enable various licensing models, such as perpetual, subscription-based, or seat-based licensing, giving you flexibility to meet business needs.
Tracking Usage and Compliance
You can monitor how your software is used and ensure compliance with your licensing terms, which helps prevent misuse or over-deployment.
Project structure
Online Licensing offers a structured hierarchy of Projects, Variants, and Versions, allowing precise control over passphrases, license properties, and expiration settings. This flexible design ensures secure licensing management tailored to your software editions and releases.
Setup your projects for easy management within a multi-tiered hierarchy tailored to your needs:
Projects
- A project serves as the base for all licenses. Each project requires a passphrase for security.
- You can set default license properties and expiration settings for every project.
Variants
- Variants represent different editions of your software, such as Basic, Professional, or Enterprise.
- Variants can have their own passphrase, which overrides the project's passphrase.
- They can also define license properties that override project-level properties. If a property name exists in both, the variant's value takes precedence.
Versions
- Each project can include multiple versions, representing different software releases.
- Versions can also have their own passphrase, which overrides both variant and project passphrases.
Real-Life Application Example:
- Imagine a company offering an StoreBuilder with Basic, Professional, and Enterprise editions.
- The company creates a Project called "StoreBuilder" with default license properties, such as maximum product listings and trial periods.
- They create Variants for Basic, Professional, and Enterprise editions, each with unique passphrases and customized license properties (e.g., Basic allows 100 products, Professional 500 products, and Enterprise unlimited products).
- For a major update, they introduce Version 3.0, which includes new e-commerce features and has its own passphrase and license properties that override the variant-level settings. This approach allows the company to manage licenses flexibly across different plans and versions while maintaining security and compliance.
License file settings
Using passphrases, license properties, file expiration, and server restrictions with ionCube Encoder allows you to enforce licensing terms, prevent misuse, and enhance security. These measures help safeguard your intellectual property while providing flexibility to meet customer needs.
Passphrases for Enhanced Security
Passphrases are embedded directly in license files and must match the passphrase set in the encoded software. This ensures that only properly authenticated license files can activate the software, adding an additional security layer and preventing unauthorized modifications.
License Properties for Usage Control
You can embed custom properties such as user limits, feature flags, or version numbers directly into license files, allowing you to enforce specific usage terms tailored to your business model, without having to modify and issue several different versions of your software.
File Expiration for Time-Limited Access
Set expiration dates to restrict software usage after a trial period or subscription term. This prevents continued use without proper renewal.
Server Restrictions for Deployment Control
Limit software use to specific servers or environments by binding license files to IP addresses, domains and MAC Addresses, preventing unauthorized installations.
IP, Domain and Time restriction features available to Pro Edition users and MAC based restrictions as a Cerberus Edition only feature.
Users
The user management system simplifies license creation, enhances tracking, and allows for efficient reuse across projects, making it an essential tool for managing software licenses effectively.
Streamlining License Creation
- Users can be created with predefined server restrictions. These include IP addresses, domain names, and MAC addresses.
- When generating a new license, these restrictions are automatically applied, reducing manual input and potential errors.
- Server restrictions can be edited, added, or removed entirely before finalizing a license, allowing for full customization as needed.
Organizing and Tracking Licenses
- In the Projects Overview, users are linked to their licenses, providing quick visibility into who owns a license.
- The system displays the license's expiry status, ensuring easy monitoring of renewals and expirations.
Enhancing License Reusability Across Projects.
- Users allow for easy reuse of stored information when creating multiple licenses for the same customer across different projects.
- This ensures consistency in license properties, reducing administrative overhead and maintaining security settings across multiple software products.