Derman Enterprises

Roadmap step overview:

• integrate LicenseControl into your application
• get the LicenseControl framework
• build LicenseControl into your application:
• using Xcode development tools for OS X
• using Visual Studio development tools for Windows
• create and post a License ID to use during your product testing
• test the operation of your LicenseControl'd product

These steps will integrate LicenseControl into your application. The delivery model that's most conveniently supported is the following:

• your application is freely downloadable and will operate in Trial mode until it is licensed
• you decide which Trial-mode limitations make sense for your application
  • these should match your philosophy and objectives for revenue from your product
  • when executing, your application uses the LicenseControl mechanisms to determine the application's operational mode
• when a Customer purchases a license, they can license your application ... the same one they've been using in Trial mode, for evaluation

Get the LicenseControl framework

LicenseControl's capabilities for Mac OS X are delivered as a framework. When you get the LicenseControl Framework a unique version of the LicenseControl framework is created specifically for your use.

Build LicenseControl into your application

Integrating LicenseControl into your application and completing any changes you make to your application to implement Trial-mode limitations, is outlined in these development steps:

• using Xcode development tools for OS X
• using Visual Studio development tools for Windows

Create and Post a Licensing ID to Use During Your Product Testing

Use the Create and Post Test Licensing IDs page to generate and post a licensing ID that you will use as a test licenseing ID to perform execution testing on your LicenseControl'd product. You should create only a small number of test licensing IDs (whatever is appropriate for the size of your development/test team) as these licensing IDs are only applicable to pre-delivery testing.

Test the operation of your LicenseControl'd product

Aside from testing your application's Trial-mode and Licensed-mode operation, you should test the operation of LicenseControl by testing the following capabilities and, initially, viewing the Posted Licenses report after each testing step so you gain a better understanding of the licensing operation and reporting capabilities:

• validate that the product operates in Trial mode and that the Trial-mode limitations operate correctly
• generate a Testing License ID containing a single license then activate a license for your product and validate that it operates correctly in Licensed mode and that none of the Trial-mode limitations are present
• de-activate the license and verify that your product now operates in Trial mode
• install your product on another system, license it (using the same License ID as you'd used, above) and test it
• on the original system, attempt to use the "Re-Activate" button to "re-license" the application and verify that this is not possible because all the licenses are in use
• on the second system, the one that's currently licensed, delete the application
• on the second system, (re)install your application (choose another hard disk if you want to simulate a User losing their disk)
• use the "Re-Activate" button to "re-license" your application without having to supply the License ID (this is possible because the licensing server knows that this system is currently licensed for your application)
• generate a Testing License ID containing 2 licenses then activate a license for your product on 2 different systems
• use the "Show Licensing Information" operation to examine the licensing information for the multiple-license License ID and for the single-license License ID

If you are going to be using add-on licenses, you should also:

• generate a testing Add-On ID containing 2 add-on licenses and apply one of the add-on licenses to add a single license onto the 1-license License ID
• using the License ID that has been added onto, license a fourth/different system (or de-activate the existing license on one of the currently licensed systems, then license it using this License ID)
• use the Add-On ID to add one additional license onto the 2-license License ID and use the "Show Licensing Information" operation to verify that that License ID now supports 3 licenses
• license another system with the added-onto License ID to verify that it now supports 3 licenses

If you are going to be using upgrade licenses, you should also:

• generate a testing 1-license License ID and a testing 2-license License ID for one or more of your upgradable products/versions
• generate a testing Upgrade ID containing 3 license upgrades and apply one of the license upgrades to upgrade the license in the upgradable 1-license License ID
• verify that the license in the upgraded License ID can now be used to license the product/version that requires the upgraded license
• apply two of the license upgrades to upgrade both licenses in the upgradable 2-license License ID and verify that it can now be used to license the product/version that required the upgraded license

You might also want to perform additional tests to:

• verify that an older License ID, one that requires an upgrade before it can be used to license the current product/version, can't be used to license that current product/version (prior to having its licenses upgraded)
• verify that an upgraded License ID can also be added onto
• verify that that an Upgrade ID only applies to the upgradable products you've defined via Vendor Services

At this point, your application is looking like it's "ready to go."