This tutorial demonstrates how to deploy the USB LicenseKey
Maker tool to a third party or distributor, in the remote master license
mode. In this mode, the USB LicenseKey Maker tool
does not contain the master license used to make the USB
License Key (dongle). It must connect to the Activation Server to obtain the
master license from the distributor account. Therefore, this mode is more
flexible since you can update the master license in the Activation Server.
Since the USB LicenseKey Maker tool must
connect to the Activation Server
for authentication and authorization before each use, you must deploy the
Activation Server first before you can deploy the USB LicenseKey
Maker tool to a distributor. Please see Activation Server
Deployment for details.
To set up the Activation Server for deploying the USB LicenseKey Maker tool, you must first create a product
(e.g. My Distributor USB LicenseKey Maker) in
the Products table. You can then specify the maximum number of USB License Keys
allowed to be made, as well as the Master ID and Master License generated by LicenseKey Manager.
In the remote master license mode, the Master ID and Master License encode Key Properties that will be used as the master
license for the USB LicenseKey Maker tool.
1.
Run LicenseKey
Manager.
2. From the Tools menu, select Generate
Master ID.
3.
In the Generate
Master ID dialog box, from the Program ID drop-down list, select Program ID of the application
for which the USB LicenseKey Maker tool will make the
USB License Key. Then, check the appropriate checkboxes of the flags, and click
the Generate button. A Master ID is
generated. Then, select the appropriate checkboxes of the flags, and click the Generate button. A Master ID is generated.
4. Copy the Master ID. Then, go
to the Main
tab of the Key Properties pane. Paste the Master ID in the Registration
ID field,
and click the Check button.
5.
The Identification
field shows the Key ID, Program ID, and flag decoded from the Master ID.
6.
From the Implementation
drop-down list, select an implementation and set the appropriate licensing
properties as you want.
7.
From the Main
tab of the Key Properties
pane, click the Generate
button. The Master License is shown in the License Key
field.
1. Log in to Activation
Manager, and click the Products menu.
2. Click the Insert New
Product
button. A new record is created.
3. On the new record, click the
Edit button.
4. In the ProductName edit box, enter a name for the USB LicenseKey
Maker tool.
5. In the ProgramID edit box, enter Program ID of the application for which the USB LicenseKey Maker tool will make the USB License Key.
6. In the MasterID and MasterLicense edit boxes, enter the Master ID and Master
License generated by LicenseKey Manager.
7. In the MaxActivation edit box, enter the maximum number of USB License
Keys allowed to be made, or enter -1 for unlimited.
8. In the ProductTitle edit box, enter the title of the application for which the USB LicenseKey Maker tool will make the USB License Key. The
title will be shown in the Status box of the USB LicenseKey
Maker tool.
9. Click the Update button.
The steps of deploying the USB LicenseKey
Maker tool are as follows. First, create a distributor account in the Activation
Server. Second, use USB LicenseKey Manager to create the USB LicenseKey Maker tool. Note that, in the remote master
license mode, you can define the master license in the step of creating a
product in the Activation Server.
1. Log in to Activation
Manager, and click the Accounts menu.
2. Below the menu bar, under New Account, select a distributor
product you have created from a drop-down list. Then, click the Insert New
Account button.
A new record is created.
3. On the new record, click the
Edit button.
4. You can enter the
distributor information in the provided fields such as FirstName, LastName, Company, Email, etc.
5. Click the Update button.
1. Run USB LicenseKey
Manager.
2. In the Main tab of the Key
Properties
pane, from the Program ID drop-down list, select Program ID of the
application for which the USB LicenseKey Maker tool
will make the USB License Key.
3. From the Implementation drop-down list, select None.
4. Optionally, from the File menu, you can click Set Key
Value to
generate 10 random key-value pairs to be stored in the Key. The Key Value can
be accessible if you protect your application using the KeyCheck
API.
5. Optionally, from the File menu, you can click Set Content
Files to
specify the folder that contains the content files of the application. All
files will be copied to the USB License Key automatically during the making.
6. From the File menu, click Create
Distributor Tool.
7. In the Create USB LicenseKey Maker for Distributor dialog box, under the Title box, enter the title of the
USB LicenseKey Maker tool.
8. Under the Web Service
URL box,
enter the web service URL of the Activation Server that authenticates and
authorizes the USB LicenseKey Maker tool (e.g. https://demo.eleckey.net/service.asmx).
9. Under the Security
Options
box, enable the Enable node-locked license checkbox if you want to
protect the USB LicenseKey Maker tool with a node-locked
license. You must specify the System Image file (.SIF) generated by ElecKey Integrator, which contains the protection settings.
10. Enable the Embed
distributor account checkbox if you want to create the USB LicenseKey
Maker tool for a specific distributor account only. You must enter the User ID
of the distributor account in the Activation Server.
11. Click the Create button. Then, enter a file
name for the USB LicenseKey Maker tool, and click the
Save button. The USB LicenseKey Maker tool is created.
To deploy the USB LicenseKey Maker tool to a
third party or distributor, simply deliver the executable program file of the
USB LicenseKey Maker tool along with the Activation Key of the distributor account.
You can monitor the distributor account by logging in to Activation Manager. In the Accounts table, the ActivationCount field shows the number of USB License Keys used
up. In the Control page, the
Activation Logs pane displays log entries of all USB License Keys that were
made.
An authorized third party or distributor can use the USB LicenseKey Maker tool to turn a USB drive into a USB
License Key to license (or unlock) the protected application. Since the USB LicenseKey Maker tool must connect to the Activation Server
before each use, please ensure that the computer has an Internet connection.
When connected, the distributor account will be verified and the number of USB
License Keys allowed to be made will be updated.
1. Run USB LicenseKey
Maker.
2. Enter the Activation Key in
the Activation
Key field.
Then, click the Connect button.
3. When connected to the
server, the Status box will display the product title and the number
of USB License Keys allowed to be made.
4. Click the Make Key button. The Make Key dialog box appears.
5. Attach one or several blank
USB drives (via a USB hub) to your computer.
6. In the Make Key dialog box, select the
checkboxes of the drives you want to make the USB License Key. Then, click the Make button.
See Also