Remote Key Update Broadcast or RKUB provides an efficient way to update
licenses of the protected application that has already been distributed to the end-users.
The broadcasting method allows you to simply distribute a single encrypted file
to update hundreds of licenses of the protected application. RKUB enables new
approaches for licensing and marketing software, for example, providing
application as a subscription service that requires a renewal every month.
The Remote Key Update Broadcast (RKUB) system comprises user
identification and the update file. RKUB uses User ID in Key Properties to
identify each individual user of the protected application. In order to use
RKUB, you must assign a User ID when using LicenseKey Manager to generate a
License Key. Alternatively, if you use the Activation Server solution, a unique
User ID will be automatically and randomly generated for each activation account.
The Remote Key Update (RKU) file contains commands, Key ID and Program ID of
the protected application, and many copies of Master License for different
end-users, which are identified by User ID. The RKU file must be encoded before
distributing to the end-user. This can be done by using LicenseKey Manager or
Activation Manager (if you use the Activation Server).
To update the license or Key Properties of the protected application,
you simply need to distribute a single RKU file to all the end-users. On the
end-user site, the received RKU file must be placed in the same directory as
the protected program. When the protected application is run, the locking
system decodes the RKU file in the memory and decrypts the copy of Master
License, which matches the User ID in the Key, into Key Properties. The update
Key Properties give a new license to the protected application.
Besides updating Key Properties, RKUB can also be used to destroy the
Key of the protected application. The RKU file may contain a black list of User
IDs which the licenses are terminated, for example, in the case of a refund or
credit card fraud. The black list includes an instruction to destroy the Key.
Those whose the license is terminated, but continue to use the protected
application, will encounter the problem when getting the software update.
See Also
·
Locking
Application Programs with RKUB Enabled
·
RKU File