Licensing

Managing Kepware Software Licenses

This page contains licensing procedures for all Kepware products.

KEPServerEX V5, LinkMaster, and RedundancyMaster

KEPServerEX V5, LinkMaster, and RedundancyMaster software licenses are activated and transferred through a multi-step process that requires Internet and user access to the web-based My Kepware portal. For detailed instructions, expand the topics below.

Activating a License

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
   • KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   • RedundancyMaster: Open RedundancyMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
   • LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
2. In the drop-down list, select Manage Software Licenses and then click Next.
   
   
3. Select Activate a product and then click Next.
   
   
4. In Create an Activation Request File, enter the Activation ID that was provided by Kepware with the purchased product. Then, click Save to File.
   
   
5. The License Utility will generate a request file and then display a file-browse dialog. Save the request file, making note of its location as it will be sent to the My Kepware portal in the next step.
   
   
   Note: The default filename for the activation request file is “activation_request.txt”. Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when activating more than one product at one time.
6. In an internet browser, navigate to the My Kepware portal at https://my.kepware.com/mykepware/. Returning users will be prompted to enter login information, whereas first-time users must create a My Kepware Account to continue.
7. Once logged in, locate Product Licensing and Registration and then click Activate Product License. Complete all required fields on the form.
   
   
8. In Activation ID, enter the product’s Activation ID. In Activation Request File, click Choose File to browse to the activation request file that was previously saved. Once finished, click Generate Activation Response File.
   
   
9. After the activation request file has been processed successfully, a download link will be displayed at the top of the page. Click Download Activation Response File and then save the file to the host machine, making note of its location.
   
   
   Note: The default filename for the activation response file is “response.txt.” Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when activating more than one product at one time.
10. Next, return to the License Utility. In Manage Software License Activation, locate Import the Activation Response File and then click Import File. Browse to the downloaded activation response file received from the My Kepware portal, and then click Open.
    
    
    Note: At this point, the response file will be processed.
11. Upon successful activation in KEPServerEX, an Activation Complete screen will be displayed. Click Close to exit or Next to access the View Licenses page. Upon successful activation in LinkMaster and RedundancyMaster, the View Licenses page will immediately be displayed.
    
    
12. Next, restart the runtime service to prevent the license from continuing to run in demo mode.
    • License Utility: Click Close
    • KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select Stop Runtime Service. Once stopped, restart it by right-clicking on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and selecting Start Runtime Service.
    • RedundancyMaster: Right-click on the RedundancyMaster icon located in the System Tray and then select Stop Runtime Service. Once stopped, restart it by right-clicking on the RedundancyMaster icon located in the System Tray and selecting Start Runtime Service.
    • LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then select File | Shutdown Runtime and Exit. Then, re-open LinkMaster.
      
      

Transferring a License

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
   • KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   • RedundancyMaster: Open RedundancyMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
   • LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
2. In the drop-down list, select Manage Software Licenses and then click Next.
   
   
3. Select Transfer a product activation and then click Next.
   
   
4. In Select an Activation to Transfer, use the drop-down menu to select the product activation that will be transferred. This will update the products located in the list box with the features contained within the software license.
   
   
5. Under Transfer the Activation File, click Save to File... in order to deactivate the license on the machine. Doing so means that the license rights will no longer be respected by the installed software. If the resulting transfer request file is not processed in the My Kepware portal, users will be unable to use the license
   
   Note: Selecting this button will invoke the warning below. Click OK to continue.
   
   
   
   Important: Users whose activation has a Support and Maintenance subscription will receive the warning shown below. Click OK to continue.
   
   
6. The License Utility will display a file-browse dialog. Save the request file, making note of its location as it will be sent to the My Kepware portal in the next step.
   
   
   
   Note: The default filename for the transfer request file is “transfer_request.txt.” Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when transferring more than one product at one time.
   
   Important: The transfer request file must be generated from the License Utility on the original host machine. An internet connection is required to complete the license transfer process. If the host machine that the active license is being transferred from does not have internet access, users must copy the transfer request file to a computer that does in order to log in to the My Kepware portal and upload the transfer request file.
7. In an internet browser, navigate to the My Kepware portal at https://my.kepware.com/mykepware/. Returning users will be prompted to enter login information, whereas first-time users must create a My Kepware Account to continue.
8. Once logged in, locate Product Licensing and Registration and then click Transfer License. To browse to the transfer request file previously saved, click Choose file. Once selected, click Open.
   
   
9. Next, click Process Transfer Request.
   
   Note: At this point, the transfer request file will be processed and a message will be displayed that indicates the license has been successfully stored in the online account. At this point, the transferred product is now available for activation on another machine.
   
   Important: For information on limitations on activation transfers, please refer to the License Utility product manual.

Emergency Licenses

An Emergency Activation ID is provided with each purchased Software Activation ID to be used in the event of a machine/system failure occurring outside of standard business hours. The emergency license can be activated through the vendor’s licensing website from the target machine, and will allow the product to run for a period of seven days. The Emergency Activation ID is a unique one-time use license: one must be used for each product that requires emergency activation. After using an emergency license, users must contact Technical Support in order to discuss options for re-commissioning the application.

Note: If the computer that the emergency license will be used on does not have Internet access, users must copy the activation request file to a computer that does in order to generate the activation response file. Both the activation request file and the activation response file must be processed on the target machine. For more information on license activation, refer to the License Utility product manual.

Important: It is important to discuss appropriate recovery procedures with all relevant personnel before a situation such as machine/system failure occurs. Furthermore, users can alleviate recovery by saving a copy of all current Activation IDs. It is also helpful to note the correct version of the server installation.

Managing Hardware Key Certificates

Hardware keys are used in conjunction with digitally-signed files generated by Kepware that contain a unique Hardware Key ID (Flex ID) in addition to a list of activated products. Each hardware key certificate can be imported to many host machines, but the physical hardware key that is associated with the hardware key certificate can only be attached to one machine at a time. The physical hardware key is necessary in order to use the hardware key certificate.

Important: An additional software feature must be installed in order for the hardware key to function properly. This can be done during the initial setup or at any time by re-running the product installation executable and selecting Modify. In Select Features, locate Hardware Key and then select Entire feature will be installed on the local hard drive. Then, continue through and complete the install. For more information, refer to Kepware Installation Guide.

The hardware key certificate must be imported into the License Utility in order for the physical hardware key to be recognized by the application's Runtime. For more information, refer to the instructions below.

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
   • KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   • RedundancyMaster: Open RedundancyMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
   • LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
2. In the drop-down list, select Manage Hardware Key Certificates.
   
   


3. Locate Import a Hardware Key Certificate, and then click Import File. Browse to and select the hardware key certificate sent from Kepware, and then click Open.
4. On successful activation, the View Licenses page will be displayed listing the licensing information for the activated products.
   
   
5. Next, restart the runtime service to prevent the license from continuing to run in demo mode.
   • KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select Stop Runtime Service. Once stopped, restart it by right-clicking on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and selecting Start Runtime Service.
   • RedundancyMaster: Right-click on the RedundancyMaster icon located in the System Tray and then select Stop Runtime Service. Once stopped, restart it by right-clicking on the RedundancyMaster icon located in the System Tray and selecting Start Runtime Service.
   • LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then select File | Shutdown Runtime and Exit. Then, re-open LinkMaster.

For more information on managing hardware key certificates, refer to the License Utility product manual.

ClientAce

ClientAce licenses are activated and unlocked using a different multi-step process.

Acquiring and Registering a License

1. To start, click Start | Programs | Kepware Products. Then, click ClientAce and select License ClientAce.
2. In Kepware ClientACE License, click Acquire License.
   
   
3. In the Registration Information section, complete the Name and Company fields. The License Information field will be populated with the licensing information needed by Kepware.
   
   
   
   Note: Please ensure that each line contains data. If information is missing from the “KEY1” line, re-run the License Utility by right-clicking on it and selecting Run as Administrator.
4. Once finished, click OK. At that point, the email client application will display a new email message that has been pre-populated with information. To send the message to Kepware, click Send.
   
   Note: Users that do not have an email client on their machine can copy the information out of the License Information dialog and then email Kepware. This is especially helpful when using webmail or operating on a machine that does not have internet access.
   
   Important: In order to process the license, Kepware needs both the License Information and the LSA number that was provided at the time of purchase. License requests cannot be processed without a valid LSA number.
5. Kepware’s reply email will include the product’s license text. Copy the code and then paste it into Kepware ClientACE License.
   
   
6. Next, click Register License.
   
   
   
   Note: At this point, ClientAce has been licensed successfully and can be used to sign custom client applications.