...
The complete licensing documentation can be found in the Charon Licensing Handbook. Please refer to this documentation for any topics not covered in this overview guide and for more detailed information on the topics discussed here.
This page provides an overview of the basic steps to set up the licensing environment on a system running Charon-PAR for Linux:
| Table of Contents |
|---|
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
General Description
...
The license check on Charon-PAR will be successful for a newer license if the major version is the same.
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
License Type Overview
Depending on customer requirements, Stromasys can provide several different license types.
Local Hardware License
...
Software License
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Network License
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Overview of Initial License Installation Steps
Each Charon emulator product requires a valid license to run. To access the license, the emulator needs the Sentinel runtime software. This software is part of the Charon-PAR for Linux installation kits. Refer to the software installation section of the Charon product user's guide for software installation instructions.
After the installation of this software, the license can be installed on the system. The following steps will be described in more detail below:
- Add a password for the Sentinel Admin Control Center (ACC).
- If you purchased a hardware license, you can simply plug the dongle into a free USB port on the system.
- If you purchased a software license, you need to create a fingerprint file in C2V (customer-to-vendor) format containing the system characteristics. Use this file to request a license for your Charon product from Stromasys.
- If your license is a network license served by a license server, make sure that the access of the client system to the license server is not blocked by the configuration or a firewall.
- Optionally, define how multiple licenses will be used (selecting primary/backup license, defining license priorities).
- If you have an existing license that needs to be updated, you need to create a customer-to-vendor (C2V) file and use this file to request a license update from Stromasys.
Overview of License Management Tools
The following list shows the main tools used to manage licenses on Linux:
- Sentinel Admin Control Center (ACC): A web-based interface providing important configuration options with respect to licenses.
- The hasp_srm_view program: A command-line tool to display the detailed license contents and generate C2V and fingerprint files. Cannot be used over a remote connection when using local hardware licenses.
- The hasp_update program: A command-line tool to install new and update existing licenses.
Accessing the License Management Tools
The command-line tools are installed under /opt/charon/bin/. If this directory is not part of your PATH variable, you have to specify the full path to access the command.
To run the commands, use the following syntax for hasp_srm_view and hasp_update respectively.
...
# /opt/charon/bin/hasp_srm_view <option>
and
# /opt/charon/bin/hasp_update <option>
The relevant options will be specified with the tasks described below, as needed.
The Sentinel ACC on the local system is accessed by starting a web-browser and pointing it to the URL: http://localhost:1947.
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Sentinel Admin Control Center (ACC) Security Settings
Please note: Stromasys strongly recommends performing the steps described below to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to the Sentinel ACC.
Define a Password for the Sentinel ACC
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Set Linux File Protections
...
View Existing Licenses
It is important to know which licenses are visible on a system. For example, the user can
- determine if the correct license is installed,
- identify the expiration date on time-based licenses,
- identify the remaining hours of run-time on backup licenses,
- identify the license ID of primary and backup license which are needed for the emulator configuration file,
- identify licenses that conflict with the currently used product and therefore may need to be removed.
Licenses can be viewed using two tools:
- Sentinel ACC: shows important information, but not the product specific license parameters.
- Command-line tool hasp_srm_view: shows all product details contained on the license. Can only be run from a local connection for local hardware licenses.
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Viewing a License with Sentinel ACC
To view available licenses using Sentinel ACC, start the web interface by pointing a web-browser to the URL http://localhost:1947.
Please note: starting with Charon-PAR 1.10 a new Sentinel ACC version (>= 7.60) has been included in the product. The functionality is very similar but the appearance is somewhat different.
...
Viewing a License with hasp_srm_view
On Linux, the license content is displayed using the hasp_srm_view command. For displaying the license, the following parameters are relevant:
- Display the default license: run the command without options or with
-l - Display all licenses: run the command with the option
-all - Display a license with a specific ID: run the command with the option
-key
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Install the License
This section provides a short overview of the initial license installation. For more in-depth information, please refer to the licensing handbook.
Please note: if a conflicting or obsolete license is visible to the system, it can be (temporarily) removed or disabled. If you need to remove a hardware license, simply unplug it. If you need to remove a software license or disable access to a network license, please refer to the relevant chapter in the licensing handbook. Before removing a license or disabling access to it ensure that it is not required by another currently active product.
Installing a Local Hardware License
A local hardware license (USB dongle) is installed by inserting the USB license key into a free USB port of the host system after the Sentinel runtime software has been installed.
After this step, verify that the license is visible to the system by following the steps for viewing a license as described above. Please bear in mind that a local hardware license cannot be read when connected to the system via a remote connection (for example, ssh).
Installing a Software License
To install a new software license, perform the following steps:
Step 1: Create a fingerprint file using the hasp_srm_view command:
Execute the following command to create the fingerprint file:
...
The fingerprint will be written to the filename specified.
Please note:
- Charon-PAR before 1.10: the above command will terminate with the error message "
Can not retrieve the C2V (host fingerprint mode) data"or with "Can not retrieve the C2V (host fingerprint mode) data"if a remote network license is visible to the system. Access to such a license needs to be temporarily disabled before creating the fingerprint file. Please refer to section Tasks Specific to Network Licenses and section Removing a License for details. - Charon-PAR versions 1.10 and higher can create a fingerprint file even in the presence of a remote network license.
Step 2: Send the resulting fingerprint file to Stromasys orders administration using the email address that Stromasys will provide to you.
Step 3: After receiving the V2C file from Stromasys, copy the file to the system where the license needs to be installed and install the new license:
In addition to the Sentinel ACC, the command hasp_update can be used on Linux to apply V2C files.
The following example shows the use of the hasp_update command:
...
Please note: this section describes the installation of a new software license. However, the commands to install a V2C file are identical when updating a hardware license.
Important caveat: When updating a hardware license, you will in most cases receive two V2C files, a *_fmt.v2c file and a *.v2c file. The *_fmt.v2c file formats the dongle and the *.v2c file contains the updated license data. In such cases the *_fmt.v2c file must be applied first.
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Installing a Network License
For a network license to be provided to a client host on the network, a license server must have been set up either with a network-enabled hardware license (red dongle) or a software license (software licenses are always network enabled).
If the license server also runs a Charon emulator product, follow the software installation steps in the user's guide. Additionally, the licensing handbook contains additional information about setting up a dedicated license server without installing the full product kit using the license-specific packages of a product kit.
For the client to access a license on a license server the following steps are required:
- Any firewall between license server and client must permit the necessary communication.
- The license server must be configured to allow access from the client.
- The client must be configured to allow access to the license server.
Firewall Considerations
...
For details on how to configure the firewall in your network, please consult your operating system documentation and make sure to adhere to your company's security policies.
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Allowing Client Access on the License Server
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Allowing Access to a License Server on the Client
...
Verifying License Availability
After installing a license on the system, verify the availability of the license as described in the section View Existing Licenses.
Check if the license shows the correct product, expiration date etc.
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Handle Multiple Keys
...
Backup License Characteristics
...
Primary and Backup License for Charon-PAR prior to Version 1.10
If more than one key is visible to the system, you can define which is the primary and which the backup key. To do this, add the following parameters to the configuration file of the Charon instance:
| Div | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
|
To identify the relevant key IDs, display the available licenses as described in section View Existing Licenses.
To get information about modifying the Charon configuration files, refer to the appropriate sections in the user's guide.
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Prioritized List of License Keys or Product License IDs for Charon-PAR Version 1.10 and Higher
Prioritized List of License Keys
If more than one key is visible to the system, you can define a prioritized list of license keys. To do this, add the following parameter to the configuration file of the Charon instance:
...
license_key_id <key-id prio1>
license_key_id <key-id prio2> (more than two key ID entries are possible)
license_use_any_key false|true (optional parameter, default = false
The first entry in the configuration file has the highest priority. The emulator instance will try to use this key first. If it is not available, it will try the second key in the list and so on. If the parameter license_use_any_key is set to true, the emulator instance will search for any keys not part of the list should none of the listed keys be available.
To identify the relevant key IDs, display the available licenses as described in section View Existing Licenses.
To get information about modifying the Charon configuration files, refer to the appropriate sections in the user's guide.
Prioritized List of Product License IDs
Every license key can contain one or more product sections. Newer licenses can contain a product license ID identifying each product section. A prioritized list of product license IDs can be added to the emulator instance configuration file to specify which product sections to use and which should have the highest priority. To do this, add the following parameter to the configuration file of the Charon instance:
...
license_id "<lic-id-prio1>"
license_id "<lic-id-prio2>" (more than two entries are possible
The emulator instance will scan the available license keys for the listed product license IDs. Then it will try to use the first defined product section. If it is not available, it will try the next and so on. If none of the listed product license IDs are found, the emulator will stop.
To identify the relevant product license IDs, display the available licenses as described in section View Existing Licenses.
To get information about modifying the Charon configuration files, refer to the appropriate sections in the user's guide.
...
| class | pagebreak |
|---|
Update an Existing License
If you need to update an existing hardware or software license, for example because the time limit on the license has expired or to upgrade to a new product version, perform the following tasks:
- Generate the C2V file for the existing license. This step is the same for a hardware license or an existing software license. This Customer-to-Vendor (C2V) file contains the license characteristics necessary for creating the license update.
- Send the C2V file to Stromasys. Stromasys will use the data to create the necessary license update. You will receive one (software license) or two (most hardware license updates) V2C files (the Vendor-to-Customer file).
- Apply the license data from the V2C file(s). This will install and activate the update for your license.
These tasks are described below:
Step 1: Generate the C2V file using the hasp_srm_view command:
Execute the following command to create the C2V file:
...
If there is more than one license visible to the system, newer product versions (starting from Charon-SSP 2.0.1, Charon-AXP/VAX 4.8 Build 18302, Charon-PAR 1.10) allow selecting a specific license using the -key parameter:
...
$ hasp_srm_view -key <license-id> -c2v <filename.c2v>
The C2V file will be written to the filename specified.
Please note: the license content cannot be read if you are connected to the system via a remote connection (e.g., via ssh). The hasp_srm_view command will return an error. You can use the following workaround:
$ ssh localhost /opt/charon/bin/hasp_srm_view -c2v <filename>
...
Step 2: Send the resulting C2V file to Stromasys orders administration using the email address that Stromasys will provide to you.
Step 3: After receiving the V2C file(s) from Stromasys, copy the file(s) to the system where the license needs to be installed and install the new license:
Important caveat: if a hardware USB key is to be updated, in most cases you will have received two files: a *_fmt.v2c file and a *.v2c file. The *_fmt.v2c file formats the dongle and the *.v2c file contains the updated license data. In such cases the *_fmt.v2c file must be applied first.
On Linux, the command hasp_update can be used to apply V2C files.
The following example shows the use of the hasp_update command:
...
Alternatively, you can use the Sentinel ACC to apply V2C files (use the section Update/Attach). Refer to the license handbook for more details.
...
| Include Page | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|