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CHARON-VAX for Linux licensing


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CHARON-VAX for Linux licensing

Nov 18, 2015

Table of Contents

General description

CHARON-VAX product is protected by licenses, issued by STROMASYS for each customer individually. The CHARON-VAX license defines all the specifics of the particular CHARON-VAX distribution and its usage.

The license is implemented in the form of a hardware dongle (a Sentinel HASP key) or a software license. Please be careful with your license key. In case of loss or damage, CHARON-VAX will not run or start unless the license key is replaced. For extra protection, STROMASYS recommends the use of a backup license key (purchased separately) that can replace the main license key for a restricted period of time. It is possible to specify the backup license in the CHARON-VAX configuration file to prevent CHARON-VAX from stopping in case its main license is no longer accessible.

The CHARON-VAX license is read upon the start of each instance of CHARON-VAX and at a specified interval (defined by the license content) during the emulated system execution. If CHARON-VAX detects the absence (or malfunction) of the license key / software license, CHARON will try to use a backup license (if specified in the configuration file). If the license is not available / not specified, CHARON displays a warning message in the log file requesting license key reconnection or software license reactivation. If the license is not reconnected within a given period of time (the check interval), CHARON-VAX exits.

Note that if the time-restricted license is used and it expires, CHARON-VAX tries to find its replacement automatically and, if found, CHARON-VAX proceeds using the replacement license.

The present CHARON-VAX implementation requires that the expired license be removed to allow the running CHARON-VAX to switch to some other (valid) one.

The CHARON-VAX software license is not distributed in case of Proof-of-Concept and evaluation installations. Only hardware dongles are used in this case.

It is important to connect HASP license keys to the computer from time to time even if CHARON-VAX is not used. The keys contain a built-in accumulator that needs to be charged. If the accumulator is completely discharged, a license key can be fatally damaged.

Update of the CHARON-VAX license can be performed on the fly without stopping CHARON-VAX. At the next license check, CHARON-VAX will use the updated license normally.

The following sections list all the main parameters of the CHARON-VAX licensing mechanism.

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Parameters defined by CHARON-VAX license

The following table represents all the parameters defined by CHARON-VAX license:

General

Products relevant

Optional

General

Products relevant

Optional

  • Physical key ID

  • License Number

  • End user name

  • Master key ID

  • License release date and time

  • Update Number

  • Purchasing Company name. In most cases the company to which the key was issued originally

  • Commercial product name

  • Commercial product code

  • Commercial product version and range of build numbers suitable for running

  • Range of CHARON-VAX virtual models available for running

  • Type of host CPU required

  • Host operating system required

  • Number of virtual CPUs enabled for virtual SMP systems

  • Minimum number of host CPU cores required

  • Minimum host memory required

  • Maximum memory emulated. If not present the value defaults to the maximum memory possible for the particular virtual system. Note that the maximum memory may not be available to the virtual system if the host computer has insufficient physical memory.

  • Maximum number of CHARON-VAX instances that can be run concurrently

  • Whether or not CHAPI (CHARON-VAX API) can be used with this product

  • Product and Field Test expiration dates (if any)

  • Product and Field Test executions counter (if any)

  • Maximum number of hosts that may run CHARON-VAX concurrently (in the case of a networking license)

  • Level of support (if any), end date of any support contract, the "First Line" Service Provider

  • Frequency of CHARON-VAX license checking during CHARON-VAX execution

  • Possibility to attach hardware QBUS/UNIBUS hardware via adapter

  • Parameter that reduces the maximum speed of the program

  • Parameter that enables the product to support additional serial lines through an option board from a company such as DIGI

  • Parameter that prohibits use of Advanced CPU Emulation. If not present the Advanced CPU Emulation is enabled

  • Parameter that enables emulation of IEQ11-A IEEE488 Controller (on top of DCI-3100 IEEE488 Controller

  • Parameter that enables emulation of DRV11-WA I/O controller (on top of DCI-1100 I/O controller)

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CHARON-VAX licensing models

CHARON-VAX licensing models are divided in 3 groups:

 

Regular Sentinel HASP keys

This is most common way of CHARON-VAX licensing. 

The CHARON-VAX license is embedded in a Sentinel HASP dongle. This license is available only on the host where the dongle is physically installed.

The CHARON-VAX installation procedure takes care of the Sentinel HASP run-time (driver) installation. Once the CHARON-VAX product has been installed, it is possible to plug-in the regular license key and proceed with CHARON-VAX usage without additional configuration steps.

The number of CHARON-VAX instances allowed to run on a particular host may be restricted by the license content (see above).

 

Network Sentinel HASP keys

The Network Sentinel HASP key (red dongle) can be shared between several hosts running CHARON-VAX (including the host on which the network license is installed).

If CHARON-VAX is installed on the host where the network key is connected, no additional steps are required. The Sentinel driver is activated as part of the CHARON-VAX installation. If the host does not have CHARON-VAX installed, the host can still distribute the connected network license to CHARON-VAX instances running on other hosts. In this case the Sentinel driver must be installed on the host manually.

The Sentinel run-time driver is distributed as a separate RPM package in the CHARON-VAX kit. Please see the "License installation" section of this chapter for details.

Once the Sentinel run-time driver is installed and the network license is connected, CHARON-VAX can be started on any appropriate host on the LAN network segment.

The Network license key contains a specific parameter to restrict the number of hosts allowed to run CHARON-VAX at the same time. Together with a parameter defining the number of CHARON-VAX instances that may run at the same time, the network license sets the total number of running CHARON-VAX instances on the allowed number of hosts.

 

Software licenses

The CHARON-VAX Software License is a "virtual" key with exactly the same functionality as the hardware dongle.

The CHARON-VAX software license does not require any hardware but it requires installation of the Sentinel run-time environment.

Software licenses are always network-wide on Linux, so they behave the same way as Network HASP keys.

Software Licenses are highly dependent on hardware configuration of CHARON host. Do not change hardware configuration since it leads to disabling of installed Software License!

If CHARON host has to be upgraded use the following procedure:

  1. Transfer Software License to some other host.

  2. Upgrade CHARON host.

  3. Transfer Software License back to CHARON host.

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Multiple licenses configuration and backup license


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