Installation Name and Deactivations
When using SOLO Server Automation, you can issue a license that can be activated multiple times. This could allow different users or computers to activate using the same License ID, and our Installation Name field can be used to help you distinguish between each installation/activation. This is useful for determining which users or computers are using a particular License ID, and it can also help you determine which installation you want to remotely deactivate.
For example, if a license has 10 activated installations, and one of those computers is decommissioned, the customer may not know which installation to remotely deactivate through the Customer License Portal. If a helpful Installation Name was assigned to each Installation, such as a computer/device name, or "John Doe's laptop", then they can confidently know they are deactivating the intended installation.
Requirements for setting an Installation Name
SOLO Server
The Installation Name field can be set when activating online through SOLO Server. This can be a direct online activation, or an indirect activation through another computer.
The license's Product Options settings must have Issue Installation ID enabled, which is the default setting. Each online activation is issued a unique Installation ID (generated by SOLO Server), but the Installation Name can be any text and is a more user-friendly way of identifying an installation.
License Clients
Each of our licensing clients supports sending an Installation Name with the activation request, and this is typically on the same screen where the user enters their License ID and Activation Password.
Instant Protection PLUS 3
In the Instant Protection PLUS 3 wizard, there is a setting you can configure for setting the Installation ID.
It is in the Activation Options, and it gives you a variety of choices for how the Installation Name field can be set.
On the license dialog, it is displayed to the customer as shown here:
Protection PLUS 5 SDK
Protection PLUS 5 SDK gives you the flexibility to choose or prompt for the Installation Name however you want, and the data simply needs to be set in the activation request.
When using PLUSManaged, for example, you could set the ActivateInstallationLicenseFile.InstallationName Property.
When using PLUSNative, for example, you could pass in the Installation Name to the SK_SOLO_ActivateInstallationGetRequest Function.
AutoCrypt SL
AutoCrypt SL will automatically add a "Device Name (optional)" field to the activation dialog, which will set the Installation Name. In this case, it does not have a configurable option.
Using the Installation Name
If you have an Installation Name assigned to each installation/activation, it can be displayed in both the SOLO Server author interface as well as the Customer License Portal. The Installation Name will also be included in the Export Activation Data Report.
To allow deactivations, you also must enable the Product Option setting Allow Deactivations, and the License ID you want to perform a deactivation for must have at least 1 Deactivation Left.
Author Interface
For your staff/administrators, the Installation Name will be displayed on the License Activation History page when you expand out a particular installation. This can help you confirm which installation you want to remotely deactivate.
Customer License Portal
You can allow the customer to view their Installation Names, and also allow them to remotely deactivate through the Customer License Portal.
You must configure the Installation/Computer Name setting in the Customer License Portal Options to display it to customers. Your choice of options are:
- Customers may not access the installation/computer name
- Customers may view the installation/computer name
- Customers may view and edit the installation/computer name
If you also want the customer to be able to remotely deactivate installations, you will also need to configure the Installations setting to be Customers may view installation data and deactivate installations.