SoftwareKey System Evaluation: Instant Protection PLUS 3 demo application

The SoftwareKey System Evaluation demonstrates the main licensing features available with Instant Protection PLUS 3 (IPP3) and a SOLO Server Automation account. The same licensing functionality you see in the demo can be applied to your own applications. This article walks through what the demo shows, then helps you decide which licensing client best fits your project.

What the demo application shows

The demo application demonstrates a typical end-to-end licensing experience. The demonstrated features include:

A license dialog with options to evaluate, purchase, or activate.
Logging into SOLO Server and creating a license.
Activating with a time-limited license and with a feature-based license.
Deactivating a license, including a remote deactivation.
Navigating the SOLO Server author interface and reviewing activation history.

To follow along, install IPP3 and sign in to your own SOLO Server Automation account, then reproduce each step against a test product.

Choosing a licensing client

Throughout our 25+ year history, we have developed many licensing clients to support a wide range of licensing requirements, programming languages, operating systems, and processor architectures. Whether you want something simple or something more powerful, there is a tool to fit. The clients fall into two categories: simple wizard-based clients and the advanced SDK.

Wizard-based licensing clients

A wizard-based client lets you tap into thousands of lines of proven licensing code quickly. Step-by-step guidance gets you up and running with little or no source code changes and no deep programming experience required.

Advanced SDK licensing client

The advanced SDK consists of application programming interfaces (APIs) that give your development team complete control and flexibility over the licensing business logic and user interface. Sample applications are included to help you get started, but the implementation is yours to design.

How to choose

Start with the kind of application you have. If your application is something other than a Windows desktop application, or it has no user interface, choose Protection PLUS 5 SDK. For a Windows desktop application, you can choose either a wizard-based client or Protection PLUS 5 SDK.

Next, know your licensing requirements. This tells you whether the simple wizard-based options can satisfy them, or whether you need the advanced SDK. The wizard-based clients meet many of the most common requirements, while the advanced SDK can meet nearly any licensing requirement you can think of.

Each client provides copy protection. When a customer purchases and activates a license, use of your application is locked to that machine.

Licensing requirements each client meets

Wizard-based: Instant Protection PLUS 3

IPP3 can directly wrap Win32 PE files and supports any 32-bit or 64-bit programming language that can call standard Windows DLLs. It supports:

Trials limited by time, number of runs, or features.
Perpetual, non-expiring, or subscription-based licensing.
Feature-based licensing.
Update notifications.

More sophisticated scenarios can be accommodated using the included API. IPP3 does not require SOLO Server (though SOLO Server is still recommended), so it also supports offline activation by phone or email.

Wizard-based: AutoCrypt Software Licensing

AutoCrypt SL is even easier to use because it supports more file types that can be directly wrapped, including .NET and 64-bit applications. The wrapper is the only option, so no source code changes are ever needed. AutoCrypt SL requires SOLO Server and supports:

Trials limited by time or number of runs.
Perpetual, non-expiring, or subscription-based licensing.

AutoCrypt SL keeps things simple. It has fewer customization options, but it makes implementing the main licensing and copy protection functionality quick and easy.

Note: if IPP3 or AutoCrypt SL meets most but not all of your requirements, and you want the easiest implementation, consider adjusting the unmet requirements so they fit within the parameters of a simple licensing client.

Advanced: Protection PLUS 5 SDK

Protection PLUS 5 SDK is frequently selected for two reasons: it gives you a high degree of control and flexibility, and it performs well across many platforms. It supports all the same licensing features as the wizard-based clients, with more power and control in the implementation. A few examples of what you can do:

Build customized implementations with access to highly customized license data.
Pass down an XML license file with near-limitless license parameters in a single activation, even with a manual activation process.
Create custom dialogs with full UNICODE support.
Support volume licensing and downloadable licenses with activation.
Limit concurrent user access through Network Floating Licensing features.
Design a seamless, customized user experience with extensive flexibility.
Change the licensing business logic later without outgrowing the system when your sales or marketing needs evolve.

Trying each client

Free 30 day trials are available for each licensing client, so you can see the wizard interface and the end user experience for yourself. Work you complete during a trial carries over to the full version when you activate.

With IPP3, you use the wizard to choose your licensing options and protect your application, and your end users see a welcome screen with options to evaluate, purchase, or activate.

Next steps

After you decide on a client, set up a test product in your SOLO Server account and reproduce the demo steps above: create a license, activate with a time-limited and a feature-based license, then deactivate (including a remote deactivation) and review the activation history in the SOLO Server author interface. For step-by-step implementation instructions, see the product manual for your chosen client.