Overview
The FLOATING licence will allow a number of simultaneous users (workstations) to access the software. The system is simple and well-tested. This involves:
- installing a Licence Manager program (which we will supply) on a server,
- installing the Client Application (SIDRA INTERSECTION or TRIP) on any number of individual computers that are connected to your network, and
- providing internet connection to the server for the purpose of initial setting up of the FLOATING licence and for any subsequent changes to the licence.
The Licence Manager program can be downloaded from the sidrasolutions.com website as required.
Read more about How to Setup and Use a FLOATING Licence
The licence system will not allow more than the licensed number of users to access a licence simultaneously. For example, in a FLOATING 10-licence Pack, the next user can access to a licence in order to use the software (Client Application) only when one of the first ten users returns a licence by stopping use of the software.
Several FLOATING licence packs can work side by side on the same server effectively adding the number of licences available.
FLOATING Licence System Requirements
The FLOATING licence requires a Licence Server. This may be an existing server on your LAN and must be accessible to all computers running the Client Application (SIDRA INTERSECTION, SIDRA TRIP) in order to obtain a licence. A Licence Manager software supplied to you when you purchase SIDRA SOLUTIONS software products will need to be installed on the server machine.
The Licence Server has the following requirements:
- Windows XP, Vista, Windows Server 2003/2008
- An internet connection for licensing transactions,
With a FLOATING licence pack, all users will need to access a common network folder on the server during the time that they are using the software. The licensing system will create and use a licence file for each FLOATING licence and a semaphore file for each user who is allocated a licence currently. These files are stored in the common network folder. The semaphore file is opened and held open in a locked state for each user who runs the client application and is allocated a licence. After the user exits the client application, the semaphore file allocated to that session will be deleted.
The shared folder on the server is for licence control only. All software (client application) and its data reside on the individual user computers. There is no application data written to semaphore files.
The FLOATING Licence arrangement is flexible and you can choose to use it within a single site or over a number of sites at different locations. If you wish to set up the common network folder on a server at a central location to serve several sites via a WAN link, this is a feasible arrangement and is allowable under our licensing conditions. However it is important to understand that the ability to use the software in this manner is dependent on the reliability of your inter-office links.
Under the FLOATING licence system, the software cannot be used on a computer that is not connected to your network. If you wish to use the software on laptop computers that are taken away from the office, you will need to purchase SINGLE licences for these computers.
The licensing software does not use any network-specific calls. Therefore, it should work with any network operating system that allows the client workstations to write to a common directory. The algorithm has been tested on all of the major network operating systems such as Novell Netware, Windows and other smaller peer-to-peer networks such as Lantastic. No new hardware is required and there is no special server software needed beyond the normal operating system.
Purchasing FLOATING Licences
Explanations are given below about the way FLOATING pack licences can be purchased.
- Only the FLOATING pack products listed in the shopping cart are available. You can purchase a combination of FLOATING packs to achieve the total number of licences you wish to have since several FLOATING licence packs can work side by side on the same server effectively adding the number of licences available.
- Minimum FLOATING licence pack size is 10. If you have a smaller number of users, you should consider purchasing SINGLE licences instead of a FLOATING licence pack since it is easier to manage SINGLE licences.
- There is no upsizing from one FLOATING pack to another in the purchase process. You simply buy additional SINGLE licences or FLOATING licence packs as you need.
- The unit cost per licence is the same for all FLOATING licence packs. Therefore, the purchase and COVER renewal costs of different combinations of FLOATING packs will be the same. The following examples will all cost the same: a) three 10 packs, or b) one 10 pack and one 20 pack, or c) one 30 pack.
- Above FLOATING 30-licence pack, negotiation about an ENTERPRISE licence is strongly recommended.
- COVER renewal cost for each FLOATING licence pack is payable separately. The unit cost of COVER renewal per user is the same [Cost: $250 per licence].