Licensing
With Orchestra version 4.8.0.0, a license verification mechanism has been introduced to curb the use of pirated copies and protect the investment of customers who remain loyal to their contracts.
The verification mechanism ensures that licensed customers can use Orchestra without restrictions.
Activated Orchestra licenses can be viewed on the License Management page. In this section new license requests can be created or activated.
If you update an existing Orchestra node to version 5.0.1.0, you must also license the node.
You have 200 days to activate the node.
If this period passes without activation, access to the Orchestra node will be restricted.
License Verification
The Orchestra server routinely verifies that the node license aligns with the Orchestra version and the corresponding hardware for which it was issued.
During this verification, the server's fingerprint is compared with the activated license on the server. There is no outbound data transfer from the server. If a discrepancy is detected, a permanent message appears in the Orchestra monitor, and a corresponding entry is logged as a system event.
If the automatic license check identifies a discrepancy, new scenarios cannot be deployed, and existing ones cannot be redeployed!
Deployment or redeployment is only possible again after the license has been updated. An update may be necessary if there are hardware changes, such as the installation of a new hard disk.
Licensing Mechanism
The license checking mechanism restricts the execution of unlicensed software only. No data from the databases operated with Orchestra will be shared with Soffico or third parties.
Licenses within a local network can be managed via a central license protection mechanism. For further details, please contact Soffico.
The supplied software incorporates a copy protection mechanism that binds it to the system where it is installed through a digital watermark. This file includes:
- Name and type of your Orchestra software
- URL of the monitor
- Fingerprint of the server where the Orchestra node is installed, including:
- Network-specific information
- Operating system
- BIOS information
Until the watermark is created, the customer receives a temporary version that is hardware-independent. For a new installation, the temporary usage period is 19 days; for an existing installation, it is 200 days. During this period, the customer must create an activation request in the Orchestra Monitor and email it to licensing@soffico.de. Upon receiving this information, Soffico will generate a license file for the customer, which contains the corresponding digital “watermark” necessary for running Orchestra on the specified computer system.
The software can be transferred to other computers at any time. To facilitate this, Soffico provides activation or new license data upon request.
License protection applies to one Orchestra node at a time. If you use Orchestra on multiple nodes, a license file must be created for each node in use.
License Variants
Orchestra offers a variety of capabilities. It can be used in standalone mode on a server or in cluster mode. Furthermore, Orchestra can be operated on virtual instances and in containerized environments. The parameters of the license verification algorithm differ based on the respective area of application.
In a cluster environment, each cluster will require its own license file.
Hardware Licensing (Standard)
With hardware-based licensing, a fingerprint of the hardware and software environment is created during activation. Based on this fingerprint, the license mechanism checks whether the execution environment of Orchestra has changed.
Virtual Machine
Since hardware changes can occur more frequently with virtual machines and necessitate permanent new licensing, we offer a special license for such cases. With this variant, the test is carried out in a reduced form, enabling smooth operation of the environment.
IP Based Licensing
In container-based environments, IP based licensing is the method of choice. The license check is linked to the IP address of the Orchestra node. As long as the IP address remains unchanged, the node is considered licensed. In addition to a simple IP address, there is also an option for defining IP ranges, allowing the same license to be used for several computers simultaneously.
Floating Licensing
With floating licensing, an additional component, the Orchestra floating server, is required. This server manages the licenses available for a customer. An Orchestra instance using this mechanism does not need to be activated directly. Instead, the licensing request is sent to the floating server, which decides on the granting of a license based on the available licenses.
Business Partner License
With Business Partner licenses, it is possible to license Orchestra based on certificates. A connection is established to a URL through which a certificate or certificate chain can be retrieved. This is compared with a certificate stored in the license file. If these match or the certificate chain is valid, Orchestra is licensed.
Emergency Keys
Soffico can issue an emergency key upon request.
This emergency key serves as a node license that permits an activated Orchestra node to function for a limited duration when license information is corrupt.
An emergency key must be installed manually by copying the key file into the /licensestore directory of the Orchestra installation.