I like how your product licensing application works and was wondering if you could provide some details as to the overall procedure?  Also, did you use any third party tools in the development?  We're interested in implementing something similar.

Thanks!!!

Nope, no 3rd party tools. We don't even use Microsoft's licensing stuff, it's all roll-your-own .

The 10,000 foot view is:

1) Each customer is assigned a unique serial number

2) During activation, they supply that serial number, which is sent to our server over the internet.

3) Assuming a valid serial number is given, our licensing server passes back the valid sites (one customer can have multiple sites) for the serial number. Any sites that have reached their maximum activations won't be sent back (they must be deactivated first.)

4) The customer selectes the site they want to install, and that information is passed back to our server over the internet.

5) We programatically create the licensing .dll, which is specific to the customer, site, and machine (a given licensing .dll will only work on the machine for which it was created.)

6) This licensing .dll is passed back to the customer's installation over the internet, and the install places it in the proper location.

7) Whenever licensing needs to be checked (i.e. a strataframe designer is fired up, or our server is started in the case of our medical application), the license DLL is checked. 

That's the basic gist of it. We can't get into the nut and bolts particulars for obvious reasons, but that should give you an idea of the overall procedure . 

Thanks a lot for the info!!! 

Hi Dustin,

MicroFour should seriously think on creating an AddIn Licensing Management for SF applications, it should generate a lot of sales.

Edhy Rijo

We have had a lot of requests for this...and some day when we are caught up and the next version of SF is out the door, then this will definitely come back up.  We hope to market this at some point.

Actually as we are nearing 2009 and I was personally wondering what the SF 2.0 Roadmap looks like for 2009.  Also my subscription comes up in January and it always open the wallet to think about the things I'm going to get.   I for one, like the Licensing and the ClickOnce Replacement as SF would round up DDT, Security, Licensing, Updates,  and finally a ReportShooter Sample that saves to the Database and allows for EndUser Designor.   And for any newbies out there I'm on my second year with SF and is the best development framework out there.   I think it is the best kept secret in the .Net world.

Thanks,

Richard

I would pay for a licensing module and a deployment tool as well.

Keith Chisarik

Thanks for your feedback here guys.  We take all of these types of requests very seriously and it helps us map out our development schedule as well. 

Once again I'll add my vote for automating application deployment.

I'd vote for automating deployment first. Love to have a better solution than ClickOnce(More).