License Manager

License management involves two separate databases: an online license server and a local database that resides on a Supervisor computer. The License Manager installs (imports) licenses and certificates to a remote platform, sourced either from your Workbench PC or the Niagara licensing server. You can also view the contents of licenses and certificates, and if desired, delete them from a remote platform.

The Workbench management of licenses uses a structured local license database with a license archive file format. In addition, the Workbench License Manager is available, which does not require a platform (or station) connection to use. Instead, it uses a platform tool to manage licenses.

  • The Supervisor platform’s local license database contains all the licenses assigned to the remote controller platforms that are part of the Supervisor’s NiagaraNetwork. This structured collection of subfolders and files is under the Supervisor platform’s Sys Home !/security/licenses/db directory. Each subdirectory has a unique host ID name that matches a remote host platform.

    The local license database design makes it easier to store licenses for multiple host platforms without inadvertently overwriting one license file with another. This saves you from having to make special license folders (subdirectories), and/or rename license files uniquely. The related license archive storage file format (.lar) facilitates the exchange of licenses among different PCs, and is used when updating and synchronizing licenses to the online licensing server, as well as with provisioning features for NiagaraNetworks.

    Workbench creates and manages the local license database automatically and updates it when you perform license operations from platform connections, PlatformServices and when using platform tools. The same directory and file structure is visible using your PC’s Windows Explorer.

  • The online licensing server is a database of licenses and certificates. As the final license authority, it contains the most current version of each host platform’s license. This includes licenses for controllers, Supervisors, and workstation-only applications. The platform’s License Manager provides the interface between the Supervisor platform and the licensing server.

Multiple views (plugins) access the licensing server and local database including: the browser’s License Request form and the platform’s License Manager. Other views use the licensing server to confirm that a feature is licensed. Examples include the Local License Database tool and the Network License Summary view of the Licenses slot on the NiagaraNetwork’s ProvisioningNwExt.

The procedures in this guide distinguish between the server and database depending on the requirements of the task.