Licensing - Software protection using hardware key

Trimble 4D Control Server is license-protected. If you have received a hardware key with your purchase of the product, you will not be able to run Trimble 4D Control Server without this hardware key (dongle).

Plug the hardware key into a USB port. If you are running Trimble 4D Control Server in a distributed environment, you need to plug in only one hardware key to any of the computers participating in your computer network. The SENTINEL DONGLE driver is installed or updated with each Trimble 4D Control Server installation, see the Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs group.

Do not remove the hardware key while running Trimble 4D Control Server. Otherwise all protected functionality will be disabled automatically.

Tip for Trimble software users - Trimble 4D Control Server requires the SENTINEL DONGLE driver to be set up to work in the network mode. If you are installing Trimble 4D Control Server on a computer with an already existing installation of the SENTINEL DONGLE driver, this mode might not be set. Unfortunately, it is not possible for the Trimble 4D Control Server installation to automatically update the Sentinel Protection Server. Perform the following steps to check this mode and to activate it, if not activated:
1. From the Trimble 4D Control Server installation DVD, run the "Sentinel Protection Installer <version>.exe" file, which is located in the Dongle folder. The Sentinel Protection Installer wizard appears.
2. Select the Modify option.
3. Make sure, the Sentinel Protection Server option is a selected program feature.
4. Run the installation.

Using the Trimble License Activator program for updating the license

When you receive the hardware key, it is empty and does not yet contain any license. Your license is available on the Trimble License Server and needs to be bound to the respective hardware key. Use the License Activator to connect to the Trimble License Server for loading your license and writing it onto the hardware key. If you upgrade your system with further options or with major software updates, it will become necessary to update your license.

For binding and updating the license, run the Trimble License Activator program that is included in your Trimble 4D Control Server program group. Trimble License Activator automatically searches for connected hardware keys. The Trimble License Activator main view displays information on the currently selected hardware key and the features activated by it.

The following describes how to update the license. Binding a new license is done similarly.

Hardware key search

It may happen that Trimble 4D Control Server detects multiple hardware keys. For example, it is possible to run Trimble 4D Control Server on the same computer as other Trimble Infrastructure programs. Use the Hardware Key field to select from all detected hardware keys at the local host. If you have attached a hardware key after you have started Trimble License Activator, click Search to update the list.

Selecting the license activation type

Updating the license is done by writing a license key onto the hardware key. There are two different methods to update the license:

• Online activation (Internet connection required)
• Offline activation using license key files

Online activation (Internet connection required)

If you have received login credentials for authentication at the Trimble License Server, you just need a connection to the Internet. A license key file is not necessary. Your hardware key will be bound to a license made available at the Trimble License Server. All required license information will be transferred automatically to your hardware key, if you do the following:

1. Select the Online activation (Internet connection required) option from the Activation Type drop-down list. The Online Connection dialog appears. Additionally, the Trimble License Activator main view then displays two sections, Connection Status and License Status.
2. Using the Online Connection dialog, edit the E-mail address and Password fields with the values you have received from Trimble.
3. Select whether none, one, or both of the login credential values will be saved and displayed the next time you open the dialog. Click Connect.

   When the connection was established successfully, the Connection Status section of the Trimble License Activator main view now displays Online as the current connection status. If the connection could not be established (wrong or missing values, after having clicked Cancel) the connection status will be Offline. To re-open the Online Connection dialog, click anywhere into the Connection Status section of the Trimble License Activator main view.

4. What happens then depends on whether or not the hardware key has already been bound to a software license:
   • If the hardware key is new or unbound: With the connection to the Trimble License Server established, use the License Status section for selecting the license pool, for which you want to update the license (Select a license pool). The values of the Select a license field are adjusted automatically. If more than one license is available for a license pool, select the matching license there. Check the licensed features in the lower section of the dialog. To bind the license to the hardware key and write the license key to the hardware key, click Update License.
     

     A license pool is the entirety of all purchased options for an Infrastructure Solutions software system.

     Licenses allow splitting functionality over multiple servers.

     A license pool contains one or several licenses.

   • If the hardware key has already been bound to a license: With the connection to the Trimble License Server established, the License Status section typically displays the license pool, the license name, and the features that are currently licensed and bound to the selected hardware key. It is not possible to change the license pool or license selection. To update the license key on the hardware key with the current license information from the Trimble License Server, click Update License.
5. After the license has successfully been written on the hardware key (a message appears), click Exit to finish Trimble License Activator.

Offline activation using license key files (only on request to the Trimble support team)

If you have received a license key file, make sure it is available in your computer network. Do the following:

1. Run the Trimble License Activator program and select the Offline activation using license key files option from the Activation Type drop-down list. The Trimble License Activator main view then displays the Key File Selection section.
2. Use the browse button to open the Select License File dialog, which lets you search for the key file. When selected the key file name will be displayed in the File name field. Check the license version and licensed features in the lower section of the dialog.
3. To start writing the information from the license file, click Update License. After the license has successfully been activated (a message appears), click Exit to finish Trimble License Activator.

Alarming

For setting up alarms on the licensing status do the following:

1. Within your Trimble 4D Control Server system, make sure an Alarm Manager module is loaded and set up to your needs.
2. Go to the Alarm Manager Alarm Status module-view and click the button. This adds a new alarm job to list of configured alarm jobs and opens a Properties pane with default alarm job settings.
3. Set the Set module filter property to Central Controller.
4. For receiving an alarm if the hardware key has been removed, select Cached licenses in use as Alarm condition. This is a warning that appears immediately, as soon as the connection fails. The license will stay valid within the next 4 days. Considering this fact, it may be a good idea to set the Action delay setting of the job properties to a higher value than the default few seconds.
5. For receiving an alarm if there is no valid license in the whole system anymore, select License lost as Alarm condition. When this alert appears, all protected functionality is disabled immediately. This situation can happen, for example, if the hardware key has been disconnected.