In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the licenses for Caldera products, as well as their renewal dates.
What is a Caldera license?
A license is permission to own, use, or do something. Caldera offers you various products and services that you can use with two types of licenses:
- A software license
- Or a hardware license linked to a physical device known as a dongle
Software vs. hardware-based licenses
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These have become the default activation method provided by Caldera.
Benefits:
- No need for a dongle
- The license is linked to a unique hardware identifier file called a Fingerprint
- In this sense, there is no risk of breakage, loss, or theft of a dongle
- License registration is also faster because the customer doesn't have to wait for the dongle to be received, since there is no shipping necessary
These are an alternative to fingerprint-based software licenses.
Most often, a hardware license is advised when the customer can't ensure a stable Internet connection on the workstation. Indeed, unlike a software license, a hardware license is linked to a local USB dongle and doesn't require to be renewed each month.
In case of computer failure, the dongle can be plugged into another workstation to benefit from the license.
Limitations:
- The dongle represents an additional cost to the Caldera license and has to be ordered in advance
- If the dongle is lost, broken, or stolen, the customer will have to buy another one
- The activation process is longer, as the customer must wait for the dongle shipment
Recommendation
All the information about license activation can be found in this article.
How does a software license work?
The software license is based on a unique C2V fingerprint file that replaces the dongle:
- This fingerprint describes the hardware configuration of a computer hosting it, such as the network card and other components.
- The software license that is attached to one computer won't work on another computer; however, if the current computer fails, the customer can connect to their workspace account to easily rehost the license on a new computer (based on a new fingerprint)
What is Sentinel?
"Sentinel" is a service used by Caldera to manage both software and hardware-based licenses.
To learn more about this service, please refer to the dedicated help section.
License details and key definitions
Through CalderaDock or WorkSpace, you will be able to see the status of your license, and its validity (Limited for subscription-based or demo products, or Unlimited for perpetual licenses), and other details.
Just click on the View icon
- Activation date. This is the date on which your software was first registered in WorkSpace. Once your contract starts, make sure you register your license as soon as possible so you don't miss out on Caldera benefits for a minute.
- Validity date. Is the expiration of the current renewal period (depending on your license)
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Depending on your time zone, the validity date may have a day difference.
- Expiration date. Is the date on which the license will stop renewing automatically (depends on your license)
- Update date. Indicates the last date on which your license was automatically renewed. If the license is perpetual, this date will automatically change every 30 days.
- Milestone date. Indicates the next date on which your license will automatically renew. This date is set 10 days before the expiration (or validity, depending on the license) date.
License renewal dates
Although CalderaRIP licenses are perpetual, they require a monthly renewal to ensure the ongoing maintenance of the software according to the latest available updates.
Example: If a customer registers their license on March 3rd the license will be valid until April 2nd, then the license will be automatically renewed for the next 30 days, and so on.
This renewal is what we call the Milestone date and is carried out automatically every 30 days through the Internet, so an Internet connection is needed at this moment.
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You don't have to worry about your internet connection for the whole month since you only need it on the first activation and each renewal day. Note that:
- If your RIP station had a connection problem on the renewal date, a manual renewal will be necessary. Learn more with this complete guide.
- If your RIP station had an issue with its system date, firewall, or other unexpected behavior during the renewal date, read this article.
- If you cannot guarantee a stable Internet connection at the RIP station at the required times, you may be better off using a physical license (dongle).