Offline Activation and Deactivation

Contents

• Getting Started -  how "offline" activation and deactivation works
• Doing an offline activation
• Server-side Activation Process - Using your own Internal Staff for support
• Server-side Activation Process - Using the customer branded "Self Serve" End User pages
• Server-side De-activation Process - Using your own Internal Staff for support
• Server-side De-activation Process - Using the customer branded "Self Serve" End User pages
• FAQs

Getting Started

  private void createDeactivationCertificateToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    string Certificate = "";
    int ShaferError;

    string LicenseCode = GetLicenseCode();

    ShaferError = oShafer.GetDeactivationCert(LicenseCode, ref Certificate);
    if (ShaferError < 0)
    {
ShowError(ShaferError, false);
    }
    //Use this value to paste into Activation Server Offline Deactivation form to deactivate on server
    ShowData sd = new ShowData();
    sd.Data = Certificate;

    sd.ShowDialog();

    //Delete Saved License code To stop reactivation upon application re-run (optional, doing this step will depend on your Licensing requirements)
    SaveLicenseCode("");

    Application.Exit();
}

private void createActivationCertificateToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    string Certificate = "";
    string regdata = "";
    int ShaferError;

    //Get registration data

    regdata += GetRegData();

    //Get the License Code, if no License code then get Offline Trial License
    string LicenseCode = GetLicenseCode();

    //Show dialog to allow end user to choose offline for Trial or Activation
    GetOfflineType got = new GetOfflineType();
    got.LicenseCode = LicenseCode;
    got.ShowDialog();

    //If cancelling then exit function
    if (got.DialogResult == DialogResult.Cancel)
    {
return;
    }

    LicenseCode = got.LicenseCode;
    //If license Code has been entered then save is for later use
    if (LicenseCode != "")
    {
SaveLicenseCode(LicenseCode);
    }


    ShaferError = oShafer.GetActivationCert(LicenseCode, ref Certificate, regdata);
    if (ShaferError < 0)
    {
ShowError(ShaferError, false);
    }
    //Use this value to paste into Activation Server Offline Activation Form to get a ImportActivation Certificate, using this value in ImportCertificate to activate client
    ShowData sd = new ShowData();
    sd.Data = Certificate;

    sd.ShowDialog();
}


private void importActivationCertificateToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //show the Import Certifcate form to allow user to enter Activation server generated import certificate, to activate client
    EnterImportCertificate eic = new EnterImportCertificate();
    eic.ShowDialog();

    //Get the License Code, if no License code then get Offline Trial License
    string LicenseCode = GetLicenseCode();

    ShaferError = oShafer.ImportActivationCert(LicenseCode, eic.ReturnValue);
    if (ShaferError < 0)
    {
ShowError(ShaferError, false);
    }

    //Now check all is ok
    int LicenseStatus = 0;

    //Get License Status
    ShaferError = oShafer.GetLicenseStatus(ref LicenseStatus);
    if (ShaferError < 0 && ShaferError != -1094) //No license
    {
ShowError(ShaferError, true);
    }

    //SECURITY: If computer has been BACK Dated to get more time for the trial or Subscription then Exit Application
    if (LicenseStatus == (int)Shafer.LicenseStatus.PROD_BTCOUNTER)
    {
ShowError(ShaferError, true);
    }

    //If License Status is negative then try to get license from server, if not then prompt for manual activation
    if (LicenseStatus <= 0)
    {
GetLicenseFromServer(false);
    }

    //Reactivate functions
    //Now Stop ANY further use of applications functions until Manually activated via the offline menu option
    foreach (Control c in this.Controls)
    {
c.Enabled = true;
    }
    //Enable Function Menu
    functionsToolStripMenuItem.Enabled = true;
    ShowLicenseStatus(LicenseStatus);
}

private void cancelRequestToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //Get the License Code, if no License code then get Offline Trial License
    string LicenseCode = GetLicenseCode();
    ShaferError = oShafer.ImportActivationCert(LicenseCode, "clear");
    if (ShaferError < 0)
    {
ShowError(ShaferError, false);
    }
}      

Doing an offline activation

Generate an "activation request certificate" in your application (Client-side  option)

(this is the same no matter if they self serve or send the data into the ISV)

• This will display an option to activate either a trial or a license code.

• Paste in your test code (from your allocated code list) and click OK.

• This will produce a data dialog box where you will copy the activation certificate generated into the clipboard. Then click OK.

Or: Generate an "activation request certificate" in Zentitle (Server-side option, done by your staff)

Import the "activation request certificate" (at the end user)

• Go to the "search" bar on the Server-side and paste in the test license code you are using.

• Once you have found the code click the "Devices & Activity" option.

• On the "Devices & Activity" page you will see the no. active clients should have increased (we are assuming you are testing with a fresh code).

Using the Offline Activation Portal (for end users to self-serve)

Remember to get your own portal page addresses for testing see this article

In this example, we will run back through the process again but this time using your own branded Offline Activation portal pages, where we are testing as if the End User is doing a self-serve process.

For this example we are going to be using two URLs, one for "activation": www.activationportal.me/self-service/activation.aspx?Type=1&cid=5568&pid=3462&lang=en-US and one for "deactivation": www.activationportal.me/self-service/deactivation.aspx?Type=2&cid=5568&pid=3462&lang=en-US. Note the pages are different, and they incorporate special addressing that is unique to you as well as a language ID. So with 10 languages supported to could have 20 page variations if required based on your needs.

Generate an "activation request certificate" in your application (client-side process)

(this is the same for both self serve or sending the data into the ISV)

• This will display an option to activate either a trial or a license code.

• Choose activate a license, then paste in your test code (from your allocated code list) and click OK.

• This will produce a data dialog box where you will copy the activation certificate generated into the clipboard. Then click OK.

End user uses your unique Offline Activation Portal page (server-side process)

• Simply paste into the dialog for the “activation certificate” and click the “activate” button.

• Click the copy to clipboard button (to get the data ready for pasting back into the client) and return to the client-side process.

Import the "activation request certificate" (at the end user)

• Then paste into the dialog box the license generated in step 6.

• Then click OK.

Doing an offline DEactivation

Generating a "deactivation request certificate" (client-side option)

• Copy this alphanumeric certificate into the clipboard.

Using Zentitle to deactivate (server-side option, done by your staff)

• Click the “deactivate” radio button and then paste into the dialog for the “deactivation certificate” and click the “deactivate” button.

• Just search for the license code, click the "devices & activity" button

• Then check that the device you are testing has been marked as deactivated i.e. has a line struck through the device ID as seen here.

Using the self-serve portal to deactivate (server-side option, done by end user)

Activation Request Cancellation -Client-side

When a request for an activation certificate is made the library creates a "receipt" of that request. When the activation certificate is installed on the local system if is verified against that receipt for security purposes. Unfortunately, the activation certificate might arrive hours, or days, or months or ... after the request was initiated. If, during this delay, a second request for an activation certificate is made the local receipt will change. If the originally requested activation certificate is presented to the system it will fail as the system now has the receipt for the second request. Disallowing a second certificate request until the first is complete is the easiest way of preventing confusion.

That said, one way of allowing a second certificate request is to stop the library and clear out the WorkDir. However, you can also pass an invalid certificate (NULL pointer, for instance) into NSLImportCertificate. The system will reject the certificate, of course, and NSLImportCert will issue an error message that the certificate was invalid. It will also clear out the existing receipt information and allow a new certificate request to be made. In the newest versions ( > 3.2.50) of the library you can pass the string "clear" into NSLImportCertificate in place of the certificate container. This will clear out the local seat without returning an error value.

FAQs by developers

Q: Is the function NSLImportCertificate something I can use for offline activation? Currently, I'm using function InstallLicense() in version 7 for this purpose. Just want to confirm that for offline activation in version 10+, the function requires both a license code and a certificate code?

A: Yes, please see the example application as this shows how this works. See: Application Integration

Q: Is function NSLGetInstallationID() something I can use to get the installation ID on customer machine? The prototype exists in the header file NalpeironNSL.h but it is not in the dll.

A: Use NSLGetActivationCertReq, to create the client cert which is then used on the server to generate the act cert, which is then passed into NSLImportCertificate to activate the client in offline mode the function requires both a license code AND a certificate code? Yes Correct, if LC = null then you are offline activating a Trial, if not null it will attempt to activate a License Code offline 

Q: Is there a more detail documentation on all the API functions?

A: See the API docs: Developers API (Latest). Also you can download and look at our example applications for how to use these functions in a real world application: Application Integration

Q: After a license certificate is obtained from NSLGetActivationCertReq, what would be involved to be "to generate the activation cert"? Does the end user send us the code and we generate a license certificate through Zentitle UI?

A: Yes, you can use our Customer Centre, clicking on the Headset icon on the right (next to the NSA/NSL switch) then clicking on the key icon. See the details above in this doc for the process of activating an offline certificate.

Or let the user self serve:

Use the Self Serve End User page. See details above under the section "Activation Process - Using the Self Serve End User page" that can be configured using the wrench icon then Configure Offline. This will allow your users to do this process themselves, so you don’t need a support person to create and return the unlock certificate. Also See: Rebranding the Offline Activation portal pages

Or use a web service call:

You can use our Web services API to create your own processes or include the API calls in your existing website to allow users to do this themselves without any support interaction as above. 

Q: In the case of offline users how do we check in our code for trials and activations in this mode vs an online check?

A: Again see our example code and look at this function: private int GetLicenseFromServer()

Q: For users who do not have an Internet connection will need to go through the manual process to activate software into trial mode, correct?

A: Yes, you would follow this process:

1. They will need to get a license certificate generated from the NSLGetActivationCertReq(NULL) call. 
2. They will get the 2nd "activation" certificate either from us or directly from the self-serve Offline Activation portal web site. 
3. The new activation certificate is entered into your software UI and used with the callNSLImportCertificate(NULL, &licenseStatus, cert) to activate for trial mode.