Trusted Storage Advanced Topics
Online Repair
A trusted storage license repair is necessary when the license becomes invalid because the machine hardware configuration changed enough to exceed the tolerance for the machine bindings, or the anchor is broken.
Most trusted repairs are done programmatically but they can also be done through the FlexNet Operations Producer Portal or the End-User Portal. The number of allowed license repairs per unit time per line item is governed by a policy on the license model or the line item.
Reason Codes
Certain FlexNet Operations activation and return requests include reason codes to identify the nature of the request. Reason codes are supported only for activation and change management requests coming from server activation utilities; reason codes are not supported for retail activation models.
The meanings of these reason codes depend, in part, on whether the request is an activation or a return.
Note that while reason codes accompany certain activation and return requests, not all requests require or include reason codes. For example, normal activation requests do not include reason codes, nor do repair requests.
As with short code (keyboard) activation, if an end user’s machine has no Internet access, the end user can still return a license using a short code. Fulfillment records generated using online, manual, or short code activation can all be returned using short codes. Short code returns are not supported by composite transaction utilities.
As with short code (keyboard) activation, if an end user’s machine has no Internet access, the end user can still repair a license using a short code. Fulfillment records generated using online, manual, or short code activation can all be repaired using short codes. Short code repairs are not supported by composite transaction utilities.
As with manual activation, if an end user’s machine has no Internet access, the end user can still return a license using an XML file. Fulfillment records generated using online or manual activation can all be returned manually using XML files. Fulfillments generated using short code (keyboard) activation cannot be returned using this method.
As with manual activation, if the end user machine has no Internet access, the end user can still repair a license using an XML file. Fulfillment records generated using online or manual activation can all be repaired manually using XML files. Fulfillments generated using short code (keyboard) activation cannot be repaired using this method.
Manual repairs can be performed using composite transaction utilities or single transaction utilities. Manual repairs executed with composite transaction utilities can perform multiple repairs in a single command. Append each additional repair to the command with -e <fulfillment_ID>.
Rehosting a License
Moving a license from one machine to another is called rehosting a license.
Upgrading a License
Changing from one version of a product to an improved version is called upgrading a license. For example, a customer can upgrade a license for Paint 4.0 software to one for Paint 5.1.
Upselling a License
Changing from one product to another with more capabilities is called upselling a license. For example, a customer who has a license for a four-function Basic Calculator can be upsold to the Scientific Calculator, which is designed for engineers and scientists.
Renewing a License
Extending an expiring license is called renewing a license. For example, a customer whose software license expires after one year can renew it for another year.
Reinstalling a License
Over time, an end customer may reinstall an operating system on the client machine or reinstall a FlexEnabled application. In this case, the customer usually wants to get the original license back without consuming an additional count from the entitlement. FlexNet Operations uses the Unique Machine Number (UMN) of the client machine to determine that the user is indeed reinstalling the application.
A reinstall works differently for a server activation request. Because it is common for a server to send an activation request for the same activation ID multiple times to activate a few copies each time, an additional parameter is added to the activation request to indicate that it is a reinstall. FlexNet Operations obsoletes all the existing fulfillment records for the given activation ID and UMN, and generates a new fulfillment record based on the parameters in the reinstall activation request.
For both client and server activations, when a fulfillment record is identified as a reinstall, fulfillment history on the line item is updated.