Using the SUPERSEDE and SUPERSEDE_SIGN Keywords

The SUPERSEDE keyword, available in FlexNet Operations 8.2 and later, is an optional attribute of an INCREMENT line. Normally, INCREMENT lines in certificate licenses are additive: each INCREMENT line adds to the total number of licenses. However, if SUPERSEDE appears in a line, all licenses issued for the listed features earlier than the date specified in ISSUED= or START= are superseded by the contents of the line.

If f1, f2, and f3 are features of a product, an example of the use of SUPERSEDE would be:

INCREMENT f1 ... 1 ... ISSUED=1-jan-2008

INCREMENT f1 ... 4 ... SUPERSEDE ISSUED=1-jan-2009

The second line supersedes the first, and the first line is ignored.

FEATURE f1 ... 1 ... ISSUED=1-jan-2008

FEATURE f2 ... 1 ... ISSUED=1-jan-2008

FEATURE f3 ... 4 ... SUPERSEDE="f1 f2" ISSUED=2-jan-2009

In this example, f3 supersedes f1 and f2 and causes the license file to support only f3.

Specifying a start date with the ISSUED= keyword makes this date explicit (such as ISSUED=1-jan-2009). If the ISSUED date is not set, then SUPERSEDE uses the START= date.

Multiple INCREMENT lines for the same feature, specifying SUPERSEDE with the same ISSUED= date, are pooled together rather than superseding one another. The resulting license pool collectively SUPERSEDEs the older feature. For example:

INCREMENT f1 ... 1 ... ISSUED=1-jan-2008

INCREMENT f1 ... 4 ... SUPERSEDE ISSUED=1-jan-2009

INCREMENT f1 ... 3 ... SUPERSEDE ISSUED=1-jan-2009

results in a license pool containing seven licenses for f1, collectively superseding the first INCREMENT line.

SUPERSEDE_SIGN works similarly to SUPERSEDE, but the supersede is based on signatures available in FlexNet Operations 11.5 or later.

Note:You cannot use both the SUPERSEDE and SUPERSEDE_SIGN keywords on the same feature definition line (or package line). Do not use both the SUPERSEDE keyword and the SUPERSEDE_SIGN to override the license model for the same feature name or package name. This may produce unexpected results. SUPERSEDE_SIGN is explained in the FlexNet Publishing Licensing Toolkit documentation.