Licensing and Activating Ignition

How Licensing Works

Ignition is a modular platform, therefore it is licensed based on modules. Licensed and unlicensed modules can operate side-by-side, so some modules can be tested in trial mode while others are running in a licensed state.

How Activation Works

Activation refers to locking down a CD-Key to the install machine and notifying the modules of their license state.

CD-Key

When the software and the modules are purchased, you are provided with a six-digit CD-Key. If you add a module, your account is updated, and you can re-use your existing CD-Key to activate the new features. You can also unactivate your CD-Key, and reuse it to activate Ignition on a different machine.

Two methods of Activation

You can do the activation in two ways:


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CD-Key and License File

Despite the modular licensing, there is only one CD-Key and license file for each server. That is, there is a single license file that specifies which modules are currently activated.

When module(s) are purchased, you receive a CD-Key, a six-digit code, that identifies your purchase. You use this CD-Key to activate the software through the Ignition Gateway. If you are adding any additional modules, your account is updated and you can re-use your existing CD-Key to activate the new features.

You can unactivate your CD-Key, thus freeing it for activation on a different machine.

Licensing for Production Use

One thing to consider when deploying an Ignition installation to production use is the way Ignition will be licensed.

USB License Key

If you anticipate that the installation might move from server to server frequently, you may want to consider purchasing a USB license key to ease transition to new servers. This also makes things more convenient when the server is being deployed in an area without an active internet connection.

File-based Licensing

When the installation is on one server and not moving, you can use a file-based licensing scheme, and with an internet connection you can activate the installation online. If you don't have an internet connection, you can download an activation request file and put it on a portable memory device and take it to a workstation with an active internet connection.

Then you upload the file to the Inductive Automation website and you will receive a license file, called license.ipl, in return. Take this file back to the Gateway you are trying to activate, in the Config section under System > Licensing you can upload and activate the license.

Information Collected at Activation

When activating an Ignition installation, there are several pieces of information that are communicated to the activation servers and then stored internally at Inductive Automation. Some of this information is used to generate a unique license for the server on which Ignition is being installed.

The following are the type of information that is collected at the time of activation:

  • CD Key

  • System ID - a hash representing the hard drive serial number (windows) or inode number of the /

  • bin folder (linux)

  • Java Runtime Version

  • Java Vendor

  • Java Version

  • Java Virtual Machine Name

  • Java Virtual Machine Vendor

  • OS Architecture

  • OS Name

  • OS Version

  • Processor Count

  • Total Physical Memory

How Un-activation Works

For a given CD-Key, only one Ignition Gateway instance is allowed to be activated at a given time. If you want to activate Ignition on a different server, you must first unactivate the previous server.

To unactivate the Gateway, do the following steps:

  1. From the Configure section of Gateway, go to System > Licensing.
    The Licensing and Activation page is displayed and you can see the currently installed License Key.

  2. Scroll-down, find the orange arrows, and click on Unactivate License.
    The Really Unactivate? page is displayed.

  3. Click Confirm to remove the activation from this copy of Ignition.
    If the Ignition server has internet access, the unactivation occurs immediately, and the license is again available for activation on another Gateway server.
    If the Ignition server has no internet access, an unactivation request file is generated, and the license is not allowed to be activated until the file is loaded into the Inductive Automation website, or emailed to Support. See Transferring a License for step-by-step instruction to activate the license on a new Gateway server.

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