The dataFEED edgeConnector application uses a floating license mechanism communicating with a standalone licensing server application used to serve licenses to one or more application instances.
Licenses checked out (borrowed) from the licensing server are transformed by the application into connection counts. The default behavior uses one connection for accessing a PLC and from there it can make 5 connections from the PLC.
There are 3 general license types, the first is the basic type which enables the user to make connections to multiple Modbus TCP Devices. The second is the advanced type which allows connections to Siemens PLC devices and the third type is the premium type which allows connections to CNC devices as well as the Modbus TCPs & Siemens PLCs.
The licenses can be bought with 1, 5, 10 or 20 connections where depending on the type you can make connections to devices.
The dataFEED edgeConnector modules' scope of delivery includes a time-limited demo mode. The demo mode comes with 20 connections which can be used for up to 72 hours. After 72 hours the dataFEED edgeConnector runtime will be stopped.
To remove the time limitation of the demo mode for the dataFEED edgeConnector, a valid license needs to be acquired, activated, and installed in a licensing server.
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The license activation for Softing's dataFEED edgeConnector product family is described at the README page of the Softing License Server.
To specify the floating license server, navigate to General Settings -> Licenses -> License Server Configuration in the navigation tree as depicted below:
The License Server Configuration page allows the configuration of a Floating License Server. If the Enable Server checkbox is activated, the address and port of a floating license server can be specified. The address can either be a hostname or an IP address. The used default port is 6200. Use the Save button to save the configuration.
A restart of the application is required to activate a license for the module.
Navigate to General Settings -> Licenses -> Overview in the navigation tree to show the current license status.
The License Server Information table provides an overview of the individual Softing licenses provided by the connected floating license servers.
| Product | Server | Version | Expires | Order ID | Options | Total | Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product name of the license | Floating license server address | Licensed product version | Date when the license will become invalid | Order-ID of the product | Description of the license type | Total number of licenses of this type | Number of license of this type currently in use |
In addition to the general license status presented in the status bar the Application License Details table provides a detailed overview of the licensed feature and the amount of total and available connections for each licensed feature.
| Type | Total | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Type of License, Basic/Advanced/Premium | Total number of licensed Connections | Number of available licensed connections |
For the license information of the open source components used by the dataFEED edgeConnector product family, please see the Open Source page.