Overview
- Licensing a product creates a Licence File. The Licence File contains details of the licence policy E.g. when the licence will expire, how many concurrent users are permitted etc. Without a valid Licence File the product cannot run. The Licence File is often created as part of the product installation process but it can be created manually using the Sheriff Administrator (see To Licence a Product below).
- Registering a product creates the appropriate key in the Windows Registry. The key contains important information about the Licence File i.e. its name and location. Registration is also normally a part of the installation process, however it is also possible to register a product manually. This is usually necessary when a product has already been installed on a network server and you wish to run the product on a workstation.
Important Note: Reusable Keys
If you have been issued with a 'Reusable' Licence Key it is important that you make a note of the number . This will enable you to regenerate the Licence File on the same machine* in the event that it is overwritten or damaged. Enter the Licence Key number into the Licence Product dialog box and click Save to regenerate the Licence File.
* Provided the hard disk has not been reformatted or the operating system reinstalled.
To License a Product
As explained above, licensing a product creates a Licence File and normally this is not necessary since the file will have been created automatically as part of the installation process. If you need to create a Licence File manually, follow these steps:
- Click on the Registry button in the Sheriff Administrator to bring up the Register Products dialog box.
- Enter your product name in the Product Name box and your Product ID in the Product ID box and specify a path where you would like to create the Licence File.
- Click on the License button. The License Product dialog box now displays a Reference Code and prompts you for a Licence Key, which is obtained from the publisher. When a valid key has been entered the product will be licensed.
To Register with an Existing Network Licence
The Register procedure is normally only used to register a product with an existing network Licence File, which is usually located on a file server. In other words, it "tells" the Sheriff protection where to find a valid Licence File on the network:
- Click on the Registry button in the Sheriff Administrator to bring up the Register Products dialog box.
- Enter your product name in the Product Name box and your Product ID in the Product ID box and specify the path to the Licence File (you can use UNC to specify the path).
- Click on the Register button.