Last Modified August 30, 2022

Validation Level 3 : Mandatory Validation

  1. Overview
  2. The Validation Period and Validation Warning

 

Level 3 Validation / Protection provides topmost license protection by adding a mandatory, recurring DNA Server Validation requirement to the software License.

Use Level 3 Validation in the following situations:

  • if you offer Subscription Licenses
  • if you offer Floating Licenses
  • if you want to allow your Users to delete computers / seats from their License using the License Manager portal
  • for higher priced or specialized software applications.

Level 3 Validation includes:

Mandatory DNA Server License Activation

The user must activate the software using a License Activation or Evaluation Code with the software_DNA Server. An internect connection is required for the Activation and any re-activations in the future.

Typically the software would not run or would run in DEMO mode before activation (this is determined by you in your software).

This activation process is anonymous for the user. The user can provide an email address to receive information from software_DNA such as the "Send Lost Password" email if he ever forgets his password, or wants to access the License Manager

Mandatory Offline License Validation

The ".CDM" License file stored and locked to the user's computer, must be valid and meet all the license and anti-piracy conditions you have configured for that product in software_DNA.

When possible DNA Server Validation

If an Internet connection exists, software_DNA will perform a License Validation with the DNA Server where the license and anti-piracy conditions will be re-checked, or if the License has been banned or revoked. This DNA Server Validation will occur a maximum of once per day.

Mandatory / Recurring DNA Server-Validation

A validation must be performed within a given period of time, the <Validation Period>, specified by you.

When there is an Internet connection and a DNA Server Validation is performed, the Validation Period is updated. If a user never connects to the Internet during the Validation Period, the License will be disabled at the end of the Validation Period.

A Warning Period can be set to warn the user ahead of time that he must connect to the Internet to validate his software License. For most users who are almost always connected to the Internet, the Validation Period would never be exceeded and their license would not be disabled.

 

The Validation Period and Validation Warning

In most cases today, the User will always be connected to the Internet, and the DNA Server Validation will occur every day, validating the full License terms with the DNA Server and updating any settings in the License if required.

Mandatory Validation is used to protect against Internet access blockers or protect against a User staying off the internet, and never performing a DNA Server Validation in order to thwart your License terms.

You can configure the time period for the mandatory DNA Server Validation from 1 to 365 days, typically 30 days, and also configure a Warning period (typically 5 days) which will trigger a warning to your application during the Warning Period leading up to the end of the Validation Period.

For example, from day 25 to day 30 in our example, the License validation would return a ERR_VALIDATION_WARNING at which point you can display a message to the User that he needs to connect to the Internet soon to revalidate his license.

After the Validation Period (i.e. : 30 days in our example), if there is no internet connection, the License validation will return an error. Once there is an internet connection, the License validation will perform a DNA Server Validation, and if the License is still valid, then will return ERR_NO_ERROR(0) and the application can run. The local ".CDM" license file will be refreshed.