This mode of licensing will satisfy most commercial needs right out of the box. You simply set the hardware identity options you want. .NET Reactor then generates an independent, distributable HID tool which you package with your distribution. Your clients run HID.exe to generate a hardware identity file (*.txt) which they submit with their license application. These prebuilt features allow you (immediately upon generating .NET Reactor protected assemblies) to distribute your software, protected by Inbuilt Locks which expire on whatever criteria you set.

Prebuilt HID Licensing further accommodates explicit control of moving or re-establishing a customer's license on further systems. Thus, even as the usual perception of hardware-identity-specific licensing (which is the most secure form of licensing) is restrictive, your policy itself actually regulates whether the prebuilt licensing is restrictive at all. If a customer's hardware fails and must be replaced, you can simply grant another license on the honor of the customer if you choose to do so. The HID license system simply provides your software development house the opportunity to enforce or relax restrictions however you see fit. For instance, you can grant extendable licenses, allowing your customers to install to so many systems. But you control the number of systems to which they may install by implementing HID. Whatever you want to do with HID is simply a matter of your own policy.

Hardware specific identities simply ensure that you can implement your policy without violation, and that you can do so right out of the box with .NET Reactor Hardware Identity Specific Licensing.

How HID Works

Implementation of our prebuilt HID system is extremely simple.

1. Typically, you first set the software locks which fit your needs (Main Panel->Settings->3. Lock Settings).

To require a license for all usage (eliminating a trial usage period of any kind), set 3. Lock Settings -> Run Without License File to false.

2. Next, use the License Manager to set the Hardware Locks your licensed installation requires (Main Panel->License Manager).

3. After finishing your configuration, generate your protected assembly (Tasks->Protect).

4. Finally, run the Hardware ID Tool Generator (Tools->Hardware ID Tool Generator).

This produces a customized copy of our hardware identity tool (HID.exe) in the same output directory of your protected assembly. You distribute this tool with your protected assembly, instructing your client to run HID.exe before applying for a license. HID.exe outputs a hardware identification file (*.txt) which your client sends with their license application.

Example

Suppose you use an out of house payment authorization service. Your client buys a license and receives a receipt by email. They run HID.exe to generate a hardware identity file (*.txt) and attach this to the receipt email which they forward to your license processing address. You verify the transaction and process the hardware identity file with the License Manager to produce their license.

Producing the License

To produce their license, you simply open the .txt file in the License Manager and click "Create License." To open the .txt file from the License Manager tab, click the ellipsis button of the Hardware ID field under the Hardware Lock node.