What is a licence file? Understanding expiration, EOL, support provider.

The MAMAS system limitations, like the maximal number of devices that can be managed, expiration period or allowed software versions and also enabled features are dictated by a License file.

Prior to looking at the license file, let's describe the entities in relation to providing either the MAMAS software or service to the end-customer.

• Product manufacturer is Dwarf Technologies. We are owning all the copyrights to the software and the only entity that can issue License files.
• Support Vendor is usually DT's partner or a distributor. In extreme cases (like: you have a really high number of devices, running a mission-critical deployment etc.), Dwarf Technologies can be the Support Vendor but that's an exception. This entity is the one answering all your questions and solving any issues that arises during your usage of the product or service. It is also your endpoint in case you need new version because you want to manage more devices, upgrade to newer MAMAS version etc.
• Service Operator is empty for all on-premise deployments. This is the entity that runs your MAMAS installation. So, if you run your own installation (on-premise), this entity is identical with you and thus you would see it empty in the license file. If someone is hosting MAMAS or providing MAMAS service (SaaS) to you, it is listed as Service Operator. If non-empty, this is usually identical to the Support Vendor.
• Licensee is the end-user customer identification - e.g. You. You are entitled to use only the license files that are intended for you and each of these license file could be used in only one deployment at the same time.
• NOTE that all of the fields above are coded into the particular License file when the file is created and electronically signed and thus sealed. It is not possible to unseal the file and change anything. If there is a need to generate the file replacement (e.g. more devices, longer expiration period), the request must came through the distributor to DT for creating a new Licensing file to replace the original one.

There are several types of license file:

1. Public license file. This is a non-addressed license, typically enough for a low number of devices (like 10 or 15). Such license file is usually present inside of the installation file automatically and the Licensee field in such license file is set to Public Licensee
2. Production license file. This is a commercial license intended for a particular licensee. The end user entity for which this license is intended is listed in the Licensee field. Only the correct consumer is allowed to use this license file. The EULA you are agreeing to when logging into the MAMAS for the first time bans you for using a license you are not elligible to.
3. Development (or Beta or non-production) license. This license is intended for developing, testing and trying out the MAMAS functionality, not for real customer data. This license is not enough to run a supported production installation package.
4. Non-commercial license. This is a special license type intended for a specific entity allowing running a production build for the elligible user. This license file is unsaleable.

You can see a human-readable description of your actual license file when you open up System -> License Management page when logged on a MAMAS server.

It lists all the important license fields. Lets breifly describe the most important ones:

• Licensee (mentioned above as well)
  • The entity this license file is intended for. The entity is allowed to run maximally one deployment for every license it owns at the same time.
• Service operator (metioned above as well)
  • The operator of your MAMAS installation. For on-premise installation, the value is usually empty, meaning the licensee is running the MAMAS service by herself. In case you are using either the SaaS service or when someone hosts the MAMAS deployment for you, this field contains the identification of the entity that is elligible to provide you with this service.
• Support link
  • Link to the root support pages of the entity who is providing you with support. The support vendor is responsible for providing a support link to you. This link is hardcoded in the license when your distributor asked Dwarf Technologies to produce a license file.
• Support Vendor (mentioned above as well)
  • The entity providing MAMAS support to you. This is usually DT partner or at least a distributor. The entity you paid for the license. Unless you obtained your license and paid for it directly to Dwarf Technologies, this is not Dwarf Technologies. As a receiver of your payment, the Support Vendor is also the entity who is responsible for supporting you should you have questions or problems with your MAMAS installation or service usage.
• Earliest / Latest allowed version
  • The license file is valid for a defined MAMAS versions only. This is usually directly connected with the support level you are paying for and, in general, the price you paid for your license file. MAMAS version outside of the allowed version set will not work properly (or at all) with this license file.
• # of device seats
  • The number of devices this MAMAS istallation is allowed to manage. MAMAS will not allow you to manage more devices. Also, if you manage to apply a license file for N device seats on an existing installation with more than N devices, expect misbehavior and various issues - the deploment may become completely unusable if you are trying to run more than allowed number of devices.
• Valid since/till
  • The license file is allowing you to use the software or service inside the specified period only.

So... how do you exchange the license?

Let's say you bought a new License file from your distributor. The replacement is very simple or impossible, depending on the mode you are running:

• SaaS (Software as a Service) - when you are paying for a service, your service operator is responsible for providing valid and correct license for you. You just use the service and do not care about license at all. Also, as you do not care about this, you are not allowed to exchange the license for another one. MAMAS will recognize that you are running in the SaaS mode if configured properly by your Service Operator
• Hosted (cloud / operator's server / your own server) - The Admin user is allowed to exchange the license file at will. If you have access to that user, you can exchange the license in System -> License management. If anything goes wrong, your Service Operator can exchange your license directly on the server using command line (works even if you managed to render the service unusable via providing invalid license file).
• On premise - you defined the password for the Admin user yourself. Exchange the license as you see fit. You also have access to the server, so you can exchange it via command line. Refer to MAMAS Administration documentation

So - let's support your license is about to expire? What do you do?

1. Are you using SaaS service? Your service operator should have taken care of that for you automatically, but maybe just forgot. Contact Service Operator, making sure he/she understands that you will pay for a service only when it is actually working so it's in his/her good intention to take care of your license.
2. Are you on Hosted installation? Contact your Service Operator. If this field is empty, go to Suport Vendor.
3. Are you running your own MAMAS deployment? Contact your Support Vendor.

One more topic is the EOL.

1. From time to time, a MAMAS version can be designated as End Of Life and providing any support may be ceased.
2. However, you are entitled to getting support for at least as long as your license is not expired. So what if your Latest allowed version is designated as EOL while your license file has still not expired?
3. In that case, keep in mind, you are still entitled to get support. If the support is not being provided on your last allowed version, it means you are automatically entitled for an upgrade to some version which is not EOL. How does this work?
   1. Your Support Vendor or Service Operator should provide you with the upgrade license (which is just a fresh license file allowing some supported version to run until your original license file expiration date comes due) automatically if your last allowed version becomes EOL. Remember, both these entities know very well about your license version limitations and have a channel to Dwarf Technologies, allowing them to act on your behalf.
   2. In the case you just found out your version is EOLed while your licensing file has not yet expired and your Support Vendor has not provided you with upgrade license, let's contact your Support Vendor.
   3. If your Support Vendor is not communicating with you while you have all your payments in order, do not hesitate to escalate your situation to us (Dwarf Technologies). We will explain our concerns to the particular vendor and make him/her stand up to his/hers duties. Anyways, if a serious problem comes up (e.g. the Support Vendor does not act even after this), rest assured that we take care our customers seriosly and (if no other ways brings fruit) we will provide you with the upgrade license free of charge directly if we found out that you are entitled to get it. Please note this is a last-resort means and that we are not able to regularly handle such requests as it is a duty of our partners and distributors. Also, it could take some time to verify the entitlement and in general process such request, but that will not stop us in delivering in the end.