Kepware Licensing

Activate one or more KEPServerEX Version 6 licenses in a single transaction online or offline. Watch the Video for a six-minute demonstration.

Activating Offline

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
• Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   

 


• Or:
  • All Programs / Kepware / KEPServerEX 6 / License / License Utility
  
   
  

 


• Or:
  • If the Start Menu and Taskbar options are not available
  • "C:\Program Files (x86)\Kepware\KEPServerEX 6\activationclient.exe"
     
2. Caution: Access to the License Utility may be password protected if the option was chosen during the install process.
    

 



3. Verify the “Perform Licensing Operations Online When Possible” option has not been selected, and then select Activate.
    

 



4. Select “I have one or more software activation IDs”.
   
   

 



5. Locate Activation ID within purchase fulfillment email (Example shown below).
   
   
   
   
   
   
Note: The Emergency ID is meant for restoring server functionality during off hours and will expire one week after activation
 
6. Copy and Paste the Activation ID into the text box field. Then, click Save to File. You can leave this screen open as we will use the Import File button in step #11
   
   
   
   
NOTE: The (Optional) fields are useful for Tech Support to locate a lost license, populating them is highly recommended
 
7. The License Utility will generate the request file (“activation_request.txt”) and then display a file-browse dialog. Save the request file, making note of its location as it will be sent to the My Kepware portal in the next step.
   
   
   
   
Note: The default filename for the activation request file is “activation_request.txt”. Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when activating more than one product at one time.
 
8. In an internet browser, navigate to the My Kepware portal at https://mykepware.com. Returning users will be prompted to enter login information, whereas first-time users must create a new My Kepware Account to continue.
    
• Caution: Microsoft Edge browser has known incompatibility issues with this process; use of an alternate browser is recommended
   
9. Once logged in, select Activate Product License.
    



10. Now select Upload Activation Request File.
     



11. Complete all required fields on the form, and then click Generate Activation Response File. Save the activation response file (“response.txt”) to portable media.
    
    
    
    
Note: The default filename for the activation response file is “activation_response.txt.” Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when activating more than one product at one time.


12. Next, return to the License Utility. Click Import File and browse to the downloaded “activation_response” file received from the My Kepware portal, and then click Open.
     
    
    
    
    
Note: At this point, the response file will be processed.


13. Upon successful activation in KEPServerEX, an Activation Complete screen will be displayed
     



14. Click Close to exit or Next to access the View Licenses page.
     



15. Click Close to exit the License Utility

Online License Activation Process for KEPServerEX V6

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
• Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   
  
   
• Or: All Programs / Kepware / KEPServerEX 6 / License / License Utility.
   
  
  
  
• Or: If the Start Menu and Taskbar options are not available.
• "C:\Program Files (x86)\Kepware\KEPServerEX 6\activationclient.exe"
   
2. Caution: Access to the License Utility may be password protected if the option was chosen during the install process.
    
   
    
3. Verify the “Perform Licensing Operations Online When Possible” option is selected, and then select Activate.
    
   
    
4. Next, copy and paste the V6 Activation ID(s) into the License Utility.
    
   Note: To activate multiple licenses at once, enter one Activation ID per line. A maximum of 100 activations can be performed in a single transaction.
    
   Then, enter the user name and password for the My Kepware account being used to deploy the license.
    
   
    
Caution: More than one license for the same product or driver cannot be activated on the same machine. Additional or different product licenses may be activated successfully, but a new license for an existing product overwrites the existing license.


5. Click Next to activate. The License Utility will communicate with the license server to perform the license activation.
    
   
    
6. Upon successful activation, the Activation ID(s) will show Good status in the License Utility.
    
   

Renewing Offline

Before you start this process, copy your support renewal file to the machine hosting KEPServerEX. You can download your support renewal file from your support verification email or at My Kepware.

1. Login to the My Kepware portal and select Download Support Renewal File link.
    
   
    
2. Enter the License Activation ID into the text field and select Download Support Renewal File.
    
   
    
(Note: The file will automatically be downloaded to the My Downloads folder)

 
3. Open the License Utility on the host machine.
    
Two Options:
• Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   
  
   
• Or
• All Programs / Kepware / KEPServerEX 6 / License / License Utility.



 
• Or
• If the Start Menu and Taskbar options are not available.
• "C:\Program Files (x86)\Kepware\KEPServerEX 6\activationclient.exe"
   
4. Caution: Access to the License Utility may be password protected if the option was chosen during the install process.
    
   
    
5. Ensure Perform licensing operations online when possible is not checked and click Renew.
    
   
    
6. Select Import File.
    
   
    
7. Select the .lic file saved to portable media in step 2 and click Open.
    
   
    
8. The support end date will now display the updated date.
    
   

Purchase support and have access to the corresponding verification email before completing these steps. Watch the Video for a three-minute demonstration.

Renewing Online

1. To start, open the License Utility on the machine for which support has been purchased.
2. Click Renew and enter user credentials in the User Name and Password fields.
3. Click Renew and the License Utility will check for the latest support end date(s) associated with the products licensed on the server.
4. The support end dates will now display the updated date.

Transfer one or more KEPServerEX Version 6 licenses in a single transaction online or offline.

Transferring Offline

1. Open the License Utility on the machine from which the Activation ID(s) will be transferred.
2. Select the Activation ID(s) to be returned and then click Transfer.
3. Click Save to File… to deactivate the license on the machine. A warning will be displayed that describes how the license must be transferred back to my.kepware.com before it can be activated for use on a new machine. Click OK to continue.
4. In the file-browse dialog, save the request file (“transfer_request.txt”) to portable media.
5. Go to My Kepware and transfer the product by uploading the transfer request file.
• Note: At this point, the license has been successfully stored in the online account and the transferred product is now available for activation on another machines.

Transfer one or more KEPServerEX Version 6 licenses in a single transaction online or offline.

Transferring Online

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine from which the Activation ID(s) will be transferred.
• Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   
  
   
• Or: All Programs / Kepware / KEPServerEX 6 / License / License Utility
   
  
  
  
• Or: If the Start Menu and Taskbar options are not available.
• "C:\Program Files (x86)\Kepware\KEPServerEX 6\activationclient.exe"
   
2. Caution: Access to the License Utility may be password protected if the option was chosen during the install process.
    
   
    
3. Select the Activation ID(s) to be returned and then click Transfer.
    
   
    
    
4. Enter user credentials in the User Name and Password fields.
    
    
   
    
    
5. Click Next to begin the transfer. A pop-up will appear cautioning the user that they are about to remove the license from the local machine, click OK.
    
    
   
    
6. A status screen will display the transfer request status as well as any errors or warnings.
    
   
    
• Once complete, click Next to return to the License Utility Home Screen which will now be absent of your License Activation ID which has just been transferred.
   
7. To verify the License has been successfully returned, click the "View My Activation History" link on the home page of the My Kepware portal and locate the Activation ID you just returned. It will now show as "Banked" in the "Last Status" column.
    
   
    

Note: At this point, the license has been successfully stored in the online account and the transferred product is now available for activation on another machine.

An Emergency Activation ID is provided with each purchased Perpetual / Subscription Activation ID to be used in the event of a machine or system failure occurring outside of standard business hours. The emergency license is designed to be deployed over the top of a broken or missing license, and restore functionality for a limited amount of time (seven days).

To identify the Emergency Activation ID for your license, simply logon to the My Kepware site and use the LICENSE INFORMATION tool on the home page as demonstrated below:

The Emergency Activation ID is a one-time use license: one must be used for each product that requires emergency activation. After using an emergency license, it can be reset by returning it to the My Kepware site via the License Transfer option from the License Utility. If you are unable to return the EID to us, please contact Technical Support to discuss options for re-commissioning.

For more information on emergency license activation, refer to the License Utility help file.

Hardware key certificates are digitally-signed files that contain a unique Hardware Key ID as well as a list of activated products. Although each hardware key certificate can be imported to many host machines, the physical hardware key associated with the hardware key certificate can only be attached to one machine at a time. The physical hardware key is necessary to use the hardware key certificate. For information on how to manage and transfer hardware key licenses, refer to the License Utility help file.

If you need a new copy of the Hardware Key Certificate file, please logon to the My Kepware portal and select the Download Hardware Key Certificate link as shown below:

Then enter the Hardware Key ID into the text field and select Download Support File:

1. To start, login to your My Kepware account and select Hardware Key License Conversion on the home page.
    
   
    
2. When the Hardware Key License Conversion tool opens, input the hardware key ID (Case Sensitive) that you would like to associate with the soft License and click Look Up. The utility will search for any software licenses already on the key and inform if the same driver is already on the key. It is acceptable to mix the old style “L-“ licensing with the soft license.
    
   
    
3. To add soft license(s) to the hardware key, select Add License(s) in the bottom left of the screen.
    
4. Copy and paste the software license(s) that you would like moved to the hardware key into the Activation ID field. Click the + to the right of the field in order to add additional licenses to the same hardware key. Any errors received during this process will provide clear guidance on what is wrong. For more information on errors and frequently asked questions, see the bottom of this page.
    
5. Once you have entered all the desired keys to convert, click Submit.
    
   
    
6. A pop-up window will itemize any license(s) being moved to the designated hardware key and seek your confirmation that this process cannot be reversed. Click Confirm to proceed.
    
   
    
   A Hardware Key Certificate file will be emailed to the email associated with your My Kepware account.
    
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to have a hardware key prior to starting the conversion process?
A: Yes. You must have a hardware key and the activation ID in hand prior to initiating the conversion to a hardware key.

Q: Do I have to submit a purchase order or contact a Kepware representative to have my license converted?
A: No. Once you have purchased both the software license and the hardware key, conversion to a hardware key is now 100% self-service.

Q: What if I do not have a hardware key? Can I still buy one?
A: Yes. You may purchase the hardware key using the same process usually followed, however you will still need to perform the conversion process in your My Kepware account. To purchase a hardware key, contact sales@kepware.com.

Q: Can I assign my soft license to a hardware key if my license is not currently covered under a support agreement?
A: No. Hardware key conversion requires that each activation ID you wish to transfer to the key be under an active support agreement. If the activation ID is not under support, a support contract must be added to your software license (s) before it is eligible for conversion. Contact supportsales@kepware.com to renew expired support before attempting to convert your software license(s).

Q: What if I already have drivers on my hardware key?
A: Additional drivers may be added to your hardware key at anytime. It is ok to have old licensing (L- licenses) combined with the soft licenses on a single hardware key. However, placing two activation codes for the same driver on a single key is not permitted. After the conversion is confirmed, the new certification file will contain functionality for all drivers (existing and newly converted).

Q: Do I need to “trade-in” old L- licenses for new soft license activation IDs?
A; No. L- licenses will continue to function as they already have. This revised process only impacts new requests for transference of licenses to a hardware key.

Q: What if the license I wish to transfer to the hardware key is still in use by the customer?
A: Currently active licenses may not be transferred to a hardware key without first transferring the license off the machine and to My Kepware. (In your My Kepware account, the activation ID will indicate whether the license activation is available.)

Troubleshooting Activation ID Error Messages

ThingWorx Kepware Edge Licensing

Activate one or more ThingWorx Kepware Server Version 6 licenses in a single transaction online or offline.

Activating Offline

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
• Right-click on the ThingWorx Kepware Server icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   

 


• Or:
  • Start Menu\All Apps\PTC\License Utility.
  
   
  

 


• Or:
  • If the Start Menu and Taskbar options are not available:
  • "C:\Program Files (x86)\PTC\ThingWorx Kepware Server 6\activationclient.exe"
     
2. Caution: Access to the License Utility may be password protected if the option was chosen during the install process.
    

 


3. Verify the “Perform Licensing Operations Online When Possible” option has not been selected, and then select Activate.
    

 


4. Select “I have one or more software activation IDs”.
   
   

 


5. Locate Activation ID within purchase fulfillment email (Example shown below).
   
   
   
    
Note: The Emergency ID is meant for restoring server functionality during off hours and will expire one week after activation.
 
6. Copy and Paste the Activation ID into the text box field. Then, click Save to File. You can leave this screen open as we will use the Import File button in step #11.
   
   
   
    
NOTE: The (Optional) fields are useful for Tech Support to locate a lost license, populating them is highly recommended.
 
7. The License Utility will generate the request file (“activation_request.txt”) and then display a file-browse dialog. Save the request file, making note of its location as it will be sent to the My Kepware portal in the next step.
   
   
   
    
Note: The default filename for the activation request file is “activation_request.txt”. Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when activating more than one product at one time.
 
8. In an internet browser, navigate to the My Kepware portal at https://mykepware.com. Returning users will be prompted to enter login information, whereas first-time users must create a new My Kepware Account to continue.
    
• Caution: Microsoft Edge browser has known incompatibility issues with this process; use of an alternate browser is recommended.
   
9. Once logged in, select Activate Product License.
    

 


10. Now select Upload Activation Request File.
     

 


11. Complete all required fields on the form, and then click Generate Activation Response File. Save the activation response file (“response.txt”) to portable media.
    
    
    
     
Note: The default filename for the activation response file is “activation_response.txt.” Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when activating more than one product at one time.


12. Next, return to the License Utility. Click Import File and browse to the downloaded “activation_response” file received from the My Kepware portal, and then click Open.
     
    
    
     
    
    
    
     
Note: At this point, the response file will be processed.


13. Upon successful activation in KEPServerEX, an Activation Complete screen will be displayed.
     

 


14. Click Close to exit or Next to access the View Licenses page.
     

 


15. Click Close to exit the License Utility.

Online License Activation Process for ThingWorx Kepware Server V6

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
• Right-click on the ThingWorx Kepware Server  icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   
  
  
   
   
• Or: All Programs / Kepware / KEPServerEX 6 / License / License Utility.
   
  
  
   
   
• Or: If the Start Menu and Taskbar options are not available.
• "C:\Program Files (x86)\PTC\ThingWorx Kepware Server 6\activationclient.exe"
   
2. Caution: Access to the License Utility may be password protected if the option was chosen during the install process.
    
   
   
    
    
3. Verify the “Perform Licensing Operations Online When Possible” option is selected, and then select Activate.
    
   
   
    
    
4. Next, copy and paste the V6 Activation ID(s) into the License Utility.
    
   Note: To activate multiple licenses at once, enter one Activation ID per line. A maximum of 100 activations can be performed in a single transaction.
    
   Then, enter the user name and password for the My Kepware account being used to deploy the license.
    
   
   
    
    
Caution: More than one license for the same product or driver cannot be activated on the same machine. Additional or different product licenses may be activated successfully, but a new license for an existing product overwrites the existing license.


5. Click Next to activate. The License Utility will communicate with the license server to perform the license activation.
    
   
   
    
    
6. Upon successful activation, the Activation ID(s) will show Good status in the License Utility.
    
   
   
    

Renewing Offline

Before you start this process, copy your support renewal file to the machine hosting ThingWorx Kepware Server. You can download your support renewal file from your support verification email or at My Kepware.

1. Login to the My Kepware portal and select Download Support Renewal File link.
    
   
   
    
    
2. Enter the License Activation ID into the text field and select Download Support Renewal File.
    
   
   
    
    
Note: The file will automatically be downloaded to the My Downloads folder.

 
3. Open the License Utility on the host machine.
    
Two Options:
• Right-click on the ThingWorx Kepware Server icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
   
  
  
   
   
• Or
• Start Menu/ All Apps / PTC / License Utility.




 
 
• Or
• If the Start Menu and Taskbar options are not available.
• "C:\Program Files (x86)\PTC\ThingWorx Kepware Server 6\activationclient.exe"
   
4. Caution: Access to the License Utility may be password protected if the option was chosen during the install process.
    
   
   
    
    
5. Ensure Perform licensing operations online when possible is not checked and click Renew.
    
   
   
    
    
6. Select Import File.
    
   
   
    
    
7. Select the .lic file saved to portable media in step 2 and click Open.
    
   
   
    
    
8. The support end date will now display the updated date.

 


 

Purchase support and have access to the corresponding verification email before completing these steps. Watch the Video for a three-minute demonstration.

Renewing Online

1. To start, open the License Utility on the machine for which support has been purchased.
2. Click Renew and enter user credentials in the User Name and Password fields.
3. Click Renew and the License Utility will check for the latest support end date(s) associated with the products licensed on the server.
4. The support end dates will now display the updated date.

Transfer one or more ThingWorx Kepware Server Version 6 licenses in a single transaction online or offline.

Transferring Offline

1. Open the License Utility on the machine from which the Activation ID(s) will be transferred.
    
   
   
    
    
2. Select the Activation ID(s) to be returned and then click Transfer.
    
   
   
    
    
3. Click Save to File… to deactivate the license on the machine.  
    
   
   
    
    
• A warning will be displayed that describes how the license must be transferred back to my.kepware.com before it can be activated for use on a new machine. Click OK to continue.
   
  
  
   
   
4. In the file-browse dialog, save the request file (“transfer_request.txt”) to portable media.
    
   
   
    
    
5. Go to My Kepware and transfer the product by uploading the transfer request file.
    
   
   
    
      
   
   
    
      
   
   
    
    
• Note: At this point, the license has been successfully stored in the online account and the transferred product is now available for activation on another machines.

Transfer one or more ThingWorx Kepware Server Version 6 licenses in a single transaction online or offline.

Transferring Online

1. To start, open the License Utility on the machine from which the Activation ID(s) will be transferred.
    
   
   • Right-click on the ThingWorx Kepware icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
      
     
     
      
      
   • Or: Start Menu\All Apps\PTC\License Utility.
      
     
     
      
      
   • Or: If the Start Menu and Taskbar options are not available
     • "C:\Program Files (x86)\PTC\ThingWorx Kepware Server 6\activationclient.exe"
2. Caution: Access to the License Utility may be password protected if the option was chosen during the install process.
    
   
   
    
    
3. Select the Activation ID(s) to be returned and then click Transfer.
    
   
   
    
 

4. Enter user credentials in the User Name and Password fields.
    
   
   
   
    
    
5. Click Next to begin the transfer. A pop-up will appear cautioning the user that they are about to remove the license from the local machine, click OK.
    
   
   
    
    
6. A status screen will display the transfer request status as well as any errors or warnings.
    
   
   
    
    
• Once complete, click Next to return to the License Utility Home Screen which will now be absent of your License Activation ID which has just been transferred.


7. To verify the License has been successfully returned, click the "View My Activation History" link on the home page of the My Kepware portal and locate the Activation ID you just returned. It will now show as "Banked" in the "Last Status" column.
    
   
   
    
    

Note: At this point, the license has been successfully stored in the online account and the transferred product is now available for activation on another machine.

To identify the Emergency Activation ID for your license, simply logon to the My Kepware site and use the LICENSE INFORMATION tool on the home page as demonstrated below:

The Emergency Activation ID is a one-time use license: one must be used for each product that requires emergency activation. After using an emergency license, it can be reset by returning it to the My Kepware site via the License Transfer option from the License Utility.

For more information on emergency license activation, refer to the License Utility help file.

Hardware key certificates are digitally-signed files that contain a unique Hardware Key ID as well as a list of activated products. Although each hardware key certificate can be imported to many host machines, the physical hardware key associated with the hardware key certificate can only be attached to one machine at a time. The physical hardware key is necessary to use the hardware key certificate. For information on how to manage and transfer hardware key licenses, refer to the License Utility help file.

If you need a new copy of the Hardware Key Certificate file, please logon to the My Kepware portal and select the Download Hardware Key Certificate link as shown below:

Then enter the Hardware Key ID into the text field and select Download Support File:

1. To start, login to your My Kepware account and select Hardware Key License Conversion on the home page.  
   
   
    
2. When the Hardware Key License Conversion tool opens, input the hardware key ID (Case Sensitive) that you would like to associate with the soft License and click Look Up. The utility will search for any software licenses already on the key and inform if the same driver is already on the key. It is acceptable to mix the old style “L-“ licensing with the soft license.  
   
   
    
3. To add soft license(s) to the hardware key, select Add License(s) in the bottom left of the screen.


4. Copy and paste the software license(s) that you would like moved to the hardware key into the Activation ID field. Click the + to the right of the field to add additional licenses to the same hardware key. Any errors received during this process will provide clear guidance on what is wrong. For more information on errors and frequently asked questions, see the bottom of this page.


5. Once you have entered all the desired keys to convert, click Submit.  
   
   
    
6. A pop-up window will itemize any license(s) being moved to the designated hardware key and seek your confirmation that this process cannot be reversed. Click Confirm to proceed.
   
   A Hardware Key Certificate file will be emailed to the email associated with your My Kepware account.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Do I need to have a hardware key prior to starting the conversion process?
A: Yes. You must have a hardware key and the activation ID in hand prior to initiating the conversion to a hardware key.

Q: Do I have to submit a purchase order or contact a Kepware representative to have my license converted?
A: No. Once you have purchased both the software license and the hardware key, conversion to a hardware key is now 100% self-service.

Q: What if I do not have a hardware key? Can I still buy one?
A: Yes. You may purchase the hardware key using the same process usually followed, however you will still need to perform the conversion process in your My Kepware account. To purchase a hardware key, contact sales@kepware.com.

Q: Can I assign my soft license to a hardware key if my license is not currently covered under a support agreement?
A: No. Hardware key conversion requires that each activation ID you wish to transfer to the key be under an active support agreement. If the activation ID is not under support, a support contract must be added to your software license (s) before it is eligible for conversion. Contact supportsales@kepware.com to renew expired support before attempting to convert your software license(s).

Q: What if I already have drivers on my hardware key?
A: Additional drivers may be added to your hardware key at any time. It is ok to have old licensing (L- licenses) combined with the soft licenses on a single hardware key. However, placing two activation codes for the same driver on a single key is not permitted. After the conversion is confirmed, the new certification file will contain functionality for all drivers (existing and newly converted).

Q: Do I need to “trade-in” old L- licenses for new soft license activation IDs?
A; No. L- licenses will continue to function as they already have. This revised process only impacts new requests for transference of licenses to a hardware key.

Q: What if the license I wish to transfer to the hardware key is still in use by the customer?
A: Currently active licenses may not be transferred to a hardware key without first transferring the license off the machine and to My Kepware. (In your My Kepware account, the activation ID will indicate whether the license activation is available.)

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
• KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
• RedundancyMaster: Open RedundancyMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
• LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
   
2. In the drop-down list, select Manage Software Licenses and then click Next.
    
   
    
3. Select Activate a product and then click Next.
    
   
    
4. In Create an Activation Request File, enter the Activation ID that was provided by Kepware with the purchased product. Then, click Save to File.
    
   
    
5. The License Utility will generate a request file and then display a file-browse dialog. Save the request file, making note of its location as it will be sent to the My Kepware portal in the next step.
    
   
    
Note: The default filename for the activation request file is “activation_request.txt”. Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when activating more than one product at one time.


6. In an internet browser, navigate to the My Kepware portal at https://mykepware.com. Returning users will be prompted to enter login information, whereas first-time users must create a My Kepware Account to continue.
    
7. Once logged in, locate Product Licensing and then click Activate Product License. Activate the product by uploading the activation request file.
    
   
    
8. Complete all required fields on the form, and then click Generate Activation Response File. Save the activation response file (“response.txt”) to portable media.
    
   
    

Note: The default filename for the activation response file is “response.txt.” Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when activating more than one product at one time.

9. Next, return to the License Utility. In Manage Software License Activation, locate Import the Activation Response File and then click Import File. Browse to the downloaded activation response file received from the My Kepware portal, and then click Open.
    
   
    

Note: At this point, the response file will be processed.

10. Upon successful activation in KEPServerEX, an Activation Complete screen will be displayed. Click Close to exit or Next to access the View Licenses page. Upon successful activation in LinkMaster and RedundancyMaster, the View Licenses page will immediately be displayed.
     
    
     
11. Next, restart the runtime service to prevent the license from continuing to run in demo mode.
• License Utility: Click Close
• KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select Stop Runtime Service. Once stopped, restart it by right-clicking on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and selecting Start Runtime Service.
• RedundancyMaster: Right-click on the RedundancyMaster icon located in the System Tray and then select Stop Runtime Service. Once stopped, restart it by right-clicking on the RedundancyMaster icon located in the System Tray and selecting Start Runtime Service.
• LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then select File | Shutdown Runtime and Exit. Then, re-open LinkMaster.

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
• KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
• RedundancyMaster: Open RedundancyMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
• LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
   
2. In the drop-down list, select Manage Software Licenses and then click Next.
    
   
    
3. Select Transfer a product activation and then click Next.
    
   
    
4. In Select an Activation to Transfer, use the drop-down menu to select the product activation that will be transferred. This will update the products located in the list box with the features contained within the software license.
    
   
    
5. Under Transfer the Activation File, click Save to File... in order to deactivate the license on the machine. Doing so means that the license rights will no longer be respected by the installed software. If the resulting transfer request file is not processed in the My Kepware portal, users will be unable to use the license

Note: Selecting this button will invoke the warning below. Click OK to continue.
 

 

• Important: Users whose activation has a Support and Maintenance subscription will receive the warning shown below. Click OK to continue.
   
  
   
6. The License Utility will display a file-browse dialog. Save the request file, making note of its location as it will be sent to the My Kepware portal in the next step.
    
   
    

Note: The default filename for the transfer request file is “transfer_request.txt.” Users can rename the file to ease license management, which may be especially helpful when transferring more than one product at one time.

Important: The transfer request file must be generated from the License Utility on the original host machine. An internet connection is required to complete the license transfer process. If the host machine that the active license is being transferred from does not have internet access, users must copy the transfer request file to a computer that does in order to log in to the My Kepware portal and upload the transfer request file.
 

7. In an internet browser, navigate to the My Kepware portal at https://my.kepware.com/mykepware/. Returning users will be prompted to enter login information, whereas first-time users must create a My Kepware Account to continue.
    
8. Once logged in, locate Product Licensing and Registration and then click Transfer License. To browse to the transfer request file previously saved, click Choose file. Once selected, click Open.
    
    
   
    
9. Next, click Process Transfer Request.

Note: At this point, the transfer request file will be processed and a message will be displayed that indicates the license has been successfully stored in the online account. At this point, the transferred product is now available for activation on another machine.

Important: For information on limitations on activation transfers, please refer to the License Utility product manual.

An Emergency Activation ID is provided with each purchased Software Activation ID to be used in the event of a machine/system failure occurring outside of standard business hours. The emergency license can be activated through the vendor’s licensing website from the target machine, and will allow the product to run for a period of seven days. The Emergency Activation ID is a unique one-time use license: one must be used for each product that requires emergency activation. After using an emergency license, users must contact Technical Support in order to discuss options for re-commissioning the application.

Note: If the computer that the emergency license will be used on does not have Internet access, users must copy the activation request file to a computer that does in order to generate the activation response file. Both the activation request file and the activation response file must be processed on the target machine. For more information on license activation, refer to the License Utility product manual.

Important: It is important to discuss appropriate recovery procedures with all relevant personnel before a situation such as machine/system failure occurs. Furthermore, users can alleviate recovery by saving a copy of all current Activation IDs. It is also helpful to note the correct version of the server installation.

Hardware keys are used in conjunction with digitally-signed files generated by Kepware that contain a unique Hardware Key ID (Flex ID) in addition to a list of activated products. Each hardware key certificate can be imported to many host machines, but the physical hardware key that is associated with the hardware key certificate can only be attached to one machine at a time. The physical hardware key is necessary in order to use the hardware key certificate.

Important: An additional software feature must be installed in order for the hardware key to function properly. This can be done during the initial setup or at any time by re-running the product installation executable and selecting Modify. In Select Features, locate Hardware Key and then select Entire feature will be installed on the local hard drive. Then, continue through and complete the install. For more information, refer to Kepware Installation Guide.

The hardware key certificate must be imported into the License Utility in order for the physical hardware key to be recognized by the application's Runtime. For more information, refer to the instructions below.
 

1. To start, open the License Utility on the host machine.
• KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select License Utility.
• RedundancyMaster: Open RedundancyMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
• LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then click Help | License Application.
   
2. In the drop-down list, select Manage Hardware Key Certificates.
    
   
    
3. Locate Import a Hardware Key Certificate, and then click Import File. Browse to and select the hardware key certificate sent from Kepware, and then click Open.
    
4. On successful activation, the View Licenses page will be displayed listing the licensing information for the activated products.
    
   
    
5. Next, restart the runtime service to prevent the license from continuing to run in demo mode.
• KEPServerEX: Right-click on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and then select Stop Runtime Service. Once stopped, restart it by right-clicking on the KEPServerEX icon located in the System Tray and selecting Start Runtime Service.
• RedundancyMaster: Right-click on the RedundancyMaster icon located in the System Tray and then select Stop Runtime Service. Once stopped, restart it by right-clicking on the RedundancyMaster icon located in the System Tray and selecting Start Runtime Service.
• LinkMaster: Open LinkMaster, and then select File | Shutdown Runtime and Exit. Then, re-open LinkMaster.

For more information on managing hardware key certificates, refer to the License Utility product manual.

Please use the following steps to lookup your license activation ID:

1. Login to the My Kepware portal: Click Here
    
2. Copy and paste the activation ID in question into the "License Information" text field and select Look Up as shown below: 
    
   
    
3. You will then see the following information:
1. The activation ID you searched License Name
2. The Deployment Status of that activation ID
3. The Product Description of that activation ID
4. The Emergency ID associated with that activation ID (Good for 7 days in Emergency situations)
5. The Upgraded To filed which indicates if you are looking at an old V5 license or a new V5/V6 compatible license
• V5 = Upgraded To: (new activation ID will be listed)
• V5/V6 = Upgrade To: (will be blank)
   
4. The Eligible Version of the activation ID
    
5. The Support and Maintenance field which is equal to the "Support End Date" in the KEPServerEX License Utility

V5/V6 compatible ID example:

   
V5 ID Example

It is a common misunderstanding that you can create a "transfer_request" file on 'Machine A', and then import that "transfer_request" file on 'Machine B'. This is incorrect, and here is why:

The scenario described above is actually a two-step process which first requires the customer to return the "transfer_request" file to the My Kepware portal. Once that file has been successfully uploaded the license is considered as "banked". A "banked" license can be used again at the customer's leisure, it DOES NOT have to be redeployed immediately. (Think of the License Transfer as more of a 'return' than a transfer)

The second step of the process is to "activate" the license as if it were a brand new license being used for the first time using the same 36 character activation ID.

The new Time Limited Features pop-up notification in version 6 has changed from the traditional Demo Mode in version 5. The change was designed to provide customers with the ability to test an unlicensed component without causing the entire project to go into Demo / Time Limited mode.

Previously in version 5, any unlicensed component that was configured in your project would invoke Demo Mode for every component within that project. We realized that we weren't giving customers the opportunity to test different components if they only had one machine to work with.

In version 6 users have the ability to test unlicensed components WITHOUT causing the entire project to go into Time Limited Features mode.

The following screenshot highlights the three "._System" tags that contain the information needed to diagnose which components are running in "Time Limited Mode". Specifically, the "._System._TimeLimitedFeatures" tag contains the name of the unlicensed component being used, as well as the amount of time (in seconds) remaining until the component has run out of time and therefore populates the "._System._ExpiredFeatures" tag.

In this scenario, the Allen Bradley ControlLogix Ethernet component has 6,040 seconds remaining until it times out and populates the "Expired Features" tag as the Alarms & Events and SNMP Plug-ins have.

If you are running KEPServerEX V6 then you may have the ability to "Perform licensing operations online when possible". Dependent upon Windows Updates being current, user has option to use the Automatic licensing feature instead of manually logging onto the My Kepware portal to upload and download "request and response" files.

When you open the License Utility a Checkbox will be present at the bottom as shown below:

Sometimes you will not see that message and instead you will see the following in Red:

"Online Licensing Operations are not possible at this time due to missing OS components"

What this means is either the OS does not have the latest updated security files needed to authenticate with our server, or they are incompatible with our server. It DOES NOT mean that you cannot still license your software, it simply means you will need to use the Offline Activation Process.

When a license renewal agreement has been processed, if a V5/V6 compatible ID has already been created, you WILL NOT be getting a new, or additional "support and maintenance ID".

With the release of version 6, the "support and maintenance ID" was discontinued and replaced by the "Support Renewal File". Once that file has been imported, the Support End Date will update and be properly reflected in the License Utility.

The Support End Date is primarily used to determine version eligibility. Failure to update the KEPServerEX V6 License Utility with the latest "Support Renewal File" will cause unexpected Time Limited Mode pop-ups for any versions of KEPServerEX V6 released after the outdated Support End Date.

Please see the Support Renewal Process drop-down in the KEPServerEX V6 section below.

The "Support End Date" is used to determine version eligibility. If the "Support End Date" is not properly reflected in the License Utility users will encounter an unexpected "Time Limited Features" pop-up.

To remedy this issue, please follow the instructions for the "Support Renewal Process" in the KEPServerEX V6 section at the top of this page.

Note: If you are using an already upgraded V5/V6 compatible License Activation ID in version 5, you CANNOT import the Support Renewal File because that functionality does not exist in KEPServerEX V5.