Scaling New Heights: CodeMeter License Central‘s Hosting Upgrades
CodeMeter License Central is a product created by Wibu-Systems for a key mission: Ensuring backoffice integration for CodeMeter licenses. CodeMeter License Central empowers software developers and intelligent device makers to create licenses, software packages, or other product options for sale and distribution. This can be done manually or by a dedicated system like an integrated CRM or ERP system.
CodeMeter License Central can be run by the client or by Wibu-Systems on their behalf. For running it oneself, clients can choose the
- Desktop Edition
- Internet Edition
Both editions bring specific add-on product options suited for ease-of-integration and different performance levels.
Hosted variants include the
- Datacenter Edition
- Dedicated Server
- High Performance Edition
- High Availability Package
Up to now, the hosting options differed specifically in the number of recommended transactions for reliable operation, the standard availability, and the inclusion of a dedicated Firm Security Box.
Coming in the first quarter of 2024, the focus shifts to two other factors: the Recovery Point Objective (RPO), that is, the amount of data lost, expressed as a unit of time, in the case of a failure, and the Recovery Time Objective (RTO), the time until CodeMeter License Central is back up and running.
Both are now optimized for different License Central editions, which is stated transparently in the pricing details as another important consideration for prospective buyers.
This article introduces some of the changes in how CodeMeter License Central is hosted to help current and would-be clients decide which hosting variant is the appropriate one for them.
Looking Closely
A general introduction to the differences between variants of CodeMeter License Central can help as a refresher for our readers:
The Datacenter Edition offers software publishers all necessary functions to handle their product licensing from one central place.
The Dedicated Server Edition carries its standout property in its name: It refers to a dedicated service on which one copy of CodeMeter License Central is run by Wibu-Systems on behalf of a software publisher. It can handle many more license queries and WebService calls than the Datacenter Edition, making it a perfect choice for clients who can expect regular license transactions.
The High Performance Edition goes above and beyond the Dedicated Server Version to enable software developers and intelligent device manufacturers to activate and deactivate licenses at a high rate. This edition is the best option for clients who want or need to provide large numbers of licenses and product options in the blink of an eye. It also includes data and system recovery times that are faster than the Dedicated Server Edition.
The top of the line is the High Availability Package. It more than doubles the speed of the High Performance Edition by running two or more High Performance Editions in parallel. This is the edition for clients who need exceptional speeds in their licensing system. Technically, a load balancing system is also included to make sure that the performance is shared out optimally across the different lines.
What is new?
Wibu-Systems has spent the last year on a close inspection of its entire hosting architecture and found several options to make the experience even smoother for clients who have their CodeMeter License Central operated by us. The focus was placed on increased availability and reduced downtimes and data losses in the case of a system failure.
Prospective clients can learn more about the differences between the hosting packages and match them to the requirements of their business cases.
The very first major step was the decision to host CodeMeter License Central in a second, separate datacenter, located at its own site with its own infrastructure and multiple, redundant Internet connections. This second datacenter is used as another availability zone for our own servers and the CodeMeter License Central application servers. Barring a total regional disaster, should our primary datacenter fail, the second datacenter will continue to function.
A multinational load balancer was set up to ensure the optimum spread between both datacenters. The load balancer itself is set up for high availability, with redundancy ensured by locations in different European countries. On top of regulating traffic between our two availability zones, it ensures improved protections against DoS attacks.
Our revised disaster failure concept brings with it new goals for reducing the recovery point objective (RPO) and the recovery time objective (RTO) by a considerable margin. The RPO defines the amount of data loss that can be tolerated, described as a unit of time. In Wibu-Systems’ case, this defines the frequency of data backups. The RTO defines the maximum amount of time that CodeMeter License Central can be offline after an incident.
For the High Performance Edition, the second availability zone includes a second copy, constantly replicated and ready to take over productive operation at short notice when disaster strikes. We have been able to increase our availability standard to 99.7%. The RPO has been reduced from 24 hours (recovery from a backup) to less than 30 minutes, and the RTO has similarly been significantly optimized, coming down from three working days after an incident to less than four hours.
The illustration above shows the architecture of a High Performance Edition at a glance: The global load balancer takes in calls and hands them over to the http reverse proxy service that is available, should a failure occur. The replicated second copy of the High Performance Edition is brought online, and a second FSB is kept available in the second availability zone to ensure reliable operation.
What does it cost, and who needs it?
Our hosting options offer an extremely attractive way of running CodeMeter License Central. Powerful licensing components are ready for our clients, with excellent availability, failure protection, and data recovery standards. In addition, we will take over all updates and maintenance for you!
The High Performance Edition is a particularly great deal: It gives our clients far faster data and system recovery and considerably more resources at only 50% higher prices than the Dedicated Server Edition.
Feel free to contact our specialists for more information or an offer tailored to your needs.
NOTE
We are keeping the price for our hosting packages stable despite considerable added costs and efforts on our part.
KEYnote 47 – Edition Spring/Summer 2024