Do you know which use cases can be realized with CodeMeter Embedded?

CodeMeter Embedded is more than just a compact version of CodeMeter Runtime. CodeMeter Embedded runs anywhere, from servers to personal computers, all the way down to small controllers and sensors. It supports various operating systems and can even run directly on microcontrollers. This flexibility, enabled by integrating CodeMeter Embedded directly into the protected program, allows for a highly versatile range of applications in various scenarios.

Did you know, for example, that CodeMeter Embedded is included in a program protected by AxProtector? When native apps, such as for Windows or Linux, are encrypted, CodeMeter Embedded is statically integrated into the protected application. This makes it possible to access licenses on a dongle even without having CodeMeter Runtime installed.

CodeMeter LAN

Challenge: In a production facility with many decentralized sensors, dongles and ASICs are not feasible, and the devices have too few characteristics for a strong CmActLicense binding (software license container). The protection requirements are high, and the network has no Internet connection.

Solution: A CodeMeter Runtime Server with a CodeMeter Dongle (CmDongle) in the network that supplies licenses to the embedded devices. The LAN function in Cm Embedded acts like a local dongle, creating an internal cloud solution within a closed network.

License Container Compatibility

Challenge: A production line manufactures devices with software that needs to be protected and licensed. The production line itself is offline, unable to retrieve licenses from CodeMeter License Central. The device has no LAN interface.

Solution: The manufacturing of the device and the creation of the license are carried out separately. An SD card or a CmDongle can be added in the final production step or during installation. CodeMeter Runtime can create CmActLicenses that can be read by CodeMeter Embedded, and, of course, the reverse process also works. Additionally, CmDongles can be programmed by CmRuntime and used with CmEmbedded.

CmReady

Challenge: Software on an industrial-grade SD card. A quick repair is needed by swapping the memory card into a replacement device. Highly integrated devices like controllers, sensors, or cameras often only have a single microSD slot. If that slot is already occupied by the configuration file‘s memory card or the operating system, there is no room for a dongle. How do you quickly and easily transfer the license file, which is bound to the defective hardware, to the replacement device? Additionally, an online connection for licensing the replacement part is generally not possible due to security concerns.

Solution: An SD card with the CmReady feature. This industrial SD card comes with security-optimized firmware that holds the CmActLicense file. By swapping the memory card, the entire device configuration, as well as a secure CmActLicense container, are transferred to the replacement device. The license container is bound to the CmReady card. CmReady cards are based on industrial memory cards with robust flash memory, extended temperature ranges, and a wide variety of different memory capacities. CmReady is the result of a collaboration in which memory card manufacturers enhance their standard products with the ability to securely store CodeMeter licenses. This provides users with the advantage of having a single medium for both the license and the software, allowing the memory card to be used as portably as a dongle.

Cloud

CodeMeter Embedded can handle the same container types as its larger counterpart, CodeMeter Runtime – dongles, ASICs, and software-based CmActLicenses. Even cloud licenses can be used via a proxy, without exposing devices directly to the risks of the public Internet. A CodeMeter Runtime Server is configured as a LAN gateway, acting as an edge device between the secure shop floor and the cloud. The firewall isolates the networks, ensuring that the embedded devices have no external connections and communicate only with the edge server.

With CodeMeter Embedded 3.0, the capabilities of our technology have been expanded with CmReady. Additionally, compatibility of CmActLicenses between Runtime and CmEmbedded has been newly added.

These are just a few of the possibilities that can be realized with CodeMeter Embedded. Do you have additional use cases or ideas? We look forward to collaborating with you to bring them to life.

 

KEYnote 48 - Edition Fall/Winter 2024