The New Look of WebAdmin
The information on a CodeMeter license server can be accessed locally or from remote machines via a dedicated web interface. Called WebAdmin, the interface has not changed much over the years, even if many new functionalities and capabilities have been added. The time has come to give WebAdmin a facelift – for a much fresher, younger, and modern CodeMeter 6.10.
Dare to Change
Despite the new design, experienced CodeMeter users will find virtually everything they are looking for in the places they expect. The layout, built to resemble a traditional menu, has not changed.
Only the server search, i.e. the option to switch to the WebAdmin for another CodeMeter license server, has been removed from the front page. This option is now located at the bottom of each page, together with the details of the current server – no further need to look at the navigation bar to see which server you are working with.
All CmContainers on Display
The CmContainer view offers a well-structured list of all available CmContainers, with their firmware versions and activation state. The old WebAdmin was able to show only one CmContainer at a time, but now the licenses for multiple CmContainers can be easily displayed.
By hovering over the menu items, they automatically fold down to show the individual details for the CmContainer in question.
Novel breadcrumb technology enables display of the sub-item currently in use beneath the menubar.
Revised License List
The license list now includes the following columns:
- Product Code
- Name
- Unit Counter
- Valid Until
- License Quantity
- Feature Map
Note that the “Valid Until” entries display the effective expiration time of the license. Three settings can be used to define the time limits:
- Expiration Time (a set date for the license to expire)
- Usage Period (a defined period of use after the first activation of the license)
- Borrowing Expiration Period (the time when a borrowed license automatically reverts to the server).
These three settings are used to calculate the effective expiration date that is shown in the list.
Universal Firm Code
The new Universal Firm Codes now allow licenses to be transferred. This temporary or permanent transfer of licenses is recorded in the license history, which is now included in a new section of the license detail view in WebAdmin. All past transfers are clearly recorded. The view now also includes a section for Nested Product Items. The inheritance rules are displayed and the applicable license options are directly visible.
License Usage at a Glance
The License Monitor reveals more information about how the licenses are being used.
The item “All licenses” displays a list of all licenses and their current usage status, which can be either “used” or “available”. Selecting a license provides more details about which user and which device has been using this license for which period of time.
The item” Sessions” presents an overview of all licenses currently in use.
“License tracking” is an optional function that can be activated with a separate registry entry. Once activated, CodeMeter monitors all license usage and borrowing transactions. This section offers a history of how the licenses have been used.
A simple diagram shows how many licenses were in use, how many were available, and how many license requests were rejected. This can happen when the server has fewer licenses available than are being requested. The feature makes current license usage easy to understand for the user.
Toolkit
The WebAdmin settings are now arranged in three sections: The Basic section includes all essential settings, such as the configuration of server search lists or the settings for the network proxy.
The WebAdmin section contains the settings governing the WebAdmin settings themselves. As before, the settings can be changed from purely local access to authorization by user name and password.
The Server section includes the settings for access by other clients. If other clients are allowed to use licenses on this CodeMeter license server, the “next” tab includes options to define the specific access rules. Individual users, for example, can be blocked or licenses only cleared for specific user groups (Active Directory support).
Modern and Flexible
The all new WebAdmin was redesigned with intuitive usability in mind. The engaging light palette, sleek design, and use of leading-edge web technology makes for ease of use – the viewing dimensions can be smoothly scaled up or down, and all elements automatically adjusted for optimal display. Another much requested feature is now also part of the package: The interface language can be changed dynamically at any time.
KEYnote 31 – Edition Spring 2016