KEYnote 46: Going stratospheric with licensing in the cloud in the latest issue of Wibu-Systems’ magazine

KEYnote, the popular magazine published by the protection and licensing specialists at Wibu-Systems, is a must-read for licensing afficionados, IT security enthusiasts, and everyone else interested in keeping the software world and IT businesses secure. The 2023 Fall / Winter issue covers a wide range of topics from the clever technology behind CodeMeter’s SmartBind system to the best approach to secure software development. But this edition’s headliner is cloud licensing, including a closer look at the concept itself and detailed discussions of key issues like Wibu-Systems’ solution to the license availability conundrum or the best way to combine Kubernetes with CodeMeter.

Cloud computing, while offering immense potential, presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Recognizing the importance of security and reliability in maximizing the effectiveness of cloud solutions, issue 46 of Wibu-Systems’ KEYnote magazine delves deeply into the realm of cloud licensing. This edition includes six comprehensive articles covering various aspects: from exploring the basics and weighing the pros and cons, to setting up different license servers, to integrating CodeMeter licensing with the popular containerization solution Kubernetes. It also discusses advanced techniques for efficient license creation using the CodeMeter License Portal.

Licensing in the cloud comes in many forms and expressions. These range from the ability to get offline licenses from the cloud onto industrial edge devices, which often means a choice of either physical dongles or device-bound license files, to SaaS applications running in the cloud where usage reporting is more important than protection. The articles on “Licensing and Protecting Industrial Edge Devices” and “CodeMeter Cloud Lite Usage Reporting” serve as a hands-on introduction to these aspects.

License servers in a production environment like the shopfloor of a car manufacturer require high availability. A failure in such mission-critical environments will stop production. Wibu-Systems’ answer to this requirement is CodeMeter TMR – Triple Mode Redundancy. Wibu-Systems has designed a combination of three license servers (plus load balancers) to ensure fail-proof availability according to a 2-out-of-3 rule. The article on Triple Mode Redundancy explains how CodeMeter licensing works in this clustered server system.

The exchange of broken parts like devices or controllers in a larger system is a critical process. From a licensing perspective, it is essential to move an active license from the broken device to a spare unit. Dongles like CodeMeter Sticks, or CodeMeter Cards outperform device-bound licenses and offer an easy and fool-proof process to move the license to a new device. In the event that a free slot is not available for the dongle on the device, CmReady comes in handy. This mass storage device, available in both SD and microSD form factors, such as those utilized by Swissbit for operating system storage, offers the additional capability of securely storing a license. This license is then intricately bound to the specific unit, ensuring a seamless and integrated solution for software licensing and system operation. Only devices that comply with a minimum set of security requirements receive the CmReady seal of approval from Wibu-Systems. These devices, which are already often operational on the shopfloor, can be used like a CodeMeter dongle, offer the security of a CodeMeter license file, and don’t require a free slot on the replacement device.

Readers interested in a peek behind the curtains can do so in the article on “Developing secure software”. The article explains Wibu-Systems’ principles and infrastructure for secure software development as a case study of mature best practices, from the right tools for code analysis to the procedures for responding to identified vulnerabilities.

Even more transparency can be found in the article on the ROI of CodeMeter. Taking different categories of Wibu-Systems clients as examples, the article offers a detailed calculation of the threshold costs needed at the start, the cash flow to be expected over time, and the likely gains in the end. Any software protection and licensing officer looking for strong arguments in favor of a smart licensing solution will find enough food for thought in this KEYnote magazine article.

More news, a look back at Wibu-Systems’ International Partner Summit, and a case study of CodeMeter in action at ETM Professional Control, a fully-owned subsidiary of Siemens that develops the SCADA system SIMATIC WinCC Open Architecture, complete this issue of KEYnote magazine, which is available for free for download at https://www.wibu.com/magazine.html.

Daniela Previtali, Global Marketing Director of Wibu-Systems, adds: "As we unveil KEYnote 46, we're not just sharing advancements in cloud licensing and secure software development; we're opening a dialogue about the future of IT security and innovation. Our focus on cloud licensing, especially with our Triple Mode Redundancy and Kubernetes integration, underscores our commitment to pushing boundaries and offering practical, cutting-edge solutions. This issue is a testament to Wibu-Systems' dedication to empowering businesses and enriching the knowledge of the software development community. We invite you to dive into these insightful pages and join us in shaping a secure, connected future."