For a Few Licenses More

“A fistful of licenses” is no problem: You simply create them manually with CodeMeter License Editor or the command line tool CmBoxPgm. But “for a few licenses more”, you should think about automating the license creation, distribution, and management process. Enter CodeMeter License Central! As in Ennio Morricone’s famous western, where the Man with no Name and Colonel Mortimer team up to beat the bad guys, the unique strengths of CodeMeter License Central and ERP systems work best when they work together. They are not opponents, but perfect companions.

Depending on your use case, you need to decide which system should take the lead for licensing: the ERP system or CodeMeter License Central? You can also mix and match them both in a hybrid setup if you need to account for different workflows. One typical use case would be a combination of subscription licenses sold either directly by you or distributed via a reseller. In this situation, your resellers could create their licenses via a portal with CodeMeter License Central, and the ERP system is notified each month about the number of active licenses for an aggregated bill for the reseller. You could even sell more subscriptions directly by moving them from the ERP system to CodeMeter License Central. Alternatively, you can run reseller licenses first through the ERP system or direct-sale licenses first through CodeMeter License Central.

To make the link between the ERP system and CodeMeter License Central, you have a choice of a simple or a sophisticated SOAP interface, a generic connector with a REST-like API, or some custom layer to slot in between the two sides. When using the generic connector and a custom layer, you can adjust the operating logic to suit your specific needs, letting you respond to any changes in your requirements with little interventions and expansions that do not force you to move everything into the ERP system.

For SAP, you have two turnkey solutions ready and waiting: Our partner Informatics has created a framework for integration in SAP, typically used in the SD (Sales and Distribution) modules. Alternatively, CodeMeter License Central can be contacted directly from SAP’s EMS module.

One important aspect is the backchannel between CodeMeter License Central and the ERP system. When the ERP system is in the lead, the backchannel can feed back information about the current state of licenses, e.g. whether and where they are activated. All of this information can be sent via the notification dispatcher (push) or requested by the ERP system when they are needed (pull). If licenses are created in CodeMeter License Central, the backchannel is still key for the ERP system to bill those licenses, again with push or pull options available.

During this one-hour masterclass, we will delve into the following main topics:

• Use Cases
  • ERP in the lead
  • ERP for invoicing
  • Subscriptions
  • Reseller integration
• The Landscape
  • A tour of the CodeMeter universe
  • CodeMeter License Central and the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
• Interfaces with CodeMeter License Central
  • Barebones SOAP connector
  • Sophisticated SOAP interface
  • Generic Connector
  • Adjusting the operating logic
• SAP Integration
  • INFORMATICS’ SAP framework
  • Connector for SAP EMS
• Backchannel
  • Information on Demand (Pull)
  • Notification Dispatcher (Push)

This webinar was created specifically for product managers and developers who want to design and implement specific workflows and data transfers between ERP systems and CodeMeter License Central. Both make a perfect tag team that can save you lots of time and manual efforts due to their excellent automation capabilities. So lean back and enjoy the show!