TN - LM2605041133 - AVEVA Enterprise License Server Offline License Activation

Description

AVEVA licenses must be activated before they can be used. During activation, your license is verified against AVEVA’s records and permanently linked to the License Server machine.

Activation requires communication with the AVEVA License Activation Server over the internet. When the License Server has no direct internet access, Offline Activation is used instead. This process involves a file exchange between the offline License Server and a separate internet-connected machine:

A request file (send.sync) is generated on the License Server and uploaded to the AVEVA activation website from the internet-connected machine.

A response file (recv.sync) is downloaded from the website and loaded back into the License Server to complete activation.

This guide walks through every step of that process.

Gather the following before starting:

Your AVEVA license purchase confirmation email – it contains a .zip attachment with your License Entitlement XML file inside.

A designated License Server machine – the offline computer where the license will be activated.

A second machine with internet access – used only to exchange files with the AVEVA activation website.

A USB flash drive or other portable media – to transfer files between the two machines.

Solution Details

Step 1  Prepare Your License Entitlement File

Open the purchase confirmation email you received from AVEVA. Save the .zip file attachment to your License Server machine and extract it. Inside you will find an XML file – this is your License Entitlement file. Save it somewhere easy to find, such as your Desktop or Downloads folder, as you will need to browse to it later.

Step 2  Install AVEVA Software and Licensing Components

Run the AVEVA product installer on the License Server machine. When the feature selection screen appears, ensure the following three licensing components are all checked before proceeding:

AVEVA Enterprise Licensing Platform

AVEVA Enterprise License Manager

AVEVA Enterprise License Server

Step 3  Configure the License Server Using the Configurator

After installation, open the AVEVA Configurator from Start → AVEVA → Configurator. In the left-hand tree, expand AVEVA Enterprise Licensing Platform and select AVEVA Enterprise License Server.

In the License Server Configuration panel on the right, type your License Server computer name in the Primary Server Name field. Leave the Server Port (55555) and Agent Port (59200) at their default values unless your network requires otherwise. Click Test Connection. When the Configuration Messages area at the bottom confirms the connection succeeded, click Configure to save the settings.

Step 4  Open the Enterprise License Manager

Launch the AVEVA Enterprise License Manager from Start → AVEVA → Enterprise License Manager. It will open in your default web browser at localhost/AELicenseManager. You will arrive at the main Servers page. Click the hamburger menu icon (≡) in the top-left corner to expand the navigation panel. You will see two options: Servers and Activation Settings.

Step 5  Review the Servers Page and Check the Activation Mode

Close the navigation panel and look at the Servers page. Your License Server will be listed as a card showing its name, status (Running), and current license count (0 Licenses). Look at the cloud icon in the top-right corner of the page – this tells you the current activation mode:

Green check mark on the cloud – Online Activation is active. You must switch to Offline before continuing.

Red X on the cloud – Offline Activation is already set. Skip ahead to Step 7.

Step 6  Switch to Offline Activation Mode

Click the hamburger menu icon (≡) and select Activation Settings. On the Activation Settings page you will see two radio button options. Select Offline Activation. The description beneath it will confirm “License Manager is not connected to Activation Server” and the cloud icon will update to show a red X. Once selected, click the menu icon again and choose Servers to return to the main page.

Step 7  Open Your License Server and View the License Summary

Back on the Servers page, click your License Server card to open its detail view. The page will display the License Summary tab. The license list will be empty at this stage. You will also see the toolbar along the top with Add License, Deactivate, and Details options. This is the starting point for adding and activating your license.

Step 8  Select Add License 

Click the Add License button (⊕) in the toolbar. A License Activation panel will slide in from the right side of the screen. It will display a Browse license file field, a table for license details, and the Activate button at the bottom. The panel will be empty until you load your Entitlement XML file.

Step 8  Select Add License 

Click the Add License button (⊕) in the toolbar. A License Activation panel will slide in from the right side of the screen. It will display a Browse license file field, a table for license details, and the Activate button at the bottom. The panel will be empty until you load your Entitlement XML file.

Step 9  Browse for Your License Entitlement XML File

Click the … (ellipsis) button next to the Browse license file field. A Windows file browser will open. Navigate to the location where you saved the Entitlement XML file in Step 1. Select the file and click Open.

Step 10  Review the Loaded License Details

Once the XML file is selected, the license details will load automatically into the License Activation panel. You will see the Component Name, Part Number, Serial Number, Activation Code, and available quantity. The checkbox next to the license entry will be unchecked at this point – you must select it before activation.

Step 11  Select the License and Set the Quantity

Check the box next to the license entry. A check mark will appear confirming it is selected and the Quantity to Activate field will become editable. If your entitlement allows multiple seats and you wish to activate more than one on this server, enter the desired quantity. When ready, click the Activate button.

Step 12  Activation Request Submitted – Pending Status

After clicking Activate, the License Activation panel will close and the license will appear in the License Summary list with a status of Pending Activation Request. The Offline Activation button in the top-right corner will highlight yellow. This is expected – it means the request has been created and is waiting to be sent to the AVEVA activation server.

Step 13  Request the Activation File

Click the down arrow (▾) next to the yellow Offline Activation button to open the dropdown menu. Two options will appear:

Request Activation/Deactivation – generates and saves your send.sync request file.

Receive Activation/Deactivation – used later to load the recv.sync response file.

Select Request Activation/Deactivation to proceed.

Step 14  Confirm the Request

A confirmation dialog will appear asking: “Are you sure you want to Request Activation/Deactivation for these Licenses?” It will also note that once requested, the activation must be processed at the AVEVA Activation Server. Click Yes to confirm and generate the send.sync file.

Step 15  Save the Send File to Portable Media

After clicking Yes, your browser will automatically download a file named with the format send-SERVERNAME-datetimestamp.sync. You will see it appear in the browser’s download bar at the top of the License Manager window. This is your activation request file.

Copy the send.sync file to your USB flash drive or portable media. You will carry it to the internet-connected machine in the next step.

Step 16  Navigate to the AVEVA License Activation Website

Take your portable media to the internet-connected machine. Insert the drive and open a web browser (Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox). Navigate to:

http://licenseactivation.wonderware.com

The AVEVA License Activation page will load. It will explain the process and display a file upload form at the bottom of the page.

Step 17  Upload the Send File and Enter the CAPTCHA

On the activation website, click Choose File and browse to your portable media. Select the send.sync file. The filename will appear next to the button once selected. Then look at the CAPTCHA image on the page and type the characters you see into the text field above it.

Step 18  Download the Receive File

After clicking Upload File, the website will process the request and automatically prompt your browser to download a response file. The filename will follow the format recv-SERVERNAME-datetimestamp.sync. You will see it appear in the browser’s download bar. This is your activation response file.

Save the recv.sync file to your USB flash drive or portable media alongside the send.sync file, then return to your offline License Server machine.

Step 19  Verify Both Files on Your Portable Media

Before leaving the internet-connected machine, open File Explorer and confirm that both sync files are saved to your portable media. You should see:

send-SERVERNAME-datetimestamp.sync – the original request file (small, ~1 KB).

recv-SERVERNAME-datetimestamp.sync – the response file from the activation server (larger, ~15–16 KB).

Both files must be present before returning to the License Server. If the recv.sync file is missing, repeat Steps 17 and 18.

Step 20  Load the Receive File to Complete Activation

Return to the offline License Server machine and insert your portable media. In the Enterprise License Manager, click the down arrow (▾) next to the Offline Activation button and select Receive Activation/Deactivation from the dropdown.

A file browser will open. Navigate to your portable media and select the recv.sync file. Click Open. The License Manager will process the file and refresh automatically. The license status will change from Pending Activation Request to Activated, and the expiry date will now be visible in the License Summary.

The table below summarizes the two files exchanged during the Offline Activation process:

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AVEVA System Platform – Licensing – Offline Activation Guide