How to activate your software license
This edition is activated with the license key from your purchase. The key is sent to the license server over an encrypted connection, then stored encrypted on your server, and it is never shown again.
Activating #
You activate the installation once:
- during installation: the installer's Software license activation phase asks for the key; or
- later: System → Software license → Activate this installation: enter the License key and press Activate.
While the license is not active, the menu item reads Software license (attention).
The daily confirmation #
The installation confirms its activation with the license server once a day. The installer's last page and System → Before you go live show its scheduler line, Confirm the license: add it to your hosting scheduler (cron) as shown, beside the site's every-minute background task. Its command is php bin/cake.php license renew, written on the page with the full path of your installation.
If the license server cannot be reached for a while, the installation keeps working within a grace period; the page shows how long it has left.
What the page shows #
System → Software license has three parts:
- License status: the Status, the Tier (Single Site or Multi Site), the Installation, when it was Activated and Last confirmed, the Next renewal, the Grace period, the Activations used and remaining, and the Last problem, if any.
- Actions: Activate with a different license key; Check now (confirms this installation with the license server at once, in a few seconds at most); Deactivate.
- Diagnostics: the environment, the software's and the license client's versions, the license server's address, the renewal policy, the local activation record and the server requirements (cURL and sodium).
When an enforced license is missing, refused or unconfirmed for too long, new licensed work pauses and the page says so; the Software license page always stays reachable, so you can put it right.
Moving to another server #
- On the old server: System → Software license → Deactivate, tick I understand this releases the activation of this installation and press Deactivate this installation. This releases the activation, so the key can be used elsewhere; new licensed work pauses there.
- On the new server: activate with the same key.
On the command line, php bin/cake.php license status shows the state, php bin/cake.php license diagnose the diagnostics and php bin/cake.php license deactivate --yes releases the activation.
In a development environment #
An installation running as a development environment does not enforce the license: the page says Development mode, and its status is informational. A production installation always enforces it.
