Licensing
Plugin licensing is compulsory. Before you start developing a plugin, get the developer license, which allows you to start an Syrve POS test instance for the development, debugging, and testing. Users that want to install a ready-made plugin need to purchase a corresponding license. This approach protects plugin developers from unauthorized use of their plugins and allows Syrve to control certain functions.
Licensing Plans
Technically, there are two licensing plans:
- Pay per plugin instance: the number of concurrently running plugin instances is limited.
- Pay per external connection to plugin: the number of devices concurrently working with is limited.
Pay per plugin instance
This option can be used for complete and fully functional plugins with intrinsic value. For example, a plugin that displays current order items on the customer screen should be licensed under this plan. Licenses are monitored automatically by Syrve POS — the plugin will be loaded only if the license is available. To use a plugin simultaneously on several POS terminals, a license should be issued for the required number of plugin instances. Thus, if a plugin should work on 10 POS terminals, a license for 10 plugin copies is required.
To protect the plugin under this plan, you need to:
- Register in Syrve to get a licensed module ID.
- Mark the plugin class with the
PluginLicenseModuleIdattribute and specify the acquired registration ID.
Pay per external connection to plugin
This plan can work for plugins used as intermediaries between Syrve POS and external devices. In this case, a plugin controls licenses. Along with the module licensing, other additional restrictions can be imposed, the number of slots being the main one. A module slot is a kind of cell that can be temporarily taken by a plugin or a device connected to it. Two devices can use one slot in turns, but they will need two slots to be able to work at the same time. Suppose a plugin enables the operation of mobile terminals in the store consisting of two groups of sections, each of which has one plugin instance installed, whereas both groups have 5 mobile terminals each. Such a setting requires a license for 10 slots. In this case, the number of active instances is not taken into account.
To implement the protection procedure, follow this:
- Register in Syrve to get IDs for two licensed modules:
- Plugin module, a formality unlike the previous plan, which is only required to link the plugin via the
PluginLicenseModuleIdattribute used to start the plugin. In practice, this can be a free-of-charge module with no quantity restriction. - External connection module to be further used.
- Plugin module, a formality unlike the previous plan, which is only required to link the plugin via the
- Provide for the device identification so that each device has a unique static ID.
- When establishing an external connection, invoke the
AcquireSlotmethod of theILicensingServiceservice and specify the module ID acquired at the registration and the device ID. Remember the link to the object returned by the method. - When completing the external connection, invoke the
Disposemethod for the object returned by theAcquireSlotmethod at the time the connection was established.
When AcquireSlot is invoked, one of the module slots is marked as used by the specified device. If there are no free slots, the method generates InsufficientLicenseException, which means that a maximum permissible number of devices is connected, and the next device in queue must be declined.
It should be noted that a slot can be freed up at any time: the plugin or Syrve POS app operation can be interrupted by an unexpected workstation power-off, network failure (license handling may require network communication), and so on. To avoid the slot «leakage» when slots are taken but not released, it is important to provide a uniform device identification. If, for example, a device had connected to the plugin and used a slot, then in case of an unexpected reboot, this device will retake its slot provided it has the same ID. If it has a new ID, the device will need one more slot, and the first slot will remain permanently used.
Registration
A developer needs to register their plugin as a licensed module in Syrve, and a user needs to obtain a license for this module. At the registration, a plugin is assigned an ID, an integer number, which is, in fact, the module ID. This can be whether a new module created specifically for this plugin or a multipurpose module used for some minor individual modifications. A developer links a plugin to the module by specifying its ID using the PluginLicenseModuleId attribute. A user needs to obtain a license that includes a corresponding module.
To register, obtain a developer license, obtain a licensed module ID, and sign a contract, contact your Syrve vendor.