Changes introduced beginning of 2020
Up to now our main software products SCOUT and CODE have been used as typical desktop applications by most of our customers. This will still be true in the future, but new types of application are on the way. With increasing availability of multi-core computers parallel computations – using many instances of SCOUT or CODE running at the same time – are possible, achieving significant reduction of the average time for spectrum analysis. In addition, you can use a SCOUT or CODE installation on a powerful server computer with several users in parallel. These new schemes to use the software require changes in the way we are paid for our developing work.
For single user desktop licenses we have limited the number of parallel running instances of SCOUT and CODE to 3. We are sure that almost all current desktop applications are not affected by this number.
New types of licenses for servers or MIPSS applications (see below) allow to run many instances in parallel. Pricing depends on the maximum number of program instances working at the same time.
Desktop licenses
Our software packages for single user applications can be delivered with several types of license, depending on what is best for our customers. This section describes the different choices.
Activated license
The license is activated for a specific PC and a specific user. No dongle is needed. No internet connection is needed after
installation. Multiple instances of the software can be started by the user.
During the activation procedure our software generates a so-called activation file which contains specific information about the computer and the user. Based on this information the license allows the software to run on this computer and for this user only.
If the computer crashes or you want to use the software on a new machine for some other reason, we need a legal document signed by officials of your organization to confirm that the original computer is not used to run the software any more. We can provide a template for this document on request.
Single instance license
The license is activated for a specific PC but not for a specific user. No dongle is needed. No internet connection is needed
after installation. Only a single instance of the software can be started.
This type of license is made for spectrum analysis
after data acquisition with a spectrometer system. In such a case there are often various potential users who want to log-on with their own user account.
Managed license
The license can be used on several PCs by several users. No dongle is needed, but a permanent internet connection is required.
The use of the license is managed by our license server. When a user works with the software the license is blocked for other users. The license is re-newed after short time intervals (some minutes). When the user finishes the license becomes free for other users after a few minutes.
A user can decide to check-out a managed license for offline use. In this case the license becomes an activated license for a limited time, typically over the weekend or during travelling without internet connection. During this period of time the license is blocked for other users.
Dongle license
In some cases we still deliver dongle licenses which require a USB software protection key to be active at one of the USB ports of the computer. Dongles must be purchased at extra costs which depend on our expenses for the dongle itself and shipping costs.
Server license
A server computer may be used by several users at the same time, using remote desktop connections. Each user sees an individual desktop. A server license for SCOUT or CODE specifies the number of users working at the same time, and the number of parallel instances that each user can run.
MIPSS license
Some applications of SCOUT and CODE require fast analysis of a large number of measured spectra. In most cases a measurement system scanning in 1 or 2 dimensions acquires new spectra at a high frequency. In order to keep up with the speed of measuring new data you have to run many instances of the analysis software. The new MIPSS mechanism (Multiple Instances for Parallel Spectrum Simulation) provides the solution for this type of problem, allowing to control spectrum fitting by many SCOUT or CODE programs working at the same time.