License Activation with FactoryTalk Activation

Updated at: https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1083531

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ThinManager integrated the FactoryTalk Activation in ThinManager 11. This will show how to activate ThinManager. FactoryTalk Activation

For instructions with pictures see Using FactoryTalk Activation With ThinManager01.pdf

This document covers several steps: Installing the FactoryTalk Activation Manager using the ThinManager Install program Activating the ThinManager licenses with the FactoryTalk Activation Manager Applying the FactoryTalk Activation to ThinManager

Steps to Use FactoryTalk Activation with ThinManager:

1. Launch the ThinManager v.11.0 installer.
2. Once the Common Installer launches, click the Customize button.
3. From the Customize page of the Common Installer, check the FactoryTalk Activation Manager checkbox, keep the default 32-bit manager option selected for ThinManager, and then click the Next button.

Using ThinManager with FactoryTalk Activation requires FactoryTalk Activation Manager 4.03.03 or newer.

1. From the ThinServer Service Account page of the Common Installer, select the This account option button, and fill in the user credentials for the ThinServer service. Click the Install button. This user account should have a non-expiring password and should be a member of the Local Administrators group on the machine where ThinManager is being installed. If deploying ThinManager in a Redundant configuration, it is recommended to use this same username/password for the ThinServer service on the Redundant ThinManager installation.
2. Review the End User License Agreements page and click the Accept all button.
3. Once the installation is complete, click the Close button.
4. Launch FactoryTalk Activation Manager.
5. Click the Get New Activations button.

If the ThinManager machine has access to the Internet:

1. If the machine on which you installed ThinManager has access to the Internet, you can enter the Serial Number and Product Key directly in FactoryTalk Activation Manager, followed by clicking the Validate Activation button.
2. From the Validate Activation page of the wizard, notice the # to Download. This number does not represent the number of ThinManager Terminal Connections, it simply represents the number of installs of ThinManager that will be licensed by this activation. Notice the Available column which shows the number of installs available for this activation. For non-redundant licenses, this value will typically be 1. For redundant licenses, this value will typically be 2 – one activation for your Primary ThinManager installation and one for your Secondary ThinManager installation. Enter the # to Download, followed by clicking the Download Activation > button.
3. To verify the activation transferred correctly, click the Find Available Activations tab, followed by the Refresh Activations button. You should see 2 new rows in the Available activations table, one is the actual ThinManager activation (highlighted with the arrow below), and the other is for partial rehosting (the row with an Activation of TM.FTA.1), which can be ignored, as this is not supported by ThinManager. Also note the Total column (5 in the example below), which for ThinManager activations represents the number of Terminal Connections associated with the activation.

Note: Unlike ThinManager Master Licensing, if you are using ThinManager Redundancy with FactoryTalk Activation, you will need to separately activate the Primary ThinManager Server and the Secondary ThinManager Server.

With traditional ThinManager Master Licensing, a single license is automatically shared between the Primary ThinManager Server and the Secondary ThinManager Server. If you have purchased a FactoryTalk Activated Redundant ThinManager license, you will receive a single serial number and product key pair that can be activated 2 times – once for the Primary ThinManager Server and once for the Secondary ThinManager Server.

If the ThinManager machine does not have access to the Internet:

1. I need to start the activation process by creating a data file option button. Click the Specify Data File > button.
2. From the Specify Data File page of the wizard, specify a File Location and File Name and then click the Get Bindings button.
3. From the Get Bindings page of the wizard, check the desired binding for the activation, and click the Create Data File > button.
4. Transfer the created Data File to a machine with Internet access and from the web browser, navigate to https://activate.rockwellautomation.com.
5. Click the Get Activation button.
6. Login to the activation website.
7. Enter the Serial Number and Product Key, then select the Version and Number of Activations. Browse to the Data File transferred from the previous steps. Click the Download button.
8. Transfer the downloaded file back to the machine on which ThinManager is installed and return to FactoryTalk Activation Manager.
9. From FactoryTalk Activation Manager, click the Get New Activations tab.
10. Select the I have downloaded activation files and need to move them to this computer option button. Click the Specify File Location button.
11. From the Specify File Location page of the wizard, select the File Location and click the Move Files button.
12. To verify the activation transferred correctly, click the Find Available Activations tab, followed by the Refresh Activations button. You should see 2 new rows in the Available activations table, one is the actual ThinManager activation (highlighted with the arrow below), and the other is for partial rehosting (the row with an Activation of TM.FTA.1), which can be ignored, as this is not supported by ThinManager. Also note the Total column (5 in the example below), which for ThinManager activations represents the number of Terminal Connections associated with the activation.

Note: For remote FactoryTalk Activation Manager servers, the Run Network Server option should be checked under Advanced --> Configure CodeMeter Server.

 See 1083669 - FactoryTalk Activation Manager: taking CodeMeter license from Server for more details.

Assign Activation(s) to ThinManager:

1. Now that the FactoryTalk Activation Manager which is installed on your ThinManager machine has a valid ThinManager activation, you can assign it to your ThinManager installation. To do so, open the ThinManager Admin Console.
2. Upon first opening the Admin Console, you will be prompted with a message box indicating: Server RDS1 has no valid terminal connection licenses . Click the OK button.
3. From the Admin Console, click the Install ribbon, followed by the License Mode icon.
4. From the License Mode window, select the FactoryTalk Activation option button and click the OK button.

Note: ThinManager will only support one License Mode at a time – either ThinManager Master Licensing or FactoryTalk Activation. You cannot use both simultaneously.

1. With the License Mode changed to FactoryTalk Activation, now click the Licenses icon in the Install ribbon. From the ensuing FactoryTalk Activations window, click the Add Activations button.
2. From the Add Activations to ThinManager window, select the Serial Number you would like to assign to this installation of ThinManager and click the OK button.
3. The assigned Serial Number should now be displayed in the FactoryTalk Activations window. Click the OK button.
4. To validate that the license has been properly recognized by ThinManager, click the ThinManager Server button bar. From the ThinManager Server tree, select your ThinManager Server (RDS1 in the example provided). Click the Licenses tab. You should see your license's details listed.