Search code examples
sharepointlicensingweb-parts

How to license a sharepoint solution?

Let's assume that you've created a SharePoint solution - a WebPart, a feature for a List Template, whatever - that you are planning to sell as a product.

How would you go about handling licensing of your solution?

I'm looking for some input in at least the following areas:

  1. Code-wise:

    1.1. Where do you keep the license itself? as a file somewhere? (then what happens in farms?) as a property in the property bag of the farm?

    1.2. Do you implement "home-calling" - where your solution validate the license every now and then against your company's servers?

    1.3. Any other best practice in this area will be welcome...

  2. Business wise: How do you license - per user? per server? per instance (in case of WebParts or List Templates)?

Thanks.

Solution

  • I could tell you what we do:

    1. We have a separate farm solution that handles trial/registration support for all our products
    2. The license is eventually stored in the farm property bag (you have to support multiple servers)
    3. We have a page to enter license key under the central admin solution's page
    4. We license by front-end, you can know the number of front-end in the farm in code.
    5. All products have a product name and the license key is a one-way encryption containing the product name. the trial support solution handles key validation.