Product > CheckPoint License Server > Deploying CheckPointDeveloping SoftwareShield™ CheckPoint Activated Software
Developing CheckPoint activated software is straightforward. The SoftwareShield CheckPoint License Server and the ClientProtector component work together to activate your software automatically over the Internet. All of the complexities of the web-services and supporting HTTP communication are abstracted away from your application (and your software developers).
The CheckPoint License Server exposes two distinct interfaces. These interfaces are:
- Web-Service Interface - This interface exposes a variety of functionality. It is called from the SoftwareShield License Manager, the ClientProtector (redistributed run-time component), the Manual-Activator , and even from arbitrary callers of your design.
- HTTP Simple GET Interface - This interface exposes two primary functions that are designed to be callable from merchant-services providers used commonly by independent software vendors.
The CheckPoint License Server has a defined database schema and supporting business logic designed to accommodate fine-control over Serial Number generation and Activation Code generation. While this logic is fully illustrated to your development team, they only need to understand it from a very high level to effectively use the powerful features the server provides.
Most of the logic in the CheckPoint License Server back-end revolves around "Serial Numbers". Serial Numbers are "tokens of ownership" of your software and form the bridge between FingerPrinted (machine locked) licenses and the purchase of arbitrary copies of your software from a variety of disparate sources.
The CheckPoint License Server adds central authentication / activation functionality to your application which can be fully-automated.
The CheckPoint License Server is designed to receive calls from a variety of sources. This includes web-service calls from the ClientProtector running on your users system to automatically activate software on that users system by doing a code exchange.
You will control automated activation of your software by interfacing with the ClientProtector run time component. The ClientProtector takes care of all the details of binding to the web-service, details of communication including handling proxy servers and lets you deal only with the high level concepts and the user interface.
When you choose to provide automated activation for your software users, this does not preclude you from providing manual (for example, by phone) activation in the same application. The most comprehensive solution provides both options to your users.
Note: The SoftwareShield CheckPoint License Server only comes with the Server and Ironwrap editions of SoftwareShield.