Activating your software using the Web-Activator is achieved by invoking it through a simple HTTP GET query from some authentication layer on your server-side as a direct result of a sale.  Note that there is never any HTTP communication from the end-users machine to the Web-Activator (a security risk).  The web-activator is the "lightweight" option to using the CheckPoint License Server.

While no human intervention is required, you must provide your own authentication layer in the data flow sequence to ensure Activation Codes are only generated for those who have the right to receive them.  This can be accomplished by querying the Web-Activator  for a new Activation Code only from your server-side code when a sale is successfully processed.  The Web-Activator only validates the request code, sends Activation Code responses and does not use a database back-end to store any information.

You can only perform activation using the Web-Activator when you purchase the Internet or Server Editions of the SoftwareShield System DRM Kit.

Simple Code Exchange

During this communication a simple code exchange will be performed.  A simple code exchange involves:

1. The ClientProtector on the end-users machine dynamically generating an Authorization Request Code for license and requested operation. (See: Authorization Request Codes). The Authorization Request Code is delivered as part of the purchase process data (along with user information, credit-card number etc) to your payment processing system.  

2. Once your payment processing system successfully processes the transaction, the server-side code hits the Web-Activator (delivering the Authorization Request Code). The Web-Activator after successfully validating the request code, will generate an Activation Code in response.  Your server side code may wish to parse this Activation Code directly into the receipt sent to the user.

Thus - the exchange of these two prices of information forms a "simple code exchange".  

Once the user enters the Activation Code you send them and it is successfully validated by the ClientProtector, the license state is updated and this information is reported back to your application.