Your Activation Database

Once you have installed and configured your Activation Pro software (as described in Activation Pro Setup), you are ready to set up your Activation Database.

All RLM activation activities are controlled by a database of product definitions and activation key definitions. In addition, you can create a banned list of domains which are not allowed to activate licenses.

Before you can begin to use RLM activation, you must set up at least one product definition and one activation key definition, as described below.

These operations are performed by RLC - RLM License Center. RLC is a web-based application which allows you to maintain your activation database.

RLC uses user access permissions to control access to the four main functions:

Viewing and reporting on the activation database (View Access)
Editing activation keys (Edit Key Access)
Editing all items in the activation database (Edit Access)
Administering users/permissions/database (Admin Access)

Running RLC

You run RLC by pointing your browser to the URL where you installed the Activation Pro software. The server uses a MySQL database to store all the activation data.

RLC Access Control

Access control is performed by logging in as the admin user and creating individual user accounts. An account has one of 5 levels of access:

Level	Description
View	Can view the activation data, but cannot create or edit any data.
Edit Key	Can do anything an account with View access can do, as well as edit activation keys.
Edit	Can do anything an account with Edit Key access can do, as well as edit any other data except user accounts.
Admin	Can do anything an account with Edit access can do, as well as create and delete users, upload the activation license generator settings and perform other administration functions.
Portal (similar to View, for your customers)	Can view activation keys and fulfillments associated with the contact’s company (see Customer Portal).

Using RLC

There are 3 main activities you will perform with RLC:

Initial setup of your activation database
Viewing and/or updating the activation data
Generating individual licenses

When you run RLC, your browser will display a page that has a title and login area at the top, along with a row of tabs just below, and a main display area below the tabs.

The tabs are arranged by activation data and functions, as described:

Dashboard – displays information about your database and a graph of fulfillments
Products – view or edit product definitions, and create new ones.
Activation Keys – view/edit activation keys and create new ones.
Fulfillments – view fulfillments, and delete fulfillment data.
Customers – list contacts/companies, edit, and add new ones.
Reports – Generate reports on activation activity.
Admin (admin users only) – administer the Activation Pro system
Profile – edit your account data.
About – lists information about ActPro (as shown above)

Logging In

If you are not logged in, at the top right-hand side of the screen, username and password boxes are displayed, along with a Login button. Enter the username and password assigned by your administrator (when Activation Pro is installed, an admin user is created with password “admin”).

Once logged in, this area shows your username, access level, and a Logout link.

Note

You can only log in to one account from a single browser at the same time, and it is also not possible to log into the same account from different browsers at the same time – if you log into the same account again, the first login will be effectively logged out.

To change your password, select the Profile tab, then press Change Password.

Note

Passwords can consist of numbers, lowercase letters and uppercase letters only.

Logout logs you out.

You will want to have non-administrator users for the day-to-day operations of managing your activation server. To create these user(s) log in to the activation server as the admin user, then create a second user who can make changes to the activation database. Perform the following steps:

Point your browser to your installed version of Activation Pro, for example: http://localhost/actpro/index.php
On the right-hand side of the screen, near the top, type “admin” in the Username box, and “admin” in the password box. Press “login”. (This assumes you did not change the default admin user’s password).
Select the Admin tab, and the Users tab on the 2nd row.
Press the Create New User button below the list of users.
Select a username, Contact (if appropriate), email, and password, and Edit access in the Create New User page, then press the Create User button. Go back to the admin page by clicking on the “Admin Page” link. You should now see your new user, with Edit access.
Log out (at the top right).

Minimum Setup

The minimal setup required to use Activation Pro is one product definition and one activation key. The next 2 sections describe how you create a product definition and activation key.