Compatibility License

[Former Member]

Greetings,

We are trying to understand internally what we have to do to make our add-ons run under SAP Business One 2004 after the end of this year. We are under the understanding that our add-ons will no longer run in compatibility mode anymore. Does anyone know where I can find any documentation to clarify this?

We do not really understand what it is we have to do to generate proper licenses for our add-ons and to ensure they work for all of our clients.

Thanks

[Former Member]

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[Former Member]

Hi Laura,

I am busy downloading a web-ex session I found as I have the same confusion problem as you. The path is http://service.sap.com/smb

Then go to Education

Click Webinar Series on the left

Click Older Archived Sessions

Bottom of the screen is SDK

Expand SDK and find web-ex on:

Topic: Add-On Development with SDK 2005

This sessions shows you the full development cycle: Prerequisites, where to find information, what to do when (Analysis, Design, Implementation, Packaging), what we expect, what happens on the customer site.

The direct path to this file is:

https://websmp101.sap-ag.de/~sapidb/011000358700004009832005E.WRF

I sincerely hope this is what both of us are looking for. I downloaded the PDF presentation that goes with it and the agenda is:

Preparation (Prerequisites, Education, etc.)

Development (Support, Tools, etc.)

Deployment (incl Features for 2005)

Licensing (Scenarios and consequences)

Looks like the file is about 320MB!

Hope it helps.

Adele

[Former Member]

Thanks Adele,

Can someone from SAP have a read of this forum and comment? I am sure there are more then a few developers wondering how this will affect their released add ons.

[Former Member]

Doesn't anyone from SAP have any comments on this item? This is a very important issue for all add ons and we were hoping to find out some more information about how to proceed with the add on identifier issue.

[AdKerremans]

Hi to all,

I have just asked for (and received) a license key name by submitting a message to support.

They want your customernumber, the full name of the addon and if the addon is for a specific customer or for general use.

I will be informed when the automated process is working.

Regards

Ad

[Former Member]

Thanks Ad,

Please keep us informed as to what happens with this. I am very worried that our addons will simply not work anymore once the expiry date for this compatiblity has passed.

[Former Member]

Hi all,

I think we are all facing the same issues. I was just wondering about this, and speak to SAP today.

Basically what happens nowadays is that if you haven´t an AddOn Identifier asigned to your AddOn, you are running under compatibility licence. This won´t work once the expiration date has passed.

What we must do is:

1) Get an AddOn Identifier for each AddOn.

2) Use this Identifier to get a Licence file from SAP with the number of licences we want for our AddOn.

3) Select this Licence file in the customer, and asign our AddOns licences to the users.

With this approach SAP gives us tools to manage the licences of our AddOns.

But we must do some more work to get the right licence files.

Hope this clears a bit this issue.

Ibai Peñ

[Former Member]

Thanks Ibai.

Has anyone actually used this licensing successfully. I have heard nothing but problems from anyone trying to use the proper licensing.

[Former Member]

Does anyone on the forum know if any of the big commercial add on providers such as warehouse management etc will also run into this problem? I am just trying to get an idea of how much work we are going to have to do in order to fix this issue in all our client installs.

[Trinidad]

Hi,

As Ibai told you are currently running your addons in the client side by using the Compatibility license.

This compatibility license will expire soon if nothing changes. If you have a look to your txt License file then you can see until when it will work. You have to look for the COMPATIBILITY_MSS license.

The new mechanishm (since version 2004) is really not complicated to use and many people is actually using it.

It can help you to have your addons running only by clients you send the license, they cannot simply copy your CD and distribute it to everybody.

Here you have the steps to follow:

1. Ask a LicenseKeyName to SAP.

For that you need to create a Customer Message under the component SBO-BC-LIKEY.

2. Use the AddOnIdentifier.

2.a. In debug mode while you are developping and testing your addon you can generate an AddonIdentifier by simply choosing the Development type (Administration -> License -> AddOn Identifier Generator). You copy the value obtained in your code.

You don't need a special license if you have the SDK Development version.

2.b. Once your addon is ready to be delivered or tested by someone not having the SDK Development license.

You recreate a new AddOnIdentifier by using the AddOn Identifier Generator with the option Solution, you must give your LicenseKeyName for that. Copy this new AddOnIdentifier into your code. You are then ready to package your addon to be delivered to the client.

3. Ask for a specific license.

Before you install the addon in a client or internally in a pc without development license you must ask SAP for a license file containing the license to run your addon. SAP will then send you a license file containing the license for your addon plus all the licenses you had before.

Hope it is clear

Regards

Trinidad.

[Former Member]

Thanks a lot Trinidad for the reply. It seems pretty straightforward. We had tried the new licensing scheme on some of our clients earlier this year but had many problems so we gave up.

We will try again and I will post any specific problems that I experience. I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware that add-ons running in this mode will stop functioning sometime in Jan. Not everyone I have spoken to was aware of that.

[Former Member]

Hi Trinidad,

I am trying to get License Key Name for our Add On on 2005. I cannot create a customer message because the add on is not specific to any customer. So I am trying to create a message through Partner Portal. But I do not have a choice to select SBO_BC_LIKEY as a component.

Can you please help me with how I should be sending my request for license key name?

Thanks

[Trinidad]

Hi,

I'm not sure about it.

Please create it where you have this component (SBO-BC-LIKEY) available and explain them your situation. They will redirect you to the right place.

Regards

Trinidad.

[Former Member]

Trinidad,

Unfortunately, I cannot create a customer message because we are an ISV and hence do not have any direct customers. I have to create a message through partner portal only. I have sent an email to product certification email address that we have and will wait for their reply.

Thanks,

Aparna

[Former Member]

Hi,

Our consulting staff already proceed the licence update, to solve the licence expiration.

When I take a look of the new licence file, this one indicates an expiration date for the COMPATIBILITY_MSS, fixed on the 15/01/2008.

Does it means that I can use my Add-Ons up until the 15/01/2008 ?

BEGIN=20060111

EXPIRATION=20080115

SWPRODUCTNAME=COMPATIBILITY_MSS

SWPRODUCTTEXT=Compatibility License for AddOns

[Former Member]

Yes that´s true.

The expiration date has been delayed. You can still use the compatibility licence before that date.

Regards,

Ibai Peñ

[Trinidad]

Hi,

I confirm compatibility license expiration has been delayed. There is a document inside Service Marketplace talking about it called "Deadline Extended: More Time to Update Add-Ons With SAP Licensing Mechanism".

But you should use this mechanism even if it is not mandatory, it can help your company and avoid your addon runs without your license.

Regards

Trinidad.

[Former Member]

Hi,

If I understand correctly, by requesting new license file from SAP before the expiration date, it will give me an extended time to have my add-ons corrected with the right Add-on Identifiers(ie: 2008)?

Will we be able to continue using the Add-On on our system as we have been doing previously?

Thanks

[Trinidad]

Yes, you are right.

Nevertheless I recommend to start using this system as soon as possible. It is not complicated to adopt it and it can be good for your company.

Regards

Trinidad.