License mechanics
This page explains how iGrafx platform licensing works — how best to assign licenses, and the activation key and Electronic License Document that on-premises deployments rely on. For what each license level unlocks, see the License capability matrix.
Overview
Once the licenses exist, both deployments work the same way: you assign licenses to users and groups under Admin → License. How the licenses reach the platform is what differs.
- iGrafx Cloud — iGrafx manages your licenses for you. Admin → License shows what your organization owns and lets you hand it out; there's no activation key to enter, and no keys appear in the license details.
- On-premises — your licenses come from an activation key, delivered in an Electronic License Document. Both are covered below.
Assigning licenses
Every user needs a valid license assigned to use the features that license permits. Assign licenses through groups rather than individuals — it's far easier to manage, and it keeps license grants separate from permission roles.
Don't assign the Viewer license to the Everybody group. A user who already has a Designer license would then consume both a Viewer and a Designer license.
Where the activation key lives
On-premises only.
The activation key is bound to the administrative database, so create an empty database before you install and configure the platform — that database becomes the administrative database. Then create new repositories in the same or (recommended) a separate database, or register previously migrated version-15 repository databases.
Using one migrated database as both the administrative database and a user repository has two downsides. For disaster recovery, you don't want everything tied to one database. And on a test or dev environment, if something happens to the converted database (or you re-convert it), the activation-key information written to the database is lost, and the key has to be reactivated against the new database.
Electronic License Document
On-premises only — Cloud customers don't receive an ELD.
An Electronic License Document (ELD) is issued to customers who purchased the iGrafx platform or an iGrafx Desktop Client. (Owners of other license types might receive licenses or keys without an ELD.) An ELD can contain one or more keys, each with a license quantity. There are two main key types:
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| iGrafx Desktop Client license key | Entered into the iGrafx Desktop Client; sets the license level (FlowCharter, Process, or Process for Six Sigma) for that installation. |
| iGrafx platform activation key | Added to the iGrafx platform; activates the set of licenses that run under it. |