registration of my application with a user

[DaveM]

I thank any response in advance! Going to open this to any type suggestion from email to a web solution. I am absolutely lost.

I have built a log In where the users/purchaser had to call me with a number and got a code from me that allowed use. Their number was derived from a combination of machine and hard drive serials and the multiplied and rounded to a divisable by 8. That way, I divided their number by 8 and gave them a code.
I just don't want that to be the way I do this one.

If I build a simple code into the app, it is breakable and all copies would be usable with the same code.

Like I said, I just want to keep this one real safe.

[DaveM]

Re: registration of my application with a user

testing to see if I can ftp a pdf file to the pertinent website I have. LOL

incase anyone else can be helped by this:

DIM SHARED cname AS c
var->cname = alltrim(remspecial(parentform:Name.value))+".pdf"
FTP_FILE_XFER("ftp.Smarterasp.net","alda","***********p","c:\alda12\church\registration.pdf","/site2/ftp/"+var->cname,"put")

This gets the registration to my site in pdf file which is what I wanted. I can further parse it from there.
One can do a whole lot more with ftp if they wish to research it. This wa just all I needed.

I have a registration form on my app that must be filled out. Once all the required fields are in there, they simply press a button that save the data to a table, creates a pdf and sends it to the ftp folder of my sight. This one is a windows based site, so I can detect when a new file is there and download it.

[CraigSchumacker]

Re: registration of my application with a user

That's the way to go. I create (on my end at will) TXT files in the clients specific folder on the FTP, such as 1.txt, 2.txt, 3.txt. One for each license.

There's a txt file for each license. Any machine starting the app grabs and secures a license, changing the name adding local machine name, and that machines unique id. The txt file gets grabbed in numeric order.

When the first machine grabs a license, that file now looks like 1.front_door_computer.sh5g6j89ut.txt.

If he wants to move to another machine, the user calls and you rename the files back to 1.txt, 2.txt, etc.

I also download a batch of key files when first grabbing a license so the software runs.

There's more to do, but posting this is not a great idea... This is a s far as I go... You should probably not post any detailed info, either.

By the way, the whole startup process add 5 seconds to initial startup, and you can check licenses when the system is idle. I have rechecks after periods of no mouse, curser, caret and keyboard activity.

[DaveM]

Re: registration of my application with a user

Thanks Craig.
I have been doing it different for years and this seems a much simpler and just as secure way.

This app will open with a basic adb that is the same name as the real one until it is registered. Whereupon the real adb will be copied to the correct name and app restarted. The basic adb will have 1 table, one report, autoexec and one other script that are all password protected. The machine lock will be included in the report. May do that as excel file?

example
myreal.adb + files
copy.adb+files

When reg is complete, the copy.adb files get renamed to myreal.adb files

[preston2]

Re: registration of my application with a user

I currently use AIMS registration routines. It works extremely well and is very secure but like Dave stated in his original post, it requires that they send me information and then I have the generate a registration number and email it back to them. This can be a hassle so I need to find way to automate the process.

Things I need to be able to do is set a trial period that allows them to try the app first and then lock it down after the trial is over.
Then if they purchase, give them a two part registration information such as a "Registered to" and then a "Serial Number".

This registration information would then need to check online and if valid send some kind of code back to the app allowing it to be activated. At the same time writing something to the web file locking that install info to that machine only.

There are plenty of solutions out there already made but they "Wrap" an exe file so there would be away around it if the user figured out all they needed to do was replace the Alpha5.exe file with a new one that was not wrapped.

Got to be a way to;

1. Allow a trial period
2. Lock it down to a machine
3. Automate the process
4. Set install limits based on licenses purchased
5. Set user count limit for network installs
6. Insure you get paid for what they are using.
7. Hack proof

[DaveM]

Re: registration of my application with a user

Preston,

1. dated: and allow xx days with warnings as time gets closer.
2. like the MB serial number
3. on start of app each time
4. The licensing limits is not a part of my scenario for this implementation, but have been doing that for some time with another app.
5. I don't care how many rt installs. I count current users and limit it there. key is "rmuf" to the count allowed. Using throttling has to be completed before install if my information is correct. With you own code, it can be changed later as needed.
6. No Pay = final shut down
7. No such thing, but I am making certain steps toward it including use of aex for key steps where if the aex is deleted, app shuts down


The one I am working on now is fairly simple. Very secure. Does use a website.
client downloads software by making the purchase.
on install/first start, a required registration pops up. Once they have filled this out, a random 8 digit number is generated on their machine and place in a text file and sent ftp to my site. This is auto retrieved on my end and parsed to a table and verified for payment. On payment verification from paypal, an email is sent back with the 8 digit code for them to insert to keep their software running. Client will never see the text files or even know it happened.

If I do trials, it will be a way around the registration and reg will pop up everytime. I want it in their face all the time until done.

[preston2]

Re: registration of my application with a user

Trials are a must for me.
If I did not care how many RT installs were done then they would just buy one license unless it was locked to a specific computer.

AIMS does not use the rmuf to limit user count. Cal does it some other way that I am not aware of but I do not need to set any limits for throttling, is all controlled by AIMS via the registration number creation.

But if they had to purchase a license for each computer they installed it on then there is no need to care how many concurrent users access the db files on a network.

Using the MB serial number would be fine as long as I did not have to do anything using the process.

Most all my end-users buy 1 or 2 licenses. Some use them in network mode but most do not.

The ideal scenario would be that I would not need to do shit except collect money. The purchase process would automatically send them registration information based on their purchase and automatically allow registration.

There are some ready to go solutions that would do all that fully automated but the way A5 uses the Alpha5.exe file it is almost impossible to lock everything down. At least I think it would.

I have one software that I use and they could care less how many machines you install it on but it can only register and run on one computer per license purchased. If you have it registered to one PC and then start it up on another PC it will tell you that it is licensed to another computer and ask you if you want to transfer the licence. If you say you do then it will transfer to the new computer and then stop working on the old computer.

I wonder if there is a way to wrap the Alpha5.exe file into another exe file using VS and then you could totally control it.

[DaveM]

Re: registration of my application with a user

This is something you can look at.

The ftp is only for one folder, so open with filezilla if you wish so you can see what is happening. This is just a start of course. Zip file best run in c:\regtest.

[DaveM]

Re: registration of my application with a user

I sell my car lot app in several ways. Finally broke it down to:
1
5
10
20
and unlimited
I have as many as 40 concurrent users in a couple of locations

[preston2]

Re: registration of my application with a user

This is something you can look at.

The ftp is only for one folder, so open with filezilla if you wish so you can see what is happening. This is just a start of course. Zip file best run in c:\regtest.

[ATTACH]40341[/ATTACH]

It only has a backup folder with a sets and tables sub folders. Looks like a workspace backup folder.

[preston2]

Re: registration of my application with a user

Dave are you using "wmic baseboard get serialnumber" to get the MB serial number?

[DaveM]

Re: registration of my application with a user

I am just using this for right now. It is the motherboard. I did not take the time to get the serial number for this. This is just one of many available.

function setthis as c()
dim setthis as c
dim themotherboard as P
themotherboard = WIN_MOTHERBOARD()
var->setthis = themotherboard.Product
end function


from the test:
s = win_motherboard()  

?s
= Caption = "Base Board"
ConfigOptions = <No data returned>
Depth = <No data returned>
Description = "Base Board"
Height = <No data returned>
HostingBoard = .T.
HotSwappable = .F.
InstallDate = <No data returned>
Manufacturer = "BIOSTAR Group"
Model = <No data returned>
Name = "Base Board"
OtherIdentifyingInfo = <No data returned>
PartNumber = <No data returned>
PoweredOn = .T.
Product = "A785G3"
Removable = .F.
Replaceable = .T.
RequirementsDescription = <No data returned>
RequiresDaughterBoard = .F.
SerialNumber = "None"
SKU = <No data returned>
SlotLayout = <No data returned>
SpecialRequirements = <No data returned>
Status = "OK"
Tag = "Base Board"
Version = " "
Weight = <No data returned>
Width = <No data returned>

[preston2]

Re: registration of my application with a user

Yea I found WIN_MOTHERBOARD() after I posted above.

dim vc_mbserial as c
dim maboard as p
maboard = WIN_MOTHERBOARD()
vc_mbserial = maboard.serialnumber

Gets me the serial number.

[DaveM]

Re: registration of my application with a user

The ftp I gave will only get you to one folder on one of my sites.


try the product instead - some boards have no serial and will give none
or concatenate two together

Product = "A785G3"

maybe get "A785G3none"

Idea is to get something unique

[preston2]

Re: registration of my application with a user

The ftp I gave will only get you to one folder on one of my sites.


try the product instead - some boards have no serial and will give none
or concatenate two together

Product = "A785G3"

maybe get "A785G3none"

Idea is to get something unique

It does not get me anywhere. It is just a zip file with backup files in it.

The "Product" will not always be unique but the "Serial Number" will always be unique. I guess if you have a real cheep MB it may not have a serial number You could always put the Product and Serial Number together and then it would be real unique or Maybe Product + Machine Name.