PDXpert PLM Software
On-line Help Guide

This help topic describes the current PDXpert PLM release. Earlier releases may be different. To view your release's version of this topic, open PDXpert and press the F1 key or select the Help menu.

Enter the software license key

Administrators open this window using Tools menu ➔ Software License Key... The menu command is shown when the user's role has Collections/Rules administrator marked.

The software license identifies your copy of PDXpert and determines its capabilities, such as the number of users allowed and the period for which the software can be used or updated.

Carefully read the Software licenses & legal notices reference topics, with special attention to the Program license & warranty agreement. By using the software license key, you agree to be bound by this agreement.

About 30 days before a subscription period expires, administrators are shown a reminder in the client application's status bar. For a perpetual license, this MSU subscription reminder is also shown for 30 days after the subscription ends. To avoid a gap in the service, purchase a new subscription before the expiration date.

If there are more user accounts than the license allows, then only the super administrator account can log into PDXpert and remove extra log-in accounts. Other users are blocked until the extra user accounts are deleted.

If you receive a new license that reduces the number of licensed users, and if the old license is still valid, set the extra user accounts as inactive before importing the new license.

See the Managing user accounts help topic for more information.

If you have a license file §

A PDXpert license file (file type .pdxl) contains your company registration information and license key.

Save a backup of the most recent license file in a secure place. It may be needed if the software is re-installed.

The license file authorizes all user accounts, and needs to be imported only once for all users.

The PDXpert license key file is cryptographically signed to verify the license and to support security actions on PDX packages. These actions confirm a signed PDX package's data integrity, authenticate the sender, and allow AES-256 password encryption. License key file validation requires frequent access to the Certification Authority's certificates, which are hosted on the web. A computer without an internet connection must have the Certification Authority's root and intermediate security certificates (the "CA certificate chain") installed.

  • Do not edit the license file; signature validation requires an exact match.

  • The PDXpert Server must have an internet connection, or the CA certificate chain must be installed on the server machine.

  • The PDXpert client that imports the license file must access the CA certificate chain: (1) use the server machine's localhost PDXpert client to import the software license key; or (2) install the certificate chain on the PDXpert client computer.

Without access to the CA certificate chain, the Software License Key dialog's OK button may be disabled or, if enabled, cryptographic features may not be available to users.

Where an internet connection is not allowed, the PDXpert website's Install Guide has simple instructions to add local CA certificates – search the web for PDXpert install CA certificate chain

  1. Open the PDXpert client application to import the license file.

    • If the license is expired, the Software License Key window is shown immediately.

    • If the license is not expired, select the Tools ➔ Software License Key... menu command to open the Software License Key tool.

  2. Click the Import License File (.pdxl) button to show the Open License dialog.

  3. Navigate to the license file and click the Open button to import the file.

    The file name includes the year, month and day xxxxx-xx-YYYYMMDD-L-00-00-xxx-xxx.pdxl when the subscription ends. If you have more than one license key file that expires in the future, select the license file that expires first. If both keys expire on the same date, import the subscription license (with -S- setting, shown immediately after the date: xxxxx-xx-YYYYMMDD-S-00-00-xxx-xxx.pdxl). Just before the first key's ends date, remove extra user accounts and then import the next key.

  4. Click the OK button to accept your changes. The license data is copied to the server for all other users.

    If the OK button is not enabled after the license is imported, then confirm that you're using the correct new license file. The button is not enabled if imported license file contains the same values as the displayed license.

    If the end date (Subscription ends or Support/upgrades end) has passed, or your current release was published after the end date, your PDXpert release may require a more current license.

    The license must begin today, or earlier. A license that begins in the future cannot be used.

If you don't have a license file §

You can create a temporary license for testing PDXpert software.

After you import a license file, these data fields are locked.

  1. Open the PDXpert client application to enter the temporary license data.

    • If the test license is expired, the Software License Key window is shown immediately. You must get a license key file, or reset the system using the PDXpert Server window.

    • If the license is not expired, select the Tools ➔ Software License Key... menu item to open the Software License Key tool.

  2. Enter the

    • Organization name is required to identify the system owner of the PDXpert system: rules, users, and items (like documents, parts and change forms). The organization name is copied into the default member of the Organizations collection, which is the home organization.
    • Postal code where the organization is located.
    • Country where the organization is located.
    • Full-function users that can perform any task, limited only by the user's assigned role (from 1 to 999 users).
    • Read-only users that can view data, but can't create, approve or change data (from 0 to 999 users).

  3. Click on the OK button to proceed with a limited-time test.

    If the temporary license is expired, or any element has been modified or entered incorrectly, then the OK button is disabled.

Reference §

The software license is defined using this information:

Evaluation license | Registered license §

The Evaluation license option is used to test the software. During the evaluation period, the software is fully functional and supports all features up to a few thousand parts and documents. You can create as many full-function and read-only user accounts as you need.

Obtain a trial license key after the period has expired, or if you want to test with more than a few thousand parts.

The Registered license option is automatically selected when you import a software license key file. You cannot operate PDXpert if the imported key is invalid, has not yet started or has expired, or is issued to a different organization.

Organization name §

This is the exact name of the licensed organization. It's automatically shown as the default member of the Organizations collection.

Postal code §

The postal code reflects the licensed organization's region within the country.

Country §

This is the country where the licensed organization is located. The Countries collection member should be set as active.

User accounts: Full-function §

The number of full-function users authorized by license. Each full-function account lets a user manage items, approve change forms, or edit system settings according to their assigned role. The system requires at least one full-function account to act as the super administrator.

During the evaluation period, this can be set from 1 to 999.

User accounts: Read-only §

Number of read-only users authorized by license. Each read-only account lets a user view, report and export data, but not to add, edit or approve data.

During the evaluation period, this can be set from 0 to 999.

Registration key §

Unique identification code for the license issued to the organization.

Options §

This value is used for license management and feature configuration.

License type §

A Subscription license allows software to be used for the limited period starting at the License begins date and ending on the Subscription ends date. It permits the software to be installed on one server, for use by the licensed number of full-function and read-only named user accounts.

A Perpetual license allows software to be used for as long as the license organization complies with the software license agreement. It permits the software to be installed on one server, for use by the licensed full-function and read-only named user accounts. A perpetual license supports any software release published before the Support/upgrades end date. You can also request technical help and other support benefits until the Support/upgrades end date.

License begins §

This is the date that the current subscription or perpetual license started. The date is highlighted when the license start date is earlier than the current date, and the license can't be used.

Subscription ends | Support/upgrades end §

For a subscription license, this is when the subscription ends. The software cannot be used after this date, and technical support and software upgrades are not available. A new subscription license must be purchased to continue using the software after the date shown.

For a perpetual license, this is when the perpetual license's maintenance, support and upgrades ("MSU") subscription ends. The end date is highlighted on and after the subscription's expiration. You may continue using the software after this date, but MSU subscription benefits are not available.

Do not upgrade your PDXpert software to a release that was published after the end date. You will be locked out of the system until you purchase and import a current license.

Some product features, such as PDX package verification, rely on a current cryptographically-signed license key, and are not available after the subscription expires. For a description of MSU subscription benefits, search the web for PDXpert MSU scope

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