MicroStrategy ONE

Server Activation FAQ

What is MicroStrategy server activation?

MicroStrategy server activation is a licensing technology that ensures that installations of MicroStrategy server products are authentic and have been legitimately licensed. Server activation registers each server installation with MicroStrategy and locks the installation to a specific machine.

Why is server activation necessary?

Server activation provides benefits to both MicroStrategy and its customers:

  • It ensures that the software products being used are authentic.
  • It helps customers in identifying software installations to prevent over-installation.
  • It improves customer service by maintaining a register of the hardware configurations used by our customers.

Does MicroStrategy adhere to best practices for software activation?

Yes. Extensive research was performed on software activation and it was found that the Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) provides the most comprehensive information. MicroStrategy has closely followed these best practices.

Which products require activation?

All MicroStrategy modular and non-modular server products require server activation, including:

  • Intelligence Server, Intelligence Server Module, Clustering Option, Report Services, Report Services Option, OLAP Services, OLAP Services Option, Distribution Services, MultiSource Option
  • Web, Web Reporter Module, Web Analyst Option, Web Professional Option
  • Mobile Server
  • Narrowcast Server Delivery Engine

If more than one server product is installed on the same machine, does each server product need to be activated and deactivated separately?

No. All MicroStrategy server products installed on a single machine are grouped as a server installation and are activated and deactivated as a group.

Which customers are required to activate MicroStrategy server products?

All customers who install MicroStrategy server products need to activate their server installations.

Is a new CD key needed to install products on different machines?

No. Server activation has no impact on CD keys. The latest CD key sent by MicroStrategy can be used to install products on many machines. The only difference is that each installation on a different machine needs a different activation code to activate the installation. Server activation is independent of the CD keys.

Is server activation required for both named-user and CPU based licenses?

Yes. Server activation is required for both named-user and CPU based licenses. Server activation is designed to track software installations regardless of licensing model. Server activation does not manage or limit the number of servers on which server software is installed.

Does server activation aggregate the total number of licenses installed and prevent over-installation of products?

No. Server activation and the licensing models are independent. However, using server activation information available at https://licensing.microstrategy.com, organizations can monitor the number of installations. Deactivating server installations that are not being used ensures this information is up-to-date.

Does server activation apply to evaluation editions?

Yes. Evaluation editions must be activated within seven days of installation.

What is the procedure for activating server installations?

Installing, modifying, or upgrading MicroStrategy server installations automatically generates an activation XML file that contains information about the installation. This XML file, referred to as the "activation file" is uploaded to MicroStrategy automatically by the installation routine, through License Manager, manually uploading the activation file at https://licensing.microstrategy.com, or using automated server activation. MicroStrategy then creates a machine-specific activation code that is emailed to the installer and MicroStrategy Tech Support liaisons. The activation code must be manually entered into License Manager on the target server installation, unless you are using automated server activation.

What information is sent to MicroStrategy in the activation XML file?

The following information is sent to the activation XML file:

  • Installation Information:
    • Installation timestamp
    • Activation ID (if the installation has previously been activated)
    • Contract information
    • CD Key used in installation
    • Installer contact details – name, address, email
    • Company contact details – name, address, email
    • Server installation information – name, location, use
  • Hardware information:
    • Unique hardware identifier
    • CPU information – type, bit-size, clock speed, total quantity
    • Physical memory installed
  • Operating system information:
    • Type, version, bit-size, page/swap size
    • Locale
    • Additional information – 4GT mode and hyperthreading in Windows
  • MicroStrategy information:
    • Install type – new/modify/upgrade
    • Products and version installed
    • Number of CPUs allocated for CPU licenses
  • Database information:
    • Metadata database and ODBC driver
    • Data warehouse database and ODBC driver

Is the information sent to MicroStrategy secure?

Yes. The activation XML file is sent to MicroStrategy in the following ways:

  • Automatically during installation or through License Manager. This information is encrypted using a RIPEMD-160 algorithm before being sent to MicroStrategy.
  • Manually in the https://licensing.microstrategy.com website. Communication with this website is conducted through Secure Socket Layer once the user has been authenticated.

Can I change the information in the activation XML file?

The content of this file is secured with a digital signature. Contact MicroStrategy Technical Support if the content is incorrect.

What is used to lock the server to a machine?

A unique hardware identifier for each machine is used to lock an installation to that machine. Any changes to these identifiers will require reactivation of the Server Installation:

  • Windows: An identifier generated from a one-way hash of the network interface card MAC address
  • Linux: An identifier generated from a one-way hash of the network interface card MAC address

Is there a grace period from the time server products are installed to when it can be activated?

Yes. There is a 30 calendar day grace period from installation (seven days for an evaluation edition) before a server installation must be activated.

What happens if the server installations are not activated?

If a server installation has not been activated within 30 calendar days (7 days for an evaluation edition), the server products cannot be restarted.

Should the installations be automatically or manually activated and deactivated?

It is preferable to automatically send the activation information to MicroStrategy, either during installation or using License Manager. This is an easy process that should take less than one minute to complete, and ensures that the correct information is sent to MicroStrategy.

What should be done if requesting an activation code fails during installation?

First, allow the installation to complete. The activation code request should then be attempted using License Manager. If this does not work, activate the server installation manually by visiting the activation website at https://licensing.microstrategy.com.

What should be done if automatic request for an activation code does not work?

The server installation should be manually activated using License Manager on a machine that has access to the Web. The activation XML file should be copied from the server installation that requires activation to this computer. If this does not work, contact MicroStrategy Technical Support.

Can the activation code be used on different machines?

No. The activation code contains the unique identifier for a specific machine and can only be used on that machine. The server products are not activated if the incorrect activation code is used.

What if the server installation has to be moved to another machine?

If the server installation needs to be moved to another machine, uninstall the MicroStrategy products or deactivate the server Installation from License Manager. Notify MicroStrategy that the server installation has been deactivated. This keeps your active server inventory up to date at https://licensing.microstrategy.com.

What if the server machine has a catastrophic failure and cannot be deactivated automatically or manually?

If a machine has a catastrophic failure and the server products cannot be uninstalled or deactivated, contact MicroStrategy Technical Support to update the status of the server.

If there is more than one server product installed on a machine and one is removed, does the server installation need to be deactivated?

Upon removal of a server product, all remaining server products are automatically deactivated. The remaining server product(s) need to be reactivated to reflect the new product configuration on that machine. For example, if a machine contains MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server and MicroStrategy Web, and MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server is removed, MicroStrategy Web is automatically deactivated. MicroStrategy Web will need to be reactivated.

What information can be monitored on the website?

When registered Technical Support liaisons log into the MicroStrategy Activation website, they can display a list of all server installations. This report lists each server installation along with the following information for reference:

  • Installation ID
  • Activation Status
  • Contract ID
  • Operating System
  • Machine CPUs
  • Last Update Type
  • Last Updated by
  • Last Update Date
  • Products installed
  • Activation and deactivation history

The Installation ID is a unique identifier for server installations. This ID is provided along with the activation code in the email received when requesting activation.

Does server activation apply to the MicroStrategy Suite?

Yes. The MicroStrategy Suite must be activated within 30 days of installation.