How To: Call the Server API to Issue a License

Article
09/29/2008

With Microsoft Software Licensing and Protection Server 2008, you can issue licenses from templates programmatically to support scenarios where you want to automate the creation of multiple licenses. Integration with customer relationship management (CRM) software solutions becomes easier and more viable as a business solution with automated, programmatic licensing.

Note: Before starting the procedure, download the Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 extensions for .NET Framework 3.0, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), included in the November 2006 CTP add-in, and install them. If you have not installed the WCF and WPF extensions for the .NET Framework 3.0, you will not see the Add Service Reference menu item when you right-click References in Solution Explorer.

To Programmatically Issue a License from a Template

Open your project in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
Add a service reference to your solution:
- Right-click References in Solution Explorer.
- Click Add Service Reference.
- Paste an URL similar to the following one into the URL drop-down box, (substituting your server's domain for <mysrv.domain.com>). https://<mysrv.domain.com>/SLMServerWS/LicenseManagementWS.svc
- Click Go, and click Add Reference.
Add the following Using Directives to your default form. Replace the last directive shown in the list with the namespace that was created when you added the reference earlier in Step 2.

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	using System.Net;
	using System.Net.Security;
	using System.ServiceModel;
	using IssueLicenseByTemplateDemo.mysrv_domain_com;

Create an appropriate namespace and class within your form.

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	public partial class MainForm : Form
	{
	 // Add the code from the remaining steps here.
	}

Add code to validate the certificate returned from the SLP Server.

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	public static bool CertificatePolicyValidator(
		Object sender,
		System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Certificate certificate,
		System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Chain chain,
		System.Net.Security.SslPolicyErrors sslPolicyErrors)
		{
			return true;
		}

Add the issueLicense method.

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	private void IssueLicense(string serverName,
		string userName,
		string password,
		string templateLicenseKey,
		string licenseDescription,
		int numLicenses
	)

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	{
		try
		{
			ServicePointManager.ServerCertificateValidationCallback =
				new RemoteCertificateValidationCallback(CertificatePolicyValidator);

			// Create public Web Service proxy
			using (LicenseManagementWSClient LMClient =
				CreateLicenseManagementClient(
					serverName,
					userName,
					password))
			{
				// Issue a license by template for as many licenses requested
				for (int i = 0; i < numLicenses && _cancelIssueLicense == false; i++)
				{
					string activationKey = LMClient.IssueLicenseByTemplate(
						templateLicenseKey,
						licenseDescription,
						null);

					AddToActivationKeys(activationKey);
				}
			}
		}
		catch (Exception Ex)
		{
			MessageBox.Show(Ex.Message);
		}
	}

Create the Web Service client proxy.

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	private LicenseManagementWSClient CreateLicenseManagementClient(
		string serverName,
		string userName,
		string password)
	{
		WSHttpBinding binding = new WSHttpBinding();
		binding.Security.Mode = SecurityMode.TransportWithMessageCredential;
		binding.Security.Transport.ClientCredentialType = HttpClientCredentialType.Basic;
		binding.Security.Message.ClientCredentialType = MessageCredentialType.UserName;
		binding.MessageEncoding = WSMessageEncoding.Text;
		binding.TextEncoding = Encoding.UTF8;

		string URL = "https://" + serverName + "/SLMServerWS/LicenseManagementWS.svc";

		EndpointAddress ea = new EndpointAddress(URL);

		LicenseManagementWSClient client = new LicenseManagementWSClient(binding, ea);

		client.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName = userName;
		client.ClientCredentials.UserName.Password = password;

		return client;
	}

About the Web Service API

Currently, there is one public SLP Server API method, IssueLicenseByTemplate. This API has the following characteristics.

LicenseManagementWS.svc Web Service: IssueLicenseByTemplate

This method allows you to issue a license according to a specified template. It requires authentication and the permissions necessary to issue a license.

Syntax

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	string IssueLicenseByTemplate(
		string  templateLicenseKey,
		string  licenseDescription,
		CustomTag[] customTags);

Parameters

templateLicenseKey License key of a template license

licenseDescription Description of a license. If empty, the description from the template will be used.

customTags List of custom name/value pairs that will be associated with the issued license. Can be null.

Exception

	cref="System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException"

Returns

The license key of the newly issued license.

Example

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	using System.Net;
	using System.Net.Security;
	using System.ServiceModel;
	using IssueLicenseByTemplateDemo.mysrv_domain_com;

	namespace IssueLicenseByTemplateDemo
	{
		public partial class MainForm : Form
		{
			//…UI related code

			public static bool CertificatePolicyValidator(
				Object sender,
				System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Certificate certificate,
				System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Chain chain,
				System.Net.Security.SslPolicyErrors sslPolicyErrors)
			{
				return true;
			}

			private void IssueLicense(
				string serverName,
				string userName,
				string password,
				string templateLicenseKey,
				string licenseDescription,
				int numLicenses
				)
			{
				try
				{
					ServicePointManager.ServerCertificateValidationCallback =
						new RemoteCertificateValidationCallback(CertificatePolicyValidator);

					// Create public Web Service proxy
					using (LicenseManagementWSClient LMClient =
						CreateLicenseManagementClient(
							serverName,
							userName,
							password))
					{
						// Issue a license by template for as many licenses requested
						for (int i = 0; i < numLicenses && _cancelIssueLicense == false; i++)
						{
							string activationKey = LMClient.IssueLicenseByTemplate(
								templateLicenseKey,
								licenseDescription,
								null);

							AddToActivationKeys(activationKey);
						}
					}
				}
				catch (Exception Ex)
				{
					MessageBox.Show(Ex.Message);
				}
			}

			private LicenseManagementWSClient CreateLicenseManagementClient(
				string serverName,
				string userName,
				string password)
			{
				WSHttpBinding binding = new WSHttpBinding();
				binding.Security.Mode = SecurityMode.TransportWithMessageCredential;
				binding.Security.Transport.ClientCredentialType = HttpClientCredentialType.Basic;
				binding.Security.Message.ClientCredentialType = MessageCredentialType.UserName;
				binding.MessageEncoding = WSMessageEncoding.Text;
				binding.TextEncoding = Encoding.UTF8;

				string URL = "https://" + serverName + "/SLMServerWS/LicenseManagementWS.svc";

				EndpointAddress ea = new EndpointAddress(URL);

				LicenseManagementWSClient client = new LicenseManagementWSClient(binding, ea);

				client.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName = userName;
				client.ClientCredentials.UserName.Password = password;

				return client;
			}
		}
	}

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How To: Call the Server API to Issue a License

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