The Licensing Solution

Implementing LSAPI

The License Service API allows developers to choose from a number of different LSAPI implementation strategies:

• Announcement Only

  The LSAPI can be used by an application simply to announce when it is starting and terminating. This announcement can be logged by a license system to record or meter the number of software applications in use at any time.

• Authorization Desired

  Software can use the API to look for authorization to run from the licensing system. If no license or license system is present, the software may display a warning message but continue to run.

• Authorization Required

  Software can use the API to look for authorization to run from the licensing system. If no license is present, the software may elect to not run.

Lesson Summary

The Microsoft License Service API provides a platform-independent, standard interface to licensing systems. Each license system service provider is implemented as a DLL. Applications access the License Service API through the Licensing Manager DLL that connect to the appropriate license service providers, collects responses, and presents the result to client applications.

LSAPI offers three common implementation strategies:

• Announcement only.
• Authorization desired.
• Authorization required.