Why do we need to configure the licenses?

• Avoid license stealing by instances on other nodes or instances on the same node.
  Licenses are in one container and have a count.

• Several licenses may enable the same feature. No 1:1 mapping of application feature to a single license possible.
  For example, with multiple instances on one node (TRIO one box), it is important which instance consumes which license for proper operation (1st needs SDI OUT, SDI IN and 2nd DVI OUT from the combination feature).

• A license may enable multiple internal application features.

Configuring the license system in the Viz Engine Configuration UI

See Viz License Configuration

Monitor the license system in the Viz Engine Configuration UI

see Viz License Information

Configuration entries in the Viz Engine configuration file

• Legacy_Licensing: Determines which license system should be used.

  • Set this to 1 to use the VALID/Sentinel/Hardlock license system and 0 to use the WIBU license system.

  • Default: When configuration exists on startup: 1, and when not 0.

• License_Location: WIBU license source. Determines where WIBU should search for license containers.

  • Can be set to one of the following values:

    • VL_L_LOCAL - Local license. Searches exclusively for licenses located on the same PC or allocated to the same VM (e.g. dongle, file).

    • VL_L_NETWORK - Network license. License is to be sought in the network (LAN, WAN), i.e.CodeMeter License Server activated as network server or CmWAN.

  • Only used when license system is WIBU.

  • Default: VL_L_NETWORK

• License_Core: WIBU core license, which determines also the available additional licenses.

  • For WIBu license details see WIBU Licenses and their effect.

  • Can be set to one of the following values:

    • ENG_ENG_CORE - Engine Core

    • ENG_PRV_CORE - Preview Core

    • ART_ARTIST_FREE - Artist Free

• Additional_Licenses: WIBU additional licenses that are additionally consumed and determined by the core license.

  • For WIBu license details see WIBU Licenses and their effect.

  • NOTE: When a license is configured it is consumed, even when it has no effect.

  • NOTE: If licenses are configured that are not allowed an error occurs on startup.

  • WIBU additional licenses for core license ENG_ENG_CORE:

    • Combination Feature (only one can be configured at a time):

      • ENG_CF(APP_DVI) - Combination Feature DVI

      • ENG_CF(APP_NDI) - Combination Feature NDI

      • ENG_CF(APP_MEZZ_IP) - Combination Feature MEZZ_IP

      • ENG_CF(APP_MUX_PORTS) - Combination Feature Frameserver

    • ENG_ARTIST - Artist

    • ENG_ING_SDIIP_MAX - SDI/IP Video Input Enablement (max)

    • ENG_IN_NDI_MAX - NDI IN Upgrade (max)

    • ENG_IN_MEZZIP_MAX - MezzIP IN Upgrade (max)

    • ENG_OUT_SDIIP - SDI/IP OUT Channel

    • ENG_OUT_NDI - NDI OUT Channel

    • ENG_OUT_MEZZIP_MAX - MezzIP OUT Upgrade (max)

    • ENG_ING_4KVIDEO - 4K Video Enablement

    • ENG_OUT_DVI_MAX - DVI OUT Max Resolution

    • ENG_OUT_FS_MAX - Multiple Frameservers (max)

    • ENG_PLUG_CHROMAFX - Chroma FX

    • ENG_PLUG_GI - Global Illumination FX

    • ENG_PLUG_MULTITOUCH - Vizrt Multi-touch Plugin Package

    • ENG_PLROY_CINEMA4D - Cinema 4D Import

    • ENG_PLROY_DOLBYDEC - Dolby E Decoder License

    • ENG_PLROY_DOLBYENC - Dolby E Encoder License

    • ENG_PLROY_DNXHD - Viz Engine DNxHD Codec Support

    • ENG_PLROY_RTTFX - RTT Shaders FX

    • ENG_PLROY_SUBSAUTH - Substance FX Authoring

    • ENG_PLROY_EZGALLERY - ezGallery

    • ENG_PLROY_EZPOSTFX - ezPostFx

    • ENG_PLROY_EZSHADERS - ezShaders

    • ENG_PLROY_EZMESH - ezMesh

    • ENG_PLROY_EZDEFORM - ezDeform

    • ENG_PLROY_EZCOMPOSER - ezComposer

    • ENG_PLROY_EZLOGIC - ezLogic

    • ENG_PLROY_EZLINK - ezLink

    • ENG_PLROY_EZTUBULAR - ezTubular

    • ENG_PLROY_EZJSPRO - ezJavascript (Pro)

    • ENG_PLROY_DORNA_MTAP - DornaMT APP

    • ENG_PLROY_DORNA_MTPL - DornaMT Plugin

  • WIBU additional licenses for core license ENG_PRV_CORE:

    • ENG_PRV_ARTIST - Artist Preview

    • ENG_PLROY_CINEMA4D - Cinema 4D Import

    • ENG_PLROY_DOLBYDEC - Dolby E Decoder License

    • ENG_PLROY_DOLBYENC - Dolby E Encoder License

    • ENG_PLROY_DNXHD - Viz Engine DNxHD Codec Support

    • ENG_PLROY_RTTFX - RTT Shaders FX

    • ENG_PLROY_SUBSAUTH - Substance FX Authoring

    • ENG_PLROY_EZGALLERY - ezGallery

    • ENG_PLROY_EZPOSTFX - ezPostFx

    • ENG_PLROY_EZSHADERS - ezShaders

    • ENG_PLROY_EZMESH - ezMesh

    • ENG_PLROY_EZDEFORM - ezDeform

    • ENG_PLROY_EZCOMPOSER - ezComposer

    • ENG_PLROY_EZLOGIC - ezLogic

    • ENG_PLROY_EZLINK - ezLink

    • ENG_PLROY_EZTUBULAR - ezTubular

    • ENG_PLROY_EZJSPRO - ezJavascript (Pro)

    • ENG_PLROY_DORNA_MTAP - DornaMT APP

    • ENG_PLROY_DORNA_MTPL - DornaMT Plugin

  • WIBU additional licenses for core license ART_ARTIST_FREE: NONE

Introduction

Summary of key concepts in the new licensing system

• Core- and additional licenses exist.

• OUT based channel counting for NDI/SDI/IP

• IN and OUT channels are resolution independent up to 3G HD

  • <=2K size of render output

• Preview channels (preview/clean feed OUT) are co-enabled with every OUT channel license.

• MezzIP applies to all compressed streams:

  • Included: RTP/UDP/WebRTC

  • Excluded (requires SDI/IP licenses): SMTPE ST2022-06, ST2022-07, ST2110; ASPEN

• Mutiple licenses may enable the same application feature!

• Licenses are consumed by multiple processes and license share mode influences possible consumption (see WIBU license share status).

Differences compared to the old VALID/Sentinel/Hardlock licensing:

• Only a small set of “features” can be directly mapped to the new license system (12 of 61).

• Several simplifications and included features, but some new restrictions (e.g. OUT+IN resolution limitations 2K, 4K).

• HW level is obsolete

• OUTs are licensed.

• INs are licensed (AJA, DVS).

• No restrictions anymore on Clips/Clip Player in ENG_ENG_CORE and plugins included in ENG_ENG_CORE.

• No restrictions anymore on Video Preview OUT.

• No multi GPU restrictions anymore.

WIBU license share status

Refers to a WIBU license and how its usage is counted when it is allocated/consumed.

• Exclusive: Allocation can only be performed once on a node (=machine).
  

• User Limit: Each allocation is counted, independent of instance and node.

• Shared: Each allocation is counted once per node. Multiple allocations on the same node allocate only a single license.

• No User Limit: Only checked for existence, no counting is performed.

WIBU core license summary

The following table represents which features are included in one of the Core features and what additional feature might need to be configured.

WIBU Licenses and their effect

A WIBU license is a dedicated license (application ID) in the WIBU license system.

Starting Viz Engine with WIBU license system

• User configured in Viz Engine configuration which license(s) should be used/consumed.

• A core license is required to start Viz Engine.

• To enable higher resolutions postrendering (>2K) then use:

  • ENG_ING_4KVIDEO for up to <=4K width/height.

  • ENG_OUT_DVI_MAX for unlimited resolution.

Starting Viz Engine with DVI OUT

• User configured DVI OUT in Engine configuration file: No Videoout, onair_vga_preview=1 or VGA version, startup in Engine or Artist mode.

• The following licenses need to be available in WIBU license system:

  • ENG_CF(APP_DVI) (resolution limited to <=2K width/height).

  • OR ENG_OUT_DVI_MAX (no resolution restriction).

• When configuration is changed at runtime and violates the license restriction then resolution is limited to the allowed resolution (e.g. 2K width/height).

• DVI OUT is required for local preview in external applications (e.g. TRIO, Pilot Template Wizard, Pilot Director).

Starting Viz Engine with MezzIP OUT and/or 1xMezzIP IN

• Without the ENG_ING_4KVIDEO license the input/putput is limited to <=2K width/height.

• When running Engine with RTP/UDP IN/OUT or ServiceHost with WebRTC OUT the following licenses need to be available in the WIBU license system:

  • OUT: ENG_CF(APP_MEZZ_IP) OR ENG_OUT_MEZZIP_MAX

  • IN: ENG_IN_MEZZIP_MAX

• To enable resolutions >2K and <= 4K then ENG_ING_4KVIDEO is required.

• ENG_CF is limited when ServiceHost WebRTC is used. This happens because the license is consumed by the ServiceHost and cannot be consumed anymore by the Viz Engine, because of the exclusive license share status. The ENG_CF is consumed together with ENG_SVCHOST_COR .

• In short:

  • When RTP/UDP IN/OUT (2K) is used then the ENG_CF on the Engine is sufficient.

  • When WebRTC OUT (2K) is enabled through the ENG_CF on the ServiceHost then ENG_IN_MEZZIP_MAX is required on the Engine for MezzIP IN (2K).

  • When MezzIP IN (2K) is enabled through the ENG_CF on the Engine then ENG_OUT_MEZZIP_MAX is required on the ServiceHost for MezzIP OUT (2K) with WebRTC.

Starting Viz Engine with NDI OUT and/or NDI IN

• When running Engine with NDI IN and/or NDI OUT the following licenses need to be available in the WIBU license system:

  • OUT: ENG_CF(APP_NDI) OR ENG_OUT_NDI

  • IN: ENG_IN_NDI_MAX

• To enable resolutions >2K and <= 4K then ENG_ING_4KVIDEO is required.

Starting Viz Engine with Frameserver functionality (MUX ports)

• When running Engine with NDI IN and/or NDI OUT the following licenses need to be available in the WIBU license system:

  • ENG_CF(APP_MUX_PORTS) to start one frameserver instance per node

  • OR ENG_OUT_FS_MAX to start multiple frameserver instances per node

• To enable higher resolutions frameserver snapshots (>2K) then use:

  • ENG_ING_4KVIDEO for framesever snapshots of up to <=4K width/height.

  • ENG_OUT_DVI_MAX for unlimited resolution frameserver snapshots.

    The Multiplexer Ports will only be opened, if a default renderer is active. Therefore please make sure create_default_renderer = 1 is set in the config file.

Starting Viz Engine with SDI/IP OUT or SDI/IP IN

• When running Engine with SDI/IP IN and/or SDI/IP OUT the following licenses need to be available in the WIBU license system:

  • OUT: ENG_OUT_SDIIP per output one license is consumed

  • IN: ENG_ING_SDIIP_MAX

• To enable higher resolutions frameserver snapshots (>2K) then use:

  • ENG_ING_4KVIDEO for up to <=4K width/height.

Starting Viz Engine with Artist

• When running Engine with Artist the following licenses need to be available in the WIBU license system:

  • ENG_ENG_CORE and ENG_ARTIST

  • OR ENG_PRV_CORE and ENG_PRV_ARTIST

  • OR ART_ARTIST_FREE

Starting Viz Engine with Transition License - WIBU license bound to VALID/Sentinel dongle ID

• Transition license has a special flag in the core license and is bound to the old VALID/Sentinel dongle ID.

• This license is node bound. It should not be added to an license server, else it cannot be distinguished from other licenses and may be allocated at the wrong node or instance.

• The dongle ID in the WIBU license must match to the dongle ID of the VALID/Sentinel dongle to enable the WIBU license and to start Viz Engine.

• Only WIBU licenses are used. Features on the old VALID/Sentinel dongle are completely ignored.

• When VALID/Sentinel dongle is unplugged or expires then WIBU license expires too.

• Plugins that query the VALID/Sentinel ID will get a Zero-ID, since WIBU is used.