System Requirements

Before installing the Licensing System, ensure your server meets the following requirements:

Server Requirements
  • Operating System: Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, CentOS 8+), Windows Server 2019+
  • Web Server: Apache 2.4+, Nginx 1.18+
  • PHP: 8.0+ with the following extensions:
    • PDO
    • MySQLi
    • OpenSSL
    • cURL
    • JSON
    • Mbstring
    • XML
  • Database: MySQL 5.7+, MariaDB 10.3+
  • Memory: 2GB RAM minimum (4GB recommended)
  • Storage: 10GB minimum (varies based on usage)
Client Requirements
  • Web Browser: Chrome 80+, Firefox 75+, Safari 13+, Edge 80+
  • JavaScript: Enabled
  • Cookies: Enabled

Installation

Follow these steps to install the Licensing System:

1 Download the Installation Package

Download the latest version of the Licensing System from our website or repository.

# Using Git git clone https://github.com/your-org/licensing-system.git cd licensing-system # Or download the ZIP file and extract it unzip licensing-system.zip cd licensing-system
2 Set Up the Database

Create a new MySQL database for the Licensing System.

# Log in to MySQL mysql -u root -p # Create the database CREATE DATABASE licensing_system CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci; # Create a user and grant permissions CREATE USER 'licensing_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_secure_password'; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON licensing_system.* TO 'licensing_user'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES; EXIT;
3 Configure the Web Server

Set up your web server to point to the installation directory.

Apache Configuration
# Create a virtual host configuration ServerName license.yourdomain.com DocumentRoot /path/to/licensing-system/public Options Indexes FollowSymLinks AllowOverride All Require all granted ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/licensing-error.log CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/licensing-access.log combined
Nginx Configuration
server { listen 80; server_name license.yourdomain.com; root /path/to/licensing-system/public; index index.php index.html; location / { try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string; } location ~ \.php$ { fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.0-fpm.sock; fastcgi_index index.php; fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name; include fastcgi_params; } }
4 Run the Installation Wizard

Access the installation wizard through your web browser.

  1. Navigate to http://license.yourdomain.com/install
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation
  3. Enter your database credentials and other required information
  4. Create your admin account
Important: After installation, delete the install directory for security reasons.
5 Set Up SSL (Recommended)

For security, it's highly recommended to set up SSL for your Licensing System.

# Using Let's Encrypt with Certbot sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-apache # For Apache # OR sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-nginx # For Nginx # Obtain and install the certificate sudo certbot --apache -d license.yourdomain.com # For Apache # OR sudo certbot --nginx -d license.yourdomain.com # For Nginx

Configuration

After installation, you'll need to configure various aspects of the Licensing System.

Basic Configuration

Access the admin panel and navigate to Settings > General to configure:

  • Site name and description
  • Admin email address
  • Default timezone
  • License key format and prefix
  • Default license duration
  • Maximum activations per license

Email Configuration

Configure email settings to ensure notifications are sent properly:

  1. Go to Settings > Email
  2. Enter your SMTP server details
  3. Configure email templates for various notifications
  4. Test the email configuration

API Configuration

Set up API access for integration with other systems:

  1. Go to Settings > API
  2. Generate API keys for different integrations
  3. Configure API rate limits and access permissions
  4. Document the API endpoints for your developers

License Types

Define the license types available in your system:

  1. Go to Settings > License Types
  2. Create or edit license types (Trial, Standard, Premium, Enterprise)
  3. Set pricing, duration, and features for each type
  4. Configure upgrade paths between license types

Payment Setup

The Licensing System supports multiple payment gateways for processing license purchases and renewals.

Setting Up Payment Gateways

To set up a payment gateway:

  1. Go to Settings > Payment
  2. Select your preferred payment gateway
  3. Enter your API credentials
  4. Configure webhook endpoints for payment notifications
  5. Test the integration using the test mode

Supported Payment Gateways

Stripe

Set up Stripe for credit card processing:

  1. Create a Stripe account
  2. Obtain your API keys (Publishable and Secret)
  3. Configure webhook endpoints
  4. Set up products and prices in Stripe
PayPal

Set up PayPal for payment processing:

  1. Create a PayPal Business account
  2. Obtain your API credentials
  3. Configure IPN (Instant Payment Notification)
  4. Set up subscription plans in PayPal
Square

Set up Square for payment processing:

  1. Create a Square account
  2. Obtain your API credentials
  3. Configure webhook endpoints
  4. Set up catalog items in Square
Authorize.net

Set up Authorize.net for payment processing:

  1. Create an Authorize.net account
  2. Obtain your API credentials
  3. Configure webhook endpoints
  4. Set up subscription plans in Authorize.net

Automatic License Activation

Configure the system to automatically generate and activate licenses upon successful payment:

  1. Go to Settings > Payment > Automatic Activation
  2. Enable automatic license generation
  3. Configure license parameters (type, duration, features)
  4. Set up email notifications for new licenses

Subscription Management

Set up subscription plans for recurring license payments:

  1. Go to Settings > Payment > Subscriptions
  2. Create subscription plans with different durations and prices
  3. Configure renewal settings and grace periods
  4. Set up email notifications for upcoming renewals

CMS Setup

The Licensing System includes a drag-and-drop CMS for creating and managing your software marketplace.

Accessing the CMS

To access the CMS:

  1. Log in to the admin panel
  2. Navigate to CMS > Dashboard

Creating Pages

To create a new page:

  1. Go to CMS > Pages
  2. Click "Add New Page"
  3. Enter a title and URL slug
  4. Use the drag-and-drop editor to build your page
  5. Add content blocks, images, and other elements
  6. Preview and publish your page

Managing Products

To add a new software product to your marketplace:

  1. Go to CMS > Products
  2. Click "Add New Product"
  3. Enter product details (name, description, features)
  4. Upload product images and screenshots
  5. Configure pricing and license options
  6. Set up product pages using the drag-and-drop editor
  7. Publish your product

Customizing Templates

To customize the look and feel of your marketplace:

  1. Go to CMS > Templates
  2. Select a template to customize
  3. Modify colors, fonts, and layout options
  4. Add your logo and branding elements
  5. Preview and save your changes

Managing Navigation

To set up your site navigation:

  1. Go to CMS > Navigation
  2. Create menus for different locations (header, footer, sidebar)
  3. Add pages, products, and custom links to your menus
  4. Arrange items using drag-and-drop
  5. Save your navigation settings

Security

Implement these security measures to protect your Licensing System.

Secure Configuration

  • Use strong passwords for all accounts
  • Enable two-factor authentication for admin accounts
  • Configure IP restrictions for admin access
  • Set up SSL/TLS encryption
  • Regularly update the system and all dependencies

License Security

  • Use strong encryption for license keys
  • Implement hardware binding for licenses
  • Set up domain/IP verification for web applications
  • Configure anti-tampering measures
  • Monitor for suspicious activation patterns

Backup and Recovery

Set up regular backups of your system:

  1. Go to Settings > Backup
  2. Configure automatic backups (daily, weekly, monthly)
  3. Set up backup storage (local, cloud, etc.)
  4. Test your backup and recovery process

Monitoring and Logging

Enable comprehensive logging and monitoring:

  1. Go to Settings > Logs
  2. Configure log levels and retention periods
  3. Set up alerts for suspicious activities
  4. Regularly review logs for security issues

Maintenance

Regular maintenance is essential for the smooth operation of your Licensing System.

Regular Updates

Keep your system up to date:

  1. Check for updates regularly
  2. Back up your system before updating
  3. Apply updates in a test environment first
  4. Test all functionality after updating

Database Maintenance

Perform regular database maintenance:

  1. Optimize database tables
  2. Clean up old logs and temporary data
  3. Monitor database performance
  4. Back up the database regularly

Performance Optimization

Optimize your system for better performance:

  1. Enable caching for static content
  2. Optimize database queries
  3. Compress and optimize images
  4. Monitor server resources

License Cleanup

Regularly clean up expired and unused licenses:

  1. Go to Licenses > Maintenance
  2. Identify expired licenses
  3. Archive or delete unused licenses
  4. Generate reports on license usage

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with your Licensing System, try these troubleshooting steps.

  1. Check if your server meets the system requirements
  2. Verify that all required PHP extensions are installed
  3. Ensure proper permissions on installation directories
  4. Check error logs for specific error messages
  5. Try installing in a clean environment

  1. Verify your payment gateway API credentials
  2. Check if your server can connect to the payment gateway
  3. Ensure webhook endpoints are correctly configured
  4. Test the payment process in test mode
  5. Check error logs for specific error messages

  1. Check if the license key is valid and not expired
  2. Verify that the license is activated for the correct hardware
  3. Check domain/IP verification settings
  4. Ensure the client can connect to your license server
  5. Test the verification process with a known good license

  1. Clear your browser cache and cookies
  2. Try using a different browser
  3. Check if JavaScript is enabled
  4. Verify that all CMS assets are properly loaded
  5. Check for JavaScript errors in the browser console
Need More Help? If you continue to experience issues, please contact our support team with detailed information about the problem, including error messages and steps to reproduce.