Licensing Options

This topic explains many of the licensing options available in the GENESIS64 product line. Please consult your ICONICS sales representative with any questions and refer to the Licensing Overview topic. You can view your license:

  • From the Start menu > All Programs > ICONICS Licensing > ICONICS .NET Licensing > License Viewer

  • In the classic Workbench, from the File menu select Tools > Licensing

Server Options

What are the Development Licensing Options?

GENESIS64 allows unlimited configuration on the machine that a GENESIS64 system is installed via the standard Demo License Mode provided with the product. The Demo Mode license limits runtime to 12 hours and 64 tags.

Developer Station option bits are available for application development across the network or Web. The Development option provides runtime functionality for full system test up to the limits of the purchased license. The Development option bit is provided with the model WEBHMI-DEVCAL and operates as a floating client that may be used from any Web Browser or thick client installation of the GENESIS64 Workbench.

WEBHMI DEVCAL is bundled into certain models, including GEN64-APP, GWX64-APP, AWX64-APP and Hyper Historian models. It is possible to apply multiple WEBHMI-DEVCAL licenses from a central license server on one or multiple GENESIS64 installations in a network. GENESIS64 supports concurrent development such that multiple people can collaborate on the same project from different Workbench64 or GraphWorX64 editor stations. WEBHMI-DEVCAL provides Developer Option bits for GraphWorX64, AlarmWorX64, TrendWorX64 and the Hyper Historian. The number of WEBHMI64-DEVCAL licenses you have determines how many stations (including the server) you can use to configure displays concurrently.

Runtime models do NOT allow development across the network. They are intended for machine builders, or those with multiple systems running on the same network. Qualified systems integrators may purchase SIP plans that provide time-limited consignment licenses for configuration. Otherwise it is recommended to purchase at least one WebHMI-DEVCAL for each system. It is also possible to use the standard demo license for casual configuration on a machine that is running independent of another license server. Files may be copied to the production machine.

Easier Demo or Trial Reset

Previously, when the built-in 12-hour demo expires it was necessary to restart the ICONICS License Service or the machine to start a new 12-hour period.

Now, Workbench will display a helpful message notifying you that your trial has expired. Furthermore, the user can simply select this message and the demo period will reset. It is no longer necessary to find and restart the appropriate service.

This works for both the built-in 12-hour demo and the new ICO360-TRIAL licenses for registered system integrators.

How are Redundant Servers Licensed?

Simply purchase two identical GEN64-APP-xxx, GEN64-RTxxx or Hyper Historian Enterprise servers and set as a redundant pair through the ICONICS FrameWorX64 configurator.

Redundancy is available for live and historical data. Add a redundant Hyper Historian pair to a redundant GENESIS64 Application Server pair using models GEN64-HH-R-xxx for discounted bundle pricing. Add redundant clients with WEBHMI64-BRWSR-R models.

How is the Hyper Historian Licensed?

The Enterprise Edition supports Redundant Configurations, Distributed Collectors, Store & Forward, and Multiple CPU Applications; the Standard Edition does NOT. GEN64-HH-ENT models include two distributable collectors. Add additional distributed collectors with model GEN64-HH-COLLECTOR V10. TrendWorX64 is limited practically to log a few thousand data points per second. Use Hyper Historian for high-throughput and redundant applications.

How are Device Communication / OPC Servers Licensed?

Included at no charge are the ICONICS Modbus Serial and Modbus Ethernet OPC Servers. BACnet and SNMP direct connectivity are included with the GENESIS64-APP, -RT, and Hyper Historian models. BACnet and SNMP Connectors may be purchased separately and added to GWX, AWX and LT models. Other data communication must be provided via separately purchased OPC Servers. ICONICS recommends the KepServer for ICONICS Standard OPC Servers for OPC UA or

DA communications.

How is AlarmWorX Multimedia Licensed?

AlarmWorX Multimedia is licensed with several options: Lite, Standard, Enterprise, and Remote Clients. The standard version of AlarmWorX Multimedia has model AWX64MMX-STD V10. It provides all available agents, plus one AlarmWorX Multimedia Client Access license model AWX64MMX-CAL. The agents include: Remote Paging and Simple Messaging Services (SMS), E-mail, Pop-Up Applications, Software Marquees, Sound/Voice Annunciation, Telephony Dial-In/Out, FAX Notification, Hardware Marquees, and Video-Image Agent. AlarmWorX Multimedia Alarming inherits the tag limit of the GENESIS64 license server it uses, but has unlimited tag connectivity when installed stand-alone.

Some of the AlarmWorX Multimedia agents are distributable to multiple PCs. Distribution of these agents requires licensing via an AlarmWorX64 Multimedia Alarming Client Access License. These distributable agents include: Pop-Up Applications, Software Marquees, Sound/Voice Annunciation, FAX Notification, Hardware Marquees, and Video-Image Agent, all with remote configuration via the GENESIS64 Workbench. The “FAX Notification & Hardware Marquees” does not support remote installation.

Other licensing bundles include a Lite version with the Alarm Server, email and paging agents. An Enterprise version provides 25 CALs for a discounted price. The AWX64MMX-75 provides the Multimedia Alarming function with a 75-tag AlarmWorX64 server.

Tag Count Options

What “Tag Count Modes” are Available?

You may purchase “Configured Tags” or “On-Demand Tags”.

“On-Demand” mode licensed systems dynamically counts actively connected tags. This method allows for large numbers of data connections to be configured within the ICONICS applications with the advantage that only those in use are counted against the license. It allows direct browsing over the network to connect to OPC, BACnet, SNMP or other supported data sources from GraphWorX64, TrendWorX64, AlarmWorX64, Hyper Historian and other configurators. GENESIS32 users will be familiar with this licensing method because it is the only method available for GENESIS32.

“Configured Tags” mode licenses restrict data connections to those tags configured through the ICONICS Unified Data Manager, which acts as a central tag database for GraphWorX64, AlarmWorX64, TrendWorX64, and Hyper Historian application. In other words, “Configured Tags” must be configured in the Unified Data Manager in the Workbench. All tags configured through the Unified Data Manager are counted against the Tag Count purchased. This method will be familiar to users of many tag-database SCADA systems.

With this licensing mode, one browses for OPC, BACnet, SNMP and other data sources from the Unified Data Manager to and build a library of Registers and Expressions. The ICONICS application configurators reference the Registers and Expressions for their dynamic data.

What Tag Types are Available?

ICONICS licenses GENESIS64 and Hyper Historian tag counts at 75; 150; 500; 1,500; 5,000; 15,000; 50,000; 100,000; 250,000; 500,000 and 1,000,000 levels. GENESIS64 and Hyper Historian Tags are licensed separately and counted independently.

Tag count from a license server may be distributed across one or more GENESIS64 servers in a network on physical or virtual machines. The tag counting is dynamic and additive. For instance, one may distribute a 250,000 Tag GENESIS64 license into several virtual PC’s running on one physical machine, plus a dozen other physical or virtual PC’s on a network.

Each active GENESIS64 application will draw from the license pool, and every active tag in each server consumes “in use” tags, up to the total 250,000 available.

NOTE: The same tags addressed in different ways will be counted as separate points in the license.

For example, if machine name Foo has IP address 192.168.1.1 then these tags are the same, but will count as two separate points:

@\\Foo\ICONICS.Simulator.1\SimulatePLC.Sine.Value

@\\192.168.1.1\ICONICS.Simulator.1\SimulatePLC.Sine.Value

Which Tags are NOT Counted?

The following Internal data sources are NOT counted:

  • AlarmWorX OPC DA

  • UDM (registers, expressions, value sets, groups)

  • MonitorWorX status tags

  • Redundancy status tags

  • AssetWorX properties (internal)

  • TrendWorX (HDA)

  • ScheduleWorX

NOTE: If tags are wrapped (e.g. through a FrameWorX wrapper), they WILL be counted.

Certain string syntax is NOT counted, e.g..:

  • @bacnet64: without presentValue

  • bacnet: without presentValue

  • @ICONICS.AlarmSvr – local only

  • rgs64

  • exp64

  • grp64

  • vset64

  • ac:

What are Examples of External Data Sources that WILL be Counted?

The following are examples of external data sources that will be counted:

  • OPC DA (i.e. any inputs that are OPC DA, such as AssetWorX properties with OPC tag input, will be counted)

  • OPC UA-DA

  • BACnet (Present Value counted; all others are not )

  • SNMP

  • GridWorX DA server

  • Web Services

  • MobileHMI DA server

What is the Difference between a GENESIS64 Tag and a Hyper Historian Tag?

Tags for GENESIS64 and Hyper Historian are counted separately. The same tag used once in a GraphWorX64 display and once in Hyper Historian will be counted once as a GENESIS64 tag and then once as a Hyper Historian tag.

The tag counts for GENESIS64 and Hyper Historian are completely independent.

If someone had a tag like this \\FWX\ac:Tag.Tag2 on a WebHMI client where that tag didn't exist on the FrameWorX machine, is that still counted as a GENESIS64 tag?

Any points like the syntax example above are free GENESIS64 points.

When trending Hyper Historian tags are these counted as GENESIS64 tags?

Any HDA options (historical trending for Hyper Historian tags) are not counted but, for DA points for Hyper Historian after 10.9x, they are free. Anything before that, there is an exception for MonitorWorX Viewer tags.

Is the "exp" syntax counted as a GENESIS64 tag? 

"exp" is not a free license.

AssetWorX Tag Counting

A new tag counting method has been introduced with GENESIS64 Basic SCADA. With this new method, called "AssetWorX Tags", all IO tags must be configured as equipment properties in AssetWorX, ICONICS' centralized asset database. A configured asset property counts as a "tag" for the purposes of licensing. Only enabled properties with a real-time source type of Dynamic Tag or Expression counts as tags for licensing purposes. Properties configured to be static do not require license tags.

When AssetWorX tag counting is enabled, Workbench will show a helpful warning message at the bottom of the screen should users accidentally configure more equipment properties than allowed in their license. The count of licensed equipment properties can be seen in Workbench under Assets > Product configuration > Other settings. This count is available even when not in AssetWorX tag counting mode or when looking at a configuration database that is not active.

Workbench will also display the current tag counting mode (Advanced or Asset Tags) in the status bar.

If the number of AssetWorX equipment properties exceeds the licensed tag count, AssetWorX will stop providing values for all properties, reporting "License Counted Equipment Properties Exceeded" for all asset tags.

BACnet users should be aware that all object attributes that need to be read or written to must be mapped as AssetWorX equipment properties and will count as tags under the AssetWorX tag counting mode. This may mean projects that utilize BACnet require more tags when using GENESIS64 Basic SCADA than they would using GENESIS64 Advanced.

In AssetWorX tag counting mode, Hyper Historian tags must be created from within the AssetWorX provider. Add the real-time tag as an equipment property, then go to the property's Historical Data tab, set the Source type to Hyper Historian Tag (or one of the other Hyper Historian types), then configure the settings as desired.

When AssetWorX tag counting mode is enabled, the entire browse space will only be available when users are configuring AssetWorX. The tag browser in GraphWorX64 will only show AssetWorX and a few other providers that do not require equipment properties (such as Diagnostics). The lateral tag browser in Workbench (the one that is always visible and docked) will show the same limited list of providers, as will the pop-up tag browser when using any Workbench provider that is not AssetWorX. The pop-up tag browser from inside AssetWorX is the only place that the entire address space will be visible.

Client Options

The WebHMI64-Browser model provides “Client Station” licenses. These Client Stations may be run as a thick client “Browser” or as a thin client “WebHMI” station at the option of the user. One or many clients may be purchased on a license key and consumed by clients connected to one or many servers in a system.

How does Client Station Licensing Work?

Each WebHMI64 Browser license provides licensing for the applications licensed on the GENESIS64 server, including GraphWorX64 Client Station, TrendWorX64 Client Station, AlarmWorX64 Client Station, EarthWorX Client Station, Workbench Client Station, and Gadget Client Station. Each Client Station type is counted independently by the licensing server. In cases where GraphWorX64 or AlarmWorX64 are provided separately, the Client Station license provided is limited accordingly.

What is a WEBHMI64-BROWSER?

A WEBHMI64-BROWSER license allows you to view GraphWorX64, AlarmWorX64, or TrendWorX64 displays on a Web-based browser client or a thick client machine with locally installed GENESIS64 applications running native versions of the Workbench or GraphWorX64 editors and runtime objects.

WebHMI clients may run on Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers on machines with the .NET Framework installed, which support the full 3D capabilities of a native browser. WebHMI64 Browsers support full two-way interactive view and control of applications and the full ICONICS security methods.

The number of WebHMI64 Browser licenses on your license determines how many Client Stations (including the server) can be viewing displays at once. The licensing server counts the number of concurrently connected WebHMI64 Browser stations, which become free to float from one browser to another if disconnected from the application server.

Note that the specific View Clients licensed on the server will determine what a client using a WEBHMI64-BROWSER license has access to. For example, if a WebHMI client is using a WEBHMI64-BROWSER license coming from a server that has only the AlarmWorX64 View Client then that WebHMI client will only be able to view AlarmWorX64 displays, not GraphWorX64 or TrendWorX64 displays.

What is a WEBHMI64-DEVCAL?

A WEBHMI64-DEVCAL license allows you to configure or develop GraphWorX64 displays or via Workbench64, AlarmWorX64, or TrendWorX64 configurators from a network-based client. Add multiple DEVCAL licenses as desired.

Note that the specific Development Option licensed on the server will determine what a client using a WEBHMI64-DEVCAL license has access to. For example, if a WebHMI client is using a WEBHMI64-DEVCAL license coming from a server that has only the AlarmWorX64 Development Option, then that WebHMI client will only be able to configure AlarmWorX64 displays, not GraphWorX64 or TrendWorX64 displays.

How does Redundant Client Licensing Work?

A separate client license must be installed on each server in a redundant pair, such that if the client fails over to the backup server, that the client is available for use. Special discounted licensing is available for redundant client applications.

WebHMI64 Browsers include intelligence for automation failover to the active server. Use the MonitorWorX Viewer for Redundancy status.

What is the Grace Period?

GENESIS64 licenses include a 64-hour Grace Period that allows the applications to continue to run in the event that the licensing service becomes unavailable.

What are the Differences between Hardware and Software Licenses?

GENESIS64 licensing options are identical for hardware key and software key licenses. Each may be programmed via the ICONICS Web Licensing Utility. Please refer to the separate application note on Web Licensing. Hardware licenses are useful for applications when the licensing may need to be portable from one machine to another for cold backup purposes.

It should be noted that if a hardware key is lost, then the value of the license is lost and is not replaceable. Please refer to the ICONICS Global Support and Services User Guide and the ICONICS License Agreement for more information.

See Also:

Licensing Overview