How It Works

Traditional Software Licensing

Software licensing involves verifying the license data within a software product. This license data can be provided either as a license file or through the activation of a license key over the internet. Verification is conducted by cryptographically validating the signature of the license data. To carry out this verification, software vendors need to incorporate cryptographic methods into their software.

Cryptographic digital signatures are generated and transmitted with the license data to the customer. A digital signature is a cryptographic value derived from the data and a secret key that only the signer (software vendor) knows. In the context of software licensing, when customers run the software, it verifies that the license originates from the software vendor and is valid.

Licensing with LicenseDNS

With LicenseDNS, the process of verifying licenses within your software product becomes significantly streamlined, eliminating the need for complex cryptographic methods that can often be cumbersome and difficult to implement. Rather than relying on intricate cryptography embedded within your application, you can leverage the capabilities of DNS servers to handle all necessary cryptographic verification seamlessly and efficiently. Simply by sending a DNS query to any reliable recursive DNS server, you can obtain verified license information with a high degree of confidence, allowing you to focus more on core functionalities of your software.

LicenseDNS is equipped with a specialized DNS server that not only facilitates license verification but also incorporates robust support for DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions). DNSSEC consists of a series of protocols designed specifically to enhance the authenticity and integrity of DNS data.

By employing DNSSEC, you can be assured that the responses you receive from a DNS lookup are not only genuine but also free from any tampering or unauthorized changes. This level of security is achieved through the use of digital signatures, which are applied to the DNS data. These signatures can be validated by DNS resolvers, ensuring that the information received is consistent and reliable. This added layer of security makes LicenseDNS a powerful tool for license management, providing peace of mind for developers and users alike.

See Getting Started document for information on how to generate licenses and send DNS queries to validate, activate and deactive.

Platform and Language Support

Every operating system and programming language provides inherent support for sending DNS queries, as the Domain Name System (DNS) serves as a foundational element for functioning on the internet. DNS is responsible for translating human-readable domain names, such as www.example.com, into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network.

Different programming languages offer libraries and functions for transmitting queries to DNS servers. Additionally, operating system commands can be used to send DNS queries for activating and validating licenses.