License Management

GMG licenses are managed via the Application Service. Here you can create a new online license system, view your licenses, check their expiration date, update expired licenses, and add new ones. When there is an internet connection, the service automatically transfers new licenses to your system. If you have any questions or problems related to your licenses, you can also use it to create a log file for our support team.

GMG Application Service

Open the Application Service

By default, the service runs as background process appservice.exe as soon as you start an installed GMG application. It regularly checks the current license status for your system. You can open it in all GMG applications via the menu option Update License....

Create a new online license system

If you do not have any licenses for your target computer, you can create a new, empty license system via the Application Service. During the creation, you will receive a serial number for your system automatically, which you can then use to purchase licenses from your GMG dealer (see "License Types").

You already have a dongle with licenses for your computer?
Instead of creating a new license system for online licensing, you can also switch your current dongle licensing to online licensing with just a few clicks. Switching has the advantage that the existing serial number is kept, whereas creating a new online license system would result in a new serial number (see "Switch from dongle licensing to online licensing").

Show all licenses

It does not matter which application you use to open the Application Service: you can always see a complete list of all GMG licenses on the system here. In GMG ColorServer Configurator, you can open it via License > License > Update License. Please note that dongle licenses can only be displayed if a dongle is connected (see "License Types").

In this license overview, you can also check the validity period of your temporary licenses. If the column Valid to shows the status Expired instead of a date, your temporary license has expired. Please contact one of our sales channel partners in time to purchase a new license and continue using the software as usual. They will clarify all the necessary details with you and ensure that you receive your new license as quickly as possible.

Receive new licenses automatically

The Application Service checks the current license status every hour. If there is an active internet connection, the service automatically transfers any changes from the GMG Cloud to your system. This also includes new licenses that we have activated for you.

If you have a valid Software Update Contract (SUC) or a valid Subscription, we will activate licenses for new versions without further request. If you have neither, you must order the new licenses first to have them activated and delivered via the cloud.

In the license overview under "Options" button in Application Service Options > Show version info, you can see when the status was last checked. If you want to update the status before the next auto-check, click Schaltfläche "Aktualisieren" im Application Service Refresh.

Add new licenses manually

If your system is not connected to the internet, you can also add new licenses manually. Please mention this when ordering a license or signing a Software Update Contract (SUC) or Subscription. You will then receive your new license by e-mail as a .lic file. Save the file to an external storage medium and then connect it to the target system.

Create a device file

Online licenses are tied to the system for which they were created (see "License Types"). They are very stable and hard to break, even when it comes to hardware changes. Nevertheless, in case of extensive system modifications, there is a very rare possibility that the altered system might be identified as an entirely new online system. Consequently, existing online licenses may not be applied correctly. In this case, you must have us adjust them to the modified system. To do so, create a device file with the Application Service. Then send us this file along with your request and your serial number. The file contains all relevant information we need to adjust your licenses accordingly. This service is free of charge.

Switch from dongle licensing to online licensing

If you want to run your system without a dongle, you can have your dongle licenses changed to online licenses via the Application Service (see "License Types").

It usually takes about two minutes to switch all your licenses, and your system needs to be connected to the internet during the switch. Your serial number remains the same, and the switch to online licensing does not affect your SUC.

Switch from online licensing to dongle licensing

Have you accidentally switched your dongle licensing to online licensing and would like to undo this? Or do you want to use a fallback dongle because your online license system will be offline for more than 60 days? You can then switch your system to dongle licensing. However, this only works if the license overview is empty. This ensures that active licenses are retained when your system recognizes and applies the serial number of the dongle during the switch.

If your license overview is not empty, please contact us. We will take all necessary backup steps for you and then automatically reset your license overview via the online connection.

Request temporary licenses

If you urgently need to set up a new machine beyond the GMG Germany business hours, for example a disaster recovery system, you can use our self-service to obtain a temporary license package. The package is created automatically and will be ready within minutes of your request. It provides temporary licenses for all essential GMG applications and is valid for four days. Please contact your dealer or our support team within this period to replace the temporary licenses with permanent licenses.

The function Request temporary licenses... is only available on systems with an empty license overview. A valid GMG Manage user account is required to request the licenses.

Create a log file for error analysis

If you have any problems or questions regarding your licenses, you can create a log file with the Application Service. Then send this file along with your request to our support team. It contains all the relevant information and helps us to resolve your issue quickly and efficiently.

Do you have further questions on this topic?
In our FAQ, you do not only find general tips & tricks, but also concrete instructions for troubleshooting.

Information on license management via the Application Service does not apply to GMG ColorPlugin and GMG ColorPlugin licenses.