SmartBear ID-based Licenses

SmartBear ID-based licenses are a new license type that we started using in TestComplete 14.92. It is more reliable and convenient to use in comparison with the license type the previous product versions use.

• You can easily manage your team’s TestComplete (or TestExecute or both) licenses through a centralized online portal.

• You can install and use TestComplete and TestExecute in virtual and cloud environments, for instance, Amazon or Microsoft Azure (including Microsoft-hosted agents) without any restrictions. A static IP will not be needed.

• You can install and use TestComplete and TestExecute in any physical network without any hardware restrictions.

• To activate and use the product, you need to specify your SmartBear account (account or ID — an email and a password). If you don’t have it, you need to create one. We create an account (or ID) for you automatically when you are requesting a TestComplete trial on our website. You can also create it any time earlier or later.

  That ID is enough to use the product, there is no need to install any other license files or enter license keys.

• When TestComplete starts for the first time after the installation, it asks you to specify your SmartBear account. After this, it connects to the SmartBear license servers (see below) and checks if your account has a license (or licenses) for TestComplete and its modules. If the license is found, it enables its functionality. TestComplete stores information on your SmartBear ID, so you don’t have to enter your credentials next time you start the product.

• The ID-based activation can be used on any physical, virtual, or cloud computer.

  You can install the product on multiple machines, easily switch between them, and work under the same SmartBear account. To make a license available for usage on another computer, simply stop the product on your current machine.

  The number of allowed concurrent product instances is set by your license.

• The new licenses are suitable for both individual and enterprise users. In the latter case, a license administrator (a person on your side) assigns the license seats to your teammates on the SmartBear Licensing Portal.

• TestComplete supports a special command-line argument to allow using the licenses on headless machines and in CI/CD builds.

ID-based licenses can be Fixed User and Floating. The difference between them is in how the license seats are assigned and controlled. See the SmartBear Licensing Portal documentation for complete info.

Currently, all the control over license use is performed by the SmartBear license servers available 24×7. The computer where you are running TestComplete must have permanent access to these servers. That is, the proxies and firewalls running in your network should allow connection to them:

• https://manage.smartbear.com:443
• https://api.slm.manage.smartbear.com:443
• https://api.id.smartbear.com:443

In case a network glitch happens, TestComplete is smart enough to understand the cause and to remain functioning long enough to let your system administrators fix the issue.

If you are an existing user

If you are a new user (trial user)

If you work in private networks that are not connected to the global Web, your computers don’t have access to the SmartBear license servers. SmartBear offers a special license type – offline – to make it possible to use ID-based licenses in these conditions. You can convert your commercial Fixed User and Floating licenses to offline ones on the SmartBear Licensing Portal and then activate them in your network in a special way. Learn more about licensing in private networks.

To use a TestComplete trial in private networks, you need to get a regular key-based license. See Activate Trial in Private Networks.

See Activate and Use TestComplete.

Yes, but you need to choose a Floating license. Also, the cloud or virtual machine must have access to SmartBear license servers (see above).

Currently, TestComplete supports both ID-based and key-based licensing. To free users from selecting the license type and make the start for them easier, system administrators can activate the ID-based licensing mode during the product installation. When users start TestComplete, they will need to enter their SmartBear ID (email and password), after which they will be able to use the product.

To make the ID-based licensing the active licensing mode, run the TestComplete installer with the -SLM argument in its command line. The command below installs TestComplete in Silent mode and activates the ID-based licensing scheme:

For more information on command-line arguments of the TestComplete installer, see Installing TestComplete in Silent Mode.

You can manage your SmartBear ID and licenses on our License Management Portal:

https://manage.smartbear.com

Currently, the SmartBear license management system is available as a cloud-hosted service only. This means that you need access to the SmartBear license servers via Internet.

If your network doesn’t have access to the Internet, use the regular key-based licenses. If your version of the product has the SmartBear ID-based license enabled by default, please contact our Customer Care team.

For complete information on the SmartBear ID-based licenses, see our Licensing Portal Documentation.

If you have questions or need assistance with the new licenses, please contact our Customer Care Team or Sales Representative:

If you use the Web form, then when submitting your request, specify the Licensing Inquiry request type. This will help us process your request faster. We will answer you via email and all further communication will be made via email. However, to start the conversation, please use the Web form.

A person on your side who has permissions to assign, release, and manage licenses in the SmartBear Licensing Portal.

A person on your side who has permissions to assign, release, and manage licenses in the SmartBear Licensing Portal.