Work with SmartBear Hosted ID-Based Licenses

Important

Important Notice for TestEngine Customers:

ReadyAPI has fully transitioned to the ID-based SmartBear License Management (SLM) system. We are now moving into the final phase of the deprecation of file-based licenses. Customers still using file-based licensing need to plan for migration to SLM before September 30, 2025.

If you are still in the process of migrating or have yet to start, contact your Account Manager or SmartBear representative today. Our teams are ready to assist with smooth transition strategies. For additional support, log a request with our Customer Care Team, who are standing by to help.

For further information and timelines, refer to the File-Based License End-of-Life Policy.

SmartBear ID-based licenses are now the default license type we started using in ReadyAPI 3.8.1 and are now issued to all customers. It is more reliable and convenient to use than the license type used in previous product versions.

To activate and use the product, you need to:

  • Have a license added to manage.smartbear.com.

  • Assign the license to a TestEngine administrator.

  • Set up your access credentials, including the access key.

  • Ensure the location where TestEngine is installed can see the SmartBear License Server.

When you request a trial license or purchase a commercial license, your SmartBear account manager will assist with the license provision.

Requirements

ID-based licenses are online and offline licenses.

Offline licenses are those that are controlled by the SmartBear license servers available on the Web.

On-premises licenses are those that work in private networks, which have no connection to the Web and SmartBear license servers.

By default, the licenses you purchase are online ones. You can convert them to offline licenses and vice versa on the SmartBear License Management Portal.

Currently, all the control over license use is performed by the SmartBear License Servers available 24×7. The computer where you are running ReadyAPI 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://login.slm.manage.smartbear.com:443

  • https://server.manage.smartbear.com:443

  • https://server.slm.manage.smartbear.com:443

  • https://profile.id.smartbear.com:443

  • https://profile-api.id.smartbear.com:443

  • https://auth.id.smartbear.com:443

This access is needed both at the product start and during the product runtime. The addresses are for API servers and don’t have a user interface visible in browsers. When products call these hosts, they add some specific paths or URLs to the addresses.

Note

We encrypt all data at rest and over the wire.

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

Managing licenses

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

License Management | SmartBear

Getting your licenses and installing

The following license assignment and activation steps are required to get started:

  1. Admin steps — Assign the licenses to end-users (TestEngine administrator)

    When purchasing a license, you specify the person who will represent the license administrator on your side, that is, who will have permissions to control the license use and assign the license to your TestEngine admins.

    The license administrator works on the SmartBear Licensing Portal:

    License Management | SmartBear

    For complete information on assigning licenses, see SmartBear License Management Documentation.

    A license needs to be assigned to the TestEngine administrator. If TestEngine administrator does not have a SmartBear account, the license admin can invite them to the Portal to get the account created. It is essential to use corporate emails for the invitation, not the personal ones.

    If needed, the license administrator can assign the licenses to themselves. This might be required where the license administrator and the TestEngine administrator are the same person.

  2. User Steps

    1. Complete account creation

      If your license administrator assigns a license to the TestEngine administrator and they (TestEngine administrator) have no SmartBear account, the Licensing Portal will send an invitation email. This email contains a link to the Portal. Follow this link and specify a password for the SmartBear account to complete the account creation.

      Of course, the Portal doesn’t send invitations to those who already have SmartBear accounts. These users receive notifications on assigned licenses.

    2. Install TestEngine

      1. Download the latest TestEngine installer from here.

      2. Run the installer and follow the instructions of the installation wizard.

      3. Start TestEngine.

    3. Get your access key

      1. Follow the steps outlined above to ensure you can see your TestEngine license and get your access key.

      2. Make sure your computer has access to the SmartBear License Servers.

    4. Log in to TestEngine WebUI and install your license

      1. Start TestEngine.

      2. Log in to the WebUI. The login URL for TestEngine will depend on where it is installed, but will look like this: http://localhost:8080/.

        1. Go to User Menu/License.

          install-new-slm-license__1_.png

        2. Check that there is no license currently installed.

        3. Click Add License. The following install option will appear.

        4. Select License Hosted: Smartbear option.

          on-prem-license__1_.png

        5. Enter your Access Key into the Access key field and click 'Install'.

          slm-access-key__1_.png

        6. Your license will install, and you can start using.

          license-details.png

Uninstalling a license

  1. Go into Admin/License.

  2. Click Uninstall License.

Upgrading or renewing your license

  1. There can only be one license installed at any one time on TestEngine. To install a new license, please uninstall your existing license and go through the add license workflow. This also applies to renewal, upgrade, and downgrade license scenarios.

  2. To prevent any service disruption to TestEngine users when the license is uninstalled, we have introduced a 'grace period' to ensure your tests can run without interruption. ‘Grace period’ will start when the license is uninstalled, and it will keep your virtual services running for up to 8 hours. You can install a new license at this time, and the properties of that license will take over upon installation.

Network or Server Connection Issues

In the event of any connection issues with the on-prem license server or your license session is interrupted for some reason, we have introduced a 'grace period' to ensure your tests can run without interruption. ‘Grace period’ will start if the connection with the license server is lost or your license is uninstalled, and it will keep your virtual services running for up to 8 hours. If the connection with your license server or your license is not restored in this window, TestEngine will uninstall your license, and you will need to reinstall your license. You may need to engage with your license administrator to ensure you have a license available before you attempt another installation.

Managing License Installation and Uninstallation with Command Line

  1. Add and assign your TestEngine license on manage.smartbear.com as outlined above.

  2. You can activate or deactivate a SmartBear ID-based license via CLI. To install a floating license, follow the instructions in the Install a Floating License section.

In this section:
© 2025
Publication date: