Installing VirtServer Licensing
To use the VirtServer license, you need to install it. From VirtServer 3.16 onwards, you install the license in the Web UI and use the Install license dialog box (replacing the command line installation option). VirtServer displays it in the VirtServer Web UI in Admin>License Administration>Add License when you launch the product for the first time after installation.
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Lincense Install Options
License types
VirtServer activation depends on your license type:
SmartBear ID-based — A key-based license type for users starting from VirtServer 3.16.
We call them ID-based because the license needs to be assigned to a user in the customer organisation (usually a License Administrator with a SmartBear ID) on manage.smartbear.com and VirtServer uses a licensing credential to request the license. For offline use, the license can be converted and made available to the VirtServer Administrator so the license can be installed on the product and used. The License Administrator and VirtServer Administrator can, of course, be the same person.
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File-based — These are the licenses used in previous VirtServer versions and in the current 3.16 version as well.
We call them file-based because a user needs to apply a license file they receive from SmartBear to activate and bind the product to the user's computer.
From September 2025, we won't provide file-based licensing. Instead, we will replace it with SmartBear ID-based licensing. You should immediately engage with your SmartBear Account Manager to understand the steps involved in transitioning and getting started. See SmartBear ID-based Licenses to learn more.
For information on the licenses, see About VirtServer Licensing.
Installation Options
Option | When to use |
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SmartBear ID-based License | Choose this option if you have moved to a SmartBear ID-based license. Using this option implies you have a VirtServer license assigned to you in the SmartBear Licensing Portal. You assign a license to VirtServer administrator in https://manage.smartbear.com/ and they can request a license using access key as the access credential. Your license can also be converted to on-premise use by your license administrator. This is explained in more detail here. You require the URL or address for the SmartBear License Server to request a license via the VirtServer UI. Your license administrator may also configure authentication for secure access. In this event, you will need to retrieve your access key from the on-premise license server and specify this when requesting a license in the VirtServer UI. |
License from file | Select this option if you have a file with license data from SmartBear. This option works if you have a file-based Fixed User license. |
License from server | Choose this option if you have a legacy licensing server in your local network. That licensing server should be activated with a file-based Floating license. |
I have no license | If you don’t have a SmartBear account or a file-based license. Contact your SmartBear Representative. |