Licensing and copy protection questions and answers

Summary

This topic answers a few common questions about ArcGIS Engine licensing and copy protections.

How is ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit licensed?

ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit uses click-wrap licensing, a signed license agreement is not required. ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit is licensed on a single use basis. Concurrent use licensing is not available.

ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit is copy protected with a registration number and authorization file similar to the ArcGIS for Desktop Basic single use product registration. It does not require hardware keys. It requires an authorization file from Esri to unlock the software for a specific machine.

How is ArcGIS Engine for Windows licensed?

The following are the two options for licensing ArcGIS Engine for Windows:

Single Use or Concurrent Use license software authorization

With both options, the end-user customer must agree to the Esri Master License Agreement (MLA), E204/E300.

Single Use authorization—Each software license includes an authorization number that can be used with the Software Authorization Wizard to authorize ArcGIS Engine for Windows.

The license authorization process requires an Internet connection. If the end user does not have Internet access on the client machine, contact Esri Customer Service.

ArcGIS Engine for Windows can be authorized silently using a provisioning file. For more information, see Installing ArcGIS Engine for Windows silently.

Concurrent Use authorization—You must install the Esri License Manager, then use the Concurrent Use authorization number provided by Esri. Authorize the Concurrent Use licenses for the License Manager using the Software Authorization Wizard. The number of Concurrent Use licenses available is "coded" in the authorization number based on the number of licenses purchased.

Once the License Manager is authorized, the Engine end user will use the Software Authorization Wizard to select the Concurrent Use License option for each ArcGIS Engine for Windows deployment.

Internet for server-based deployment licensing is not offered because ArcGIS for Server offers solutions for Internet or intranet deployments. Deploying ArcGIS Engine for Windows as a Windows service is not supported or allowed under the Esri Master License Agreement.

ArcGIS for Desktop licenses can be used to run ArcGIS Engine applications if the custom application checks for existing ArcGIS for Desktop licenses. For example, a developer can build an application using the ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit. A user who already has ArcGIS for Desktop Basic on their machine does not need to obtain an ArcGIS Engine for Windows license to run the application. The ArcGIS for Desktop license allows the use of this application on the user's machine.

Users cannot mix and match existing ArcGIS for Desktop licenses with ArcGIS Engine for Windows licenses. In other words, regular ArcGIS for Desktop licenses and ArcGIS Engine for Windows licenses cannot be combined to run an ArcGIS Engine application. For example, you cannot use an existing ArcGIS for Desktop Basic license with an ArcGIS Engine Spatial extension license to run a custom ArcGIS Engine application that requires the standard ArcGIS Engine and Spatial extension licenses. In this example, the user is also not able to use a regular ArcGIS for Desktop Spatial Analyst extension license with a standard ArcGIS Engine for Windows license.

What's the difference between ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit and ArcGIS Engine for Windows?

ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit and ArcGIS Engine for Windows are different products with different terms of use. ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit is for building custom solutions and ArcGIS Engine for Windows is the required infrastructure to run the custom application.

What's included with ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit?

ArcGIS Engine for Windows, including all the extensions for development and testing use the following:

ArcObjects software development kit (SDK) for .NET
ArcObjects SDK for Java
ArcObjects SDK for C++
One license for ArcGIS Engine for Windows and each extension for testing purposes

What's included with ArcGIS Engine for Windows?

ArcGIS Engine for Windows deliverable is a Web download or DVD that includes setup programs for the following:

ArcGIS Engine for Windows
ArcGIS Engine for Linux
ArcGIS Engine for Solaris
Esri License Manager (required for Concurrent Use licensing)
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 sp 1
ArcSDE Personal (Structured Query Language [SQL] Server Express)

ArcGIS Engine for Windows install program includes the Standard Engine and all ArcGIS Engine for Windows extensions, but each extension is licensed and sold separately.

Can ArcGIS Engine for Windows be redistributed with a custom solution?

Yes, the ArcGIS Engine for Windows setup and installation can be redistributed with a custom solution. Organizations can deploy custom solutions with ArcGIS Engine for Windows within their organization as long as they have acquired the appropriate number of ArcGIS Engine for Windows licenses from Esri or an authorized reseller. The ArcGIS Engine for Windows license cannot be redistributed outside your organization without express permission from Esri.

Distribute and deploy ArcGIS Engine for Windows setup program in its entirety. The individual ArcGIS .NET assemblies or other components should not be deployed outside the ArcGIS Engine for Windows setup program.

What is a Designer license?

Designer is the name of the license file feature that corresponds to the ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit. It provides access to development with all the ArcGIS Engine ArcObjects components in design time.

If I already have ArcGIS for Desktop, do I need ArcGIS Engine for Windows?

ArcGIS for Desktop licenses and runtime can be used to run ArcGIS Engine applications if the custom application binds to an existing ArcGIS for Desktop runtime, and checks out an ArcGIS for Desktop license. For more information, see RuntimeManager.Bind.

For example, a developer can build an application using the ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit. A user who already has ArcGIS for Desktop Basic on their machine does not need to buy an ArcGIS Engine for Windows license or install ArcGIS Engine for Windows to run this application. The ArcGIS for Desktop license and runtime allows the use of this application on that user's machine.

Commercial developers might still charge a separate license fee for their application.

How many custom applications can ArcGIS Engine for Windows support?

ArcGIS Engine for Windows licenses are not limited and licensed by application. A single ArcGIS Engine for Windows license allows the user to run an unlimited number of applications on one specific computer.

Once you develop an ArcGIS Engine solution, how do you get ArcGIS Engine for Windows licenses?

ArcGIS Engine for Windows licenses are only available from Esri, Esri distributors, or authorized resellers. For additional information, contact your local Esri office.

Can ArcGIS Engine be used for Internet or server deployments?

No, ArcGIS Engine for Windows is not for an Internet or server solution. ArcGIS for Server is an excellent option for server deployments. ArcGIS Engine is for deployment on individual desktop computers.