Re: Fujitsu support - need help - Netcobol for windows and licensed

Frederico Fonseca wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
> I have a question that so far I have been unable to solve, and either
> someone here has a solution for it, or I would like to have someone
> with an active maintenance contract with them to pose this question to
> them.
>
> Situation
> Power COBOL V7, 3rd party OCX control, properly licensed.
>
> When run in test machine it gets a message box appears saying "file
> License.dat is not found. License Agreement can not be completed"
> If we copy the ".lic" file into the same folder as the supplied
> activeX .OCX then it works fine, but this is obviously ilegal to do,
> as it is basically distibuiting the development license.
>
> From what I have found so far it seems that FJ is not implementing the
> functionality of IClassfactory2 interface which is the method many
> ActiveX controls use to determine if the control is being distributed
> from a legal copy of the software, and I have been unable to find a
> way to "fix" this from within POWERCobol.

This is true because the IClassFactory2 methods are implemented by the
windows COM library, not PowerCOBOL. The .OCX you are using invokes these
methods, not PowerCOBOL.

The .OCX you are using may not allow 'runtime' license deployment on a
'development' licensed machine. The .OCX developer should have information
on the licensing requirements.

> So has anyone using FJ v7 been able to use a 3rd party control that
> requires a license info to be supplied to the control? if so how did
> you solve the problem?
>
> If someone can post this question to FJ directly I can supply more
> details, including a demo project, slthoug this is realy not
> necessary, as I just add the control to the project, no code required,
> and when using the standard power/netcobol installer to a new machine
> it does not work, e.g. gives the license message.
>
>
> Regards
>
> Frederico Fonseca
>
>
> Frederico Fonseca
> ema il: frederico_fonseca at syssoft-int.com

Jeff Campbell
n8wxs@arrl.net

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Frederico Fonseca wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 22:04:14 +1200, "Pete Dashwood"
> <dashwood@enternet.co.nz> wrote:
> 

The file names are different. Isn't that relevant? How does the "license.dat
"
file get created? (And what does it contain?) The ".lic" file appears to be 
the
development license key, while the "License.dat" file seems to be the deploy
ment
license key. Correct? My assumption would be that the install script for you
r
application must copy or create the "License.dat" file, at installation time
,
in the same directory as the newly installed copy of the .OCX file.
 
> I read the license they supply, then I spoke with them, then several
> emails were exchanged with them regarding the technicalities, and ONLY
> after all other venues were exhausted I did post in CLC asking for
> help.
> 
> Incorrect for both Jeff and Pete.
>
> IClassFactory is implemented within COM that part is correct, but it
> is up to the container to allow for the available licensing controls
> in order to allow controls to be added to it. Although the ActiveX
> control does not NEED to use the IClassFactory it does need to
> implement it (at least in C++). It is up to the container to see if it
> is implemented and if required by the control then he (the container)
> should use it.
>

I was incorrect above. IClassFactory and IClassFactory2 are *interfaces*
defined by COM. Their *implementations* are coded in the class object, ie,
your ActiveX component, not the COM library. The COM library will call the
implemented code when an instance of the ActiveX object is created at runtim
e.

> 
> I didn't, but others did. And note that a component is not the same
> thing as an ActiveX Control.
> 
> as I said this validation is a subset of the IClassFactory (which FJ
> DOES implement), and it is a subset used to validate licensing. Once
> it is implemented correctly by any container, it will work with ALL
> third party controls used within that container.

Not possible. I might use a trapdoor algorithm to compute a license key,
while another developer might use one or more registry values to store a
precomputed license key. Another developer might use a file 8-) to store
the key. The control's IClassFactory2 code would have to be implementation
unique to handle these and any other possible license methods. No two
controls will necessarily do it the *same* way.

> 
> My experience (although not with FJ COBOL) is MANY suppliers do
> require a runtime license, and most of them do implement it using only
> the mentioned class. The fact that most "clients" do not notice that
> they have available a illegal license of a piece of software will not
> prevent BSA (or whatever similar legal entities available on your
> country) from processing your company should it be found in 100 of
> your computers, as supplying the ".lic" without proper authorization
> would amount to piracy.
> 
> Not really. Best option would be for FJ to have this implemented
> (which it seems they have not), and the second one would be for
> someone that has gone through this problem to post the solution here
> or by private email.
> Note that I may now have found a solution but will not be testing this
> until tomorrow (1 AM now, bed time).
>
> If I am correct I will be happy to share the solution with anyone that
> needs it.
>
> And for clarification , V8 also has the same problem (just tried it).

So, it's not PowerCOBOL related.  8-) 8-)

>
>
> Regards
>
> Frederico Fonseca
>
>
> Frederico Fonseca
> ema il: frederico_fonseca at syssoft-int.com

Jeff Campbell
n8wxs@arrl.net

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