Developer Center Resources
RECOMMENDED - NI License Manager (NILM) 3rd Party SDK
NI recommends the NILM 3rd Party SDK as the licensing solution for new products submitted to the NI Tools Network. The SDK extends NI's own licensing technology to 3rd party products, and provides the same activation experience as NI software. The SDK features a run-time API, for licensing of applications, and tools to bind a LabVIEW library to a license file, for LabVIEW-based add-ons. A .NET version is also available for licensing non-LabVIEW code. Get started with the NILM 3rd Party SDK here.
NILM licensing allows customers to evaluate your product for a time period (in days) of your choosing. Customers can then purchase a license through NI and activate the product via the NI License Manager application. This process will look and feel the same as buying and activating NI software.
Third Party Licensing and Activation Toolkit (TPLAT)
TPLAT provides functionality to license both applications and add-ons. Use the flow chart below to determine the components involved in licensing your particular product. We recommend using NI License Manager unless your product has non-standard licensing requirements. The NI License Manager SDK is free of charge. Advanced licensing with TPLAT requires additional purchases, and NI is no longer providing NEW standard licensing SOLO accounts.
Licensing a Library with TPLAT
A LabVIEW library is a set of VIs that extends the functionality of the LabVIEW editor, also referred to as an add-on. To license a Library, we recommend using NILM unless your licensing needs are non-standard. If you are licensing a LabVIEW library with TPLAT, it is possible to require each development workstation to have a license for your library before LabVIEW will load your library in the editor. At start-up time, LabVIEW will display a list of licensed libraries along with their status, similar to the dialog below:
Once a library is licensed on a development workstation, this user can export the code to a DLL, EXE, etc., and no additional licensing checks are performed (royalty-free run-time license).
TPLAT Standard Mode
NI is no longer providing complimentary NEW standard licensing SOLO accounts, but will continue to service existing accounts and support TPLAT. This option is for existing products and features a 30-day evaluation period, requiring online activation over the Internet, and a royalty-free run-time license.
- Tutorial: License a LabVIEW Library Using Standard Mode
- LabVIEW Help Topic: Licensing a Development Add-on
- Use: This licensing method is used for toolkits and can be accessed through the LabVIEW > Tools menu once TPLAT is installed. You do not have control over customizing the license file and are limited to licenses with 30-day evaluation periods and automatic (over the web) activation. This Tools menu utility will create a standard license file and bind it to the LabVIEW library file for your toolkit so any time a user opens one of your toolkit VIs the licensing check is performed in the LabVIEW Development Environment.
- Requirements: LabVIEW 2010+, Third-Party Licensing and Activation Toolkit (TPLAT), SOLO Server account on NI hosted server.
TPLAT Advanced Mode
If you would like more advanced licensing control of your library using TPLAT, the solution is TPLAT Advanced Mode coupled with the power of Protection PLUS 4 SDK (required purchase). When using Advanced Mode, you will have numerous options to customize your license parameters, including:
- Custom evaluation periods
- Hard evaluation date limits
- Custom usage limits
- Subscription-based licensing
- Both online and offline/manual/telephone-based activation
- Require every workstation to activate your library in addition to requiring activation of the library for use in the LabVIEW editor
You can then centrally manage your licenses using a SoftwareKey SOLO Server1 (additional purchase).
- Tutorial: License a LabVIEW Library Using Advanced Mode
- LabVIEW Help Topic: Licensing a Development Add-on
- Cost: Starting from $499, depending on server options
- Use: This licensing method requires an additional software component from Concept Software to create license files, called Protection PLUS 4. This utility allows for more customized options for the license file, such as longer trial periods, limiting the # of runs instead of days of operation, etc. Once a license file is created, the Advanced Mode licensing option in the same LabVIEW > Tools menu dialog can be used to bind the license file to a LabVIEW library. You then have options to activate a license over the phone, automatically through a server (hosted by you or Concept Software), and over the web.
- Requirements: LabVIEW 2010+, Third-Party Licensing and Activation Toolkit (TPLAT), Concept Software Protection PLUS, (optional) Concept Software SOLO Server (hosted by you) or Instant...
Licensing an Application
Similar to licensing a library with TPLAT, licensing a LabVIEW application has both a standard and an advanced mode. Both approaches require purchasing a component of the SoftwareKey System. NI recommends the NI License Manager Third-Party SDK, available free of charge, to license applications which will be sold through National Instruments. Sales of a product licensed with the NI License Manager Third-Party SDK can only be fulfilled through National Instruments sales channel.
Instant Protection PLUS 3 (Windows)
Tapping into thousands of lines of licensing code is quick and easy work with Instant Protection PLUS 3. Akin to a paint-by-numbers set, the step-by-step guidance of the implementation wizard will have you on your way with little to no source code changes.
They allow you to protect 32-bit and 64-bit Windows executables via the easily accessible Instant Protection PLUS 3 API. You can customize your solution from a host of options representing the most commonly requested licensing needs.
- Tutorial: License a LabVIEW Executable Using Instant Protection PLUS
- Tutorial: License a LabVIEW Executable Using the Instant Protection PLUS 3 API
- External Help Topic: Instant Protection PLUS 3 Online Help
- Cost: Starting from $49/month, depending on server options
- Use: This licensing method provides the flexibility to wrap already-built 32-bit executables and DLLs or add licensing checks to LabVIEW code to build it into a 32-bit or 64-bit executable. The Instant Protection PLUS 3 wizard can wrap 32-bit executables and DLLs with an activation prompt. The Instant Protection PLUS 3 API allows you to call the Instant Protection PLUS 3 DLL to add advanced licensing features to 32-bit and 64-bit applications. Licenses are created using the Instant Protection PLUS 3 application and you have options for activating by phone, e-mail, and over the web.
- Requirements: Concept Software Instant Protection PLUS 3, (optional) Concept Software SOLO Server or Instant SOLO ...
Protection PLUS 5 SDK LabVIEW Edition (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X)
For the most complex licensing needs, use the Protection PLUS 5 SDK LabVIEW Edition! This is an addition to the SoftwareKey family of software licensing solutions. This solution consists of application programming interfaces (APIs) to give your development team complete control and flexibility over the licensing business logic and user interface. Your development team has a blank canvas and the APIs are their palette and paintbrush.
The new Protection PLUS 5 VIs make it easy to call and harness the power of the Protection PLUS 5 Native Edition library, including support for additional platforms (such as Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux — both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures) with the same API!
- Tutorial: License a LabVIEW Executable Using Protection PLUS 5 SDK LabVIEW Edition
- External Help Topic: Protection PLUS 5 PLUSNative API
- Cost: Starting from $49/month, depending on server options
- Use: This licensing method provides LabVIEW developers complete control and flexibility over the licensing business logic and user interface for the most sophisticated licensing requirements. Protection PLUS 5 SDK LabVIEW Edition supports development in Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X in 32-bit and 64-bit environments. The API also includes direct access to SOLO Server web services.
- Requirements: LabVIEW 2009+, Concept Software Protection PLUS, (optional) Concept Software SOLO Server (hosted by you) or Instant...
1 SoftwareKey SOLO Server is specifically designed to work with Protection PLUS 4 SDK and TPLAT for centralized management of your customer’s licenses. Together, they create the advanced solution that is the flagship of the SoftwareKey System. You get the most powerful overall solution driven by combined technologies: the speed of traditional software e-commerce, the hands-free automation of electronic license activation and management (ELA/ELM), and centralized controls to manage license enforcement. Any of the SOLO Server hosting options are available to you.
2 Note that although Protection PLUS 5 SDK is currently the latest version, both TPLAT Advanced Mode and TPLAT API require a full license of Protection PLUS SDK Version 4 from SoftwareKey.com.
I'm creating an Add-on for LabVIEW within which I want to be able to host a number of licenses, namely:
1. Trial - 30-day unrestricted access (free)
2. Basic - 365 day restricted access (free)
3. Full - 365 day unrestricted access (paid)
These three licenses need to be possible options in one LabVIEW Add-on toolkit such that initially it installs with the 30-day trial (1) to allow a user to get to know the toolkit, then automatically drops into the restricted license (2) unless they decide to pay for further unrestricted access (3).
I've also been following the tutorial PDF document here for licensing a library and it demonstrates how to create a license file and attach it to a library, but I can't see how to create and attach more than one license? I have the three listed above, and there may be more to come, that all need to be attached to the library simultaneously. How does one go about achieving that? How can I implement the flexibility to provide one purchaser with a 30 day trial and another a 60 day trial and another a 90 day full license etc? Can all this be accommodated by the SOLO and ProtectionPlus systems?
Thanks Michael, I did wonder if this was the case, but I just cannot see how each Option is configured in the SOLO system. I'm following the trial and have created two options under my trial product, but neither has a field for 'days' to declare for how long the license is valid. The only 'days' field I've seen so far is entered in the LFEdit tool which creates the single license file for the library - which in the trial is set to 30-days. I'm very confused 
OK, so now I'm even more confused than ever - I'm defering this discussion to a Discussion post in order to prevent diverting the purpose of these comment fields.
