The functionality of HOME is managed through a series of licenses. 

Firstly, there are Core licenses that determine the size and capability of the system. Then, there are the system-specific licenses that unlock functionality within HOME. Lastly, there are the device-specific licenses that unlock functionality within the devices and apps.

In most cases, the HOME system and device-specific licenses are included in the Lawo Flex Licensing model and can be managed by the user. 

This chapter includes descriptions for the available Core licenses and HOME system licenses. For more information about the licenses for an end-product (e.g. HOME Apps), please refer to the documentation for the end product (e.g. HOME Apps - Licensing).

Lawo Flex Licensing

If a device, app or service is supported by Lawo Flex, then its licensing can be achieved in one of three ways:

  • Perpetual licenses (for permanent availability),
  • An equivalent amount of credits (that are subscription-based),
  • A mixture of both: perpetual licenses + credits (for baseline functionality + subscription-based top-ups).

By default, HOME allocates all available perpetual licenses first, and then tops up with credits. If you wish to use only perpetual licenses, or only credits, then this can be done by editing the License Type of an app (for HOME Apps) or the Advanced → License Configuration options (in .edge).

Please note: In .edge systems, the use of credits is only permitted once the blade's system clock is synchronized to the licensing service running on HOME (to ensure that the credits remain valid). If this condition is not met, then it is not possible to configure the Subscription License fields. This is explained in more detail in the documentation for .edge.

Perpetual Licenses vs Credits

To choose the most appropriate licensing method, it is important to understand the differences between perpetual licenses and credits.

Perpetual licenses:

  • are purchased once and are valid for the lifetime of the system.
  • are bound to a specific device, app or function.
  • are uploaded and stored on the device or HOME system.
  • cannot be moved to a different device or HOME system.

Lawo Flex credits:

  • are purchased on a subscription basis, with a default validity of 30 days*.
  • are not bound to any particular device, app or function. They are valid for any licensed resource in HOME (that is supported by Lawo Flex).
  • are assigned to the HOME system from an active subscription in the customer's Lawo Flex account.
  • can be moved between HOME systems, as long as the HOME systems are linked to the same Lawo Flex account.

*Important:

When using credits, it is important to understand that all credits have a default validity period that must be refreshed to ensure their continued use. If HOME has an online connection to the licensing cloud, then this happens automatically (24 hours before the date of renewal). However, if HOME is disconnected from the licensing cloud, then a credit refresh must be performed manually from HOME's 'Licenses → Credits' page (as described here).

For more information, please see HOME - Managing Credits: Credit Validity.

More information about how to set up and manage a Lawo Flex account can be found in the Lawo Flex - User Manual.