Licenses (explained)

Before you start the installation, you can learn about licenses in this topic.

If you are installing XProtect Essential+, you can run the system with eight hardware device licenses for free. Automatic license activation is enabled and hardware devices will be activated as you add them to the system.

Only when you upgrade to a more advanced XProtect product, the rest of this topic is relevant.

When you purchase your software and licenses, you get:

  • An order confirmation and a software license file named after your SLC (Software License Code) and with the .lic extension received per email
  • A Milestone Care coverage

To get started, download the software from our website (https://www.milestonesys.com/downloads/). When you install the software, you are asked to provide a valid license file (.lic).

You have purchased at least two types of licenses:

  • Base licenses: One for the XProtect product
  • Hardware device licenses: A certain number of hardware device licenses. Every hardware device with an IP address that you add to your system requires a hardware device license. You do not need additional hardware device licenses for speakers, microphones, or input and output devices attached to your device with the IP address

Most XProtect add-on products require additional licenses. The software license file also includes information about your licenses for add-on products. Some add-on products have their own separate software license files.

If your surveillance system is the central site of a larger system hierarchy using Milestone Interconnect, you need Milestone Interconnect camera licenses to be able to view video from hardware devices on remote sites. Only XProtect Corporate can act as a central site.

After installation, the surveillance system runs on licenses that need to be activated before a certain period ends. This is the grace period. Once the installation is complete, you can get an overview of your licenses for all installations with this SLC on the Management ClientBasics > License Information page.

Milestone recommends that you activate your licenses before you make the final adjustments. If you do not activate your licenses before the grace period expires, all recording servers and cameras without activated licenses stop sending data to the surveillance system.

To activate your licenses:

  • For online activation, log in to the Software Registration page with your My Milestone account on the Milestone website (https://online.milestonesys.com/)

  • For offline activation, you must export a license request (.lrq) file in the Management Client and then log in to the Software Registration page and upload the .lrq file

    Once you have uploaded the .lrq file, Milestone emails you an activated .lic file for import