License cannot be activated due to outdated software dongle - Automatic Software-dongle switch

TL;DR: If the name 'Soft Dongle' appears in the license manager you got an outdated version. Return licenses, delete the Software-Dongle, install the newest license manager. The license manager creates a new Software-Dongle. Activate licenses.

Query - License Manager asks to switch the Software-Dongle type

Copa-Data offers 3 types of software dongles:

1. Software-Dongle Standard (for physical PCs)
   
2. Software-Dongle Virtualmachine (for virtual machines)
   
3. Software-Dongle VM Datacenter (for virtual machines in datacenters; the host of the VM can possibly change)
   

A license is issued either for (a) or (a and b) or for (a and b and c). 

The license manager does detect automatically if it is running inside a virtual machine environment. However, it does not detect if it is running in a datacenter. 

Therefore the license manager has a small help for the customer built in:

If the license is issued for dongles of type Software-Dongle VM Datacenter (a, b and c), the software-dongle is automatically switched if the license to be activated is the first one.

If there are already licenses activated on the software-dongle the switch cannot be performed automatically. The already activated licenses have to be returned. Then the dongle type is switched (automatically or manually) and then the licenses can be activated again.

You can however also decide to activate the license on the (already present) Software-Dongle Virtualmachine instead (type b).

Outdated Software-Dongles

Previous versions of zenon provide a type of software dongle which identifies as 'Soft Dongle VirtualMachine' in the license manager (note the exclamation mark in the screenshot).

If you encounter such a dongle IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to switch the software-dongle to a newer version.
This can be done by

1. installing a newer version of the license manager
   
2. return the licenses currently activated
   
3. decide:
1. EITHER delete the (now empty) software dongle and let the license manager create a new software dongle (you can use the script in the attachment)
   
2. OR switch the dongle type in the settings tab back and forth to create the new type of dongle.
   
4. activate the licenses returned in step 2.
   

The new type of software dongle identifies as 'Software-Dongle Virtualmachine'

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