A dedicated license server is used to centrally manage licensing for network-capable licensing types in your Intella environment. It provides a single point for license distribution and is particularly useful in multi-machine or scalable deployments, and is typically seen with Intella Investigator and Intella Connect installations that use SL licenses.
Only licensing methods that support network access can be used with a dedicated license server (i.e. physical red network dongles and virtual SL keys).
Please pay particular attention to the Infrastructure requirements section, which covers host and network configuration settings that need to be made.
When to use a dedicated license server
A dedicated license server is recommended when:
You are deploying SL keys
Multiple systems need shared access to licenses
You are using virtual machines or scalable infrastructure
You want centralized control over license usage
You want to avoid installing licenses on individual machines
This approach is best suited for shared or distributed environments where centralized management is preferred over per-machine licensing.
Supported licensing types
In general, Intella supports the following licensing methods:
Non-network-enabled USB dongles (green or purple dongles)
Network-enabled USB dongles (red dongles)
Software License (SL) keys
However, only network-enabled USB dongles and SL keys can be used with a dedicated license server, since they support network-based license access.
Non-network-enabled USB dongles only supply a license to the machine they are plugged into, and cannot be shared over a network.
How licensing works with a license server
Network-enabled USB dongles
Network-enabled USB dongles are physical devices connected to a single machine and then shared over the network. Client systems request licenses from the license server, allowing concurrent product usage across multiple machines.
This enables flexible allocation of hardware-based licenses without requiring a dongle per workstation.
Software License (SL) keys
SL keys are virtual, secure licensing mechanisms that are installed on a license server and are then shared out over the network to license clients. However, SL keys are tied to the host machine’s "fingerprint" (including CPU, network adapters, disk identifiers, system configuration, etc.).
Because of this binding, any changes such as hardware upgrades, system cloning, or system time modifications can invalidate the license and require a paid replacement.
For this reason, we strongly recommend that SL licenses always be installed on a dedicated license server that is not used for other application workloads.
This ensures license stability and reduces the risk of accidental invalidation while allowing the Intella system(s) to scale independently.
Infrastructure requirements
Dedicated host
The license server should run on a dedicated system (physical or virtual). It does not require high performance hardware and only needs:
Minimal Windows system requirements
A few gigabytes of available disk space
Network configuration
A license server must be reachable by all client systems over the network.
A static IP address is strongly recommended, as it ensures the server remains accessible at a consistent address (e.g., 192.168.1.10). A dynamic IP address is not recommended, as changes can disrupt connectivity and prevent clients from accessing licenses until reconfigured.
In addition to a stable address, the following network requirements must be met:
- Port 1947 (TCP and UDP) must be open on the license server and all client machines
- Systems must be able to communicate over the network (e.g., successful ping between server and clients)
- Firewalls and security software must allow license communication
Further configuration is required in the Thales Sentinel Admin Control Center (ACC) to enable license sharing and access.
Detailed setup instructions for network licensing can be found in the official documentation for:
- Intella Investigator: https://vound.info/investigator-network-license
- Intella Connect: https://vound.info/connect-network-license
- Intella Desktop products (Intella 10, 100, 250, Pro): https://vound.info/pro-network-license
Summary
A dedicated license server enables centralized and scalable license management
Only SL keys and red-colored network-enabled USB dongles can be used with a license server
Non-network USB dongles (green and purple colored) are not network-enabled and cannot be used with a license server
SL licenses are hardware-bound and should be hosted on a dedicated system for that reason
A static IP is strongly recommended for reliable connectivity