# Selection of License Manager Under Windows

On a Windows platform, two or more types of License Managers may be available to a protected application. The application selects the License Manager based on the type and location of the protection key that contains the required license. This section describes the process by which the License Manager that will directly access the protection key is selected.

The Integrated LM is always present in a protected application. The External LM is optionally present also. One of the two is always selected to directly access a local protection key or to hand off access requests to a local or remote Admin License Manager.

The License Managers to directly and indirectly access the protection key are selected as follows:

1.The Integrated LM is selected if the External LM is missing or is an older version. Otherwise, the External LM is selected.

2. A local SL UserMode key is always directly accessed by the selected Integrated/External LM.

3.A local Sentinel HL (Driverless configuration) key is directly accessed by the selected Integrated/External LM if a local Admin LM is absent or is an older version than the Integrated/External LM. Otherwise, access requests are forwarded to the local Admin LM.

NOTE When a protection key is accessed directly by the Integrated/External LM, the session created for the protection key is not displayed in Sentinel Admin Control Center.

4.Access requests for other types of local protection keys are always forwarded to the local Admin LM.

5.When the protection key (of a type that supports network operation) is on a remote machine, the selected Integrated/External LM handles communication directly with the Admin LM on the remote machine, even if a local Admin LM exists. However, if a local Admin LM exists and is active, the Integrated/External LM retrieves the list of servers (if such a list exists) from the local Admin LM.

The following diagram shows a graphical representation of the process by which the License Manager to directly access the protection key is selected.

Legend:

| The External LM is selected unless the Integrated LM is a more recent version than the External LM or unless the External LM is not present.
| For the Sentinel HL (Driverless configuration) key: The key is directly accessed by the Admin LM unless the selected Integrated/External LM is a more recent version than the Admin LM, or unless the Admin LM is not present.

The following table provides a summary of which License Manager is selected to directly access each type of protection key. Note that the Admin LM and External LM are not necessarily present in all cases.

Type of protection key that contains the required license | Location of the key | License Manager selection priority (from highest to lowest)
--- | --- | ---
Sentinel HL (Driverless configuration) key | Local | >Admin LM (if the Admin LM is the same or a more recent version than the External LM and the Integrated LM) >External LM (if the External LM is the same or a more recent version than the Integrated LM) >Integrated LM
Sentinel HL (HASP configuration) or HASP HL key | Local | Admin LM
SL Legacy key or SL AdminMode key | Local | Admin LM
SL UserMode key | Local | >External LM (if the External LM is the same or a more recent version than the Integrated LM) >Integrated LM
A protection key that supports concurrency | Remote | (Remote) Admin LM

## Related Topics

Sentinel License Managers - Overview

Types of License Managers

Selection of License Manager - Others