Activating SQL Backup

When you download a Red Gate Software product, you have a 14 day trial period in which you can evaluate the product. When your trial period expires, you are invited to purchase the product. If you need more time to evaluate the product, contact licensing@red-gate.com

When you purchase the product, you are sent an invoice that contains your serial number. You use the serial number to activate the product. If you cannot find your invoice, you can review your serial numbers at http://www.red-gate.com/myserialnumbers

SQL Backup is licensed per SQL Server. If you have a number of SQL Server instances registered with SQL Backup that are all on the same SQL Server, you need to activate only one of the instances. The status of SQL Backup on the SQL Server for a registered SQL Server instance is displayed in the Registered SQL Servers pane in the graphical user interface. You can activate SQL Backup on a SQL Server if one of the following icons is displayed to the right of the name of the SQL Server instance:

	SQL Backup is activated for a trial period on this SQL Server.
	The SQL Backup trial period has expired. To use SQL Backup with this SQL Server instance, you must activate SQL Backup for the SQL Server.

You can click the icon to start the activation process, or right-click the name of the SQL Server instance and click Activate License.

When you activate the product, the activation program sends an activation request to the Red Gate activation server, using checksums of attributes from your computer. The checksums that are sent to the activation server do not contain any details that might pose a security risk.

You can activate the product by Internet, by email, or by using manual activation. Note that you cannot automate activation using the command line. However, if you are not able to activate a SQL Server using the graphical user interface, you can use the program ProductActivation.exe which is provided with SQL Backup. For example, you may wish to use this program to activate cluster nodes.

Activating by Internet

When you activate by Internet, the Red Gate activation server is contacted and returns an activation response and an encrypted key to unlock the software. Note that you should receive the activation response within a few minutes of sending your request.

If you are experiencing problems when you activate by Internet, try manual activation.

Activating by email

When you activate by email, you must copy all of the activation request provided in the product activation dialog box. Send it in a plain text email to activation@red-gate.com; if you use a format other than plain text for your email, activation may fail. Alternatively, you can copy the activation request, save it to a text file, and attach the file to the email.

Do not send multiple requests for activation in the same email, as activation will fail.

You should receive an email from the Red Gate activation server within 30 minutes. When you receive the email from Red Gate Software, open the attached text file, and copy the text into the empty text box on the next page of the product activation dialog box.

If you are experiencing problems when you activate by email, try manual activation.

Activating using manual activation

Use manual activation if:

the product is installed on a computer that is not connected to the Internet
your network uses a proxy server that interrupts contact between the product and the Red Gate activation server
Internet activation is unsuccessful (see Troubleshooting licensing and activation errors)

To use manual activation, select Activate the license by email. Copy all of the activation request provided on the product activation dialog box and go to the Manual Activation page of the Red Gate Web site. Paste your activation request into the box under Step 1 and click Get Activation Response. When you receive the activation response under Step 2, copy it. On the next page of the product activation dialog box, paste the response.

Activating clusters and multiple servers

If you have purchased a SQL Backup license for multiple SQL Servers, you can activate multiple SQL Servers at the same time. For example, you may want to do this if you are installing on a cluster.

For more information, see Clusters and Multiple SQL Servers.

Re-activating SQL Servers

If you need to re-install the product on the same computer, for example following installation of a new operating system, you can re-activate the product using the same serial number. If you need to change the computer on which the product is installed and your current serial number does not work, contact licensing@red-gate.com