Using UniKey software protection solution to protect LabView Projects

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SecuTech Solutions Inc. is a company specializing in software license management business

systems focusing on the international market with their class leading UniKey product range.

Described Version: LabVIEW 8.20
Also applicable for: LabVIEW 7.x and up
Target platforms: Windows Vista/XP/2000, Linux, MacOS

Securing visual programmed projects with UniKey

Quick and efficient hardware based software protection!
UniKey provides LabVIEW developers with a robust and reliable way to integrate protection to their software and intellectual property. With UniKey software protection solution and technologies, LabVIEW applications will be protected against piracy and unauthorized usage in the most efficient way.

Securing the digital world
UniKey Hardware key is ideal for
Software Protection
License Management
Remote Updates
Web Security
Secure Online Identification
Access Control (online business)
Content Protection (DRM)

1. Introduction: LabVIEW
LabVIEW (short for Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench) is a platform and development environment for a visual programming language from National Instruments. The graphical language is named "G". Originally released for the Apple Macintosh in 1986, LabVIEW is commonly used for data acquisition, instrument control, and industrial automation on a variety of platforms including Microsoft Windows, various flavors of UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS X. The latest version of LabVIEW is version LabVIEW 2009, released in August 2009.

2. Dataflow programming
The programming language used in LabVIEW, also referred to as G, is a dataflow programming language. Execution is determined by the structure of a graphical block diagram (the LV-source code) on which the programmer connects different function-nodes by drawing wires. These wires propagate variables and any node can execute as soon as all its input data become available. Since this might be the case for multiple nodes simultaneously, G is inherently capable of parallel execution. Multi-processing and multi-threading hardware is automatically exploited by the built-in scheduler, which multiplexes multiple OS threads over the nodes ready for execution.

3. Benefits
One benefit of LabVIEW over other development environments is the extensive support for accessing instrumentation hardware. Drivers and abstraction layers for many different types of instruments and buses are included or are available for inclusion. These present themselves as graphical nodes. The abstraction layers offer standard software interfaces to communicate with hardware devices. The provided driver interfaces save program development time. The sales pitch of National Instruments is, therefore, that even people with limited coding experience can write programs and deploy test solutions in a reduced time frame when compared to more conventional or competing systems. A new hardware driver topology (DAQmxBase), which consists mainly of G-coded components with only a few register calls through NI Measurement Hardware DDK (Driver Development Kit) functions, provides platform independent hardware access to numerous data acquisition and instrumentation devices. The DAQmxBase driver is available for LabVIEW on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms.

4. Related software
National Instruments also offers a product called Measurement Studio, which offers many of the test, measurement and control capabilities of LabVIEW, as a set of classes for use with Microsoft Visual Studio. This allows developers to harness some of LabVIEW's strengths within the text-based .NET framework. National Instruments also offers LabWindows/CVI as an alternative for ANSI C programmers. The TRIL Centre Ireland offers the BioMobius platform as an alternate to LabVIEW which is free for research purposes.

5. Protecting LabVIEW applications with UniKey Hardware Key

SecuTech provides a wide range of methods for easy integration of UniKey USB support to LabVIEWrelated products. The full set of UniKey API features including Network License Management and Remote Update are directly available for LabVIEW developers in form of:
 C/C++ static libraries
 Dynamically linked libraries
 ActiveX objects
 .NET managed classes
 Available wrappers for widely used programming languages as Delphi, Java, or Visual Basic.

UniKey is the #1 hardware based driverless software protection solution provided by SecuTech Solution Inc, aiming to offer the best DRM solution for software vendors to raise income by reducing software piracy, managing software licensing and control.

UniKey hardware key supports all major platforms. So the same code can be used for protecting LabVIEW software on Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X systems.
Download the latest cookbook: www.eSecuTech.com/cookbook

6. Introducing UniKey Hardware Keys

UniKey Time
---The most comprehensive time dongle with a real time clock inside.

UniKey Time hardware key is specially designed for software vendors who needs to control and manage the software’s rental and selling in subscription or maintenance, it allows to pay
per use, in this way software vendors can completely control the sales by charging the end users timely and periodically. This function is based on a real time clock deposited in the dongle indicating the specific time (hour, minute, second) and date (day, month, year).

UniKey PRO
--- Flexible, powerful and easy with various licensing

The most advanced system available for protecting software running in network environments concurrent users. A single key connected to any station in the network limits up to 65535 concurrent users. UniKey PRO provides lifetime warranty. The user-defined algorithm can easily have UniKey envloved with protected software and increase the security.

Unikey STD
--- The most cost-effective, powerful and easy at attractive pricing

UniKey STD is the standard version of UniKey Dongle. It provides full set of functions, and enables a strong software protection for software developers
UniKey STD is the most cost-effective software protection key. Ideal to license a large number of components or require metered licensing. It works at standalone with only one remote update user.

UniKey Lite
---Simple and extremely competitive pricing

UniKey Lite is the compact version of UniKey dongle product. It is simple and easy to be used
UniKey Lite is the most cost-effective USB dongle solution for software protection.
UniKey Lite targets Low-Price Market Segment on software protection.
UniKey Lite has 1K bytes memory and One Year Warranty.

UniKey Tips

Easy Solution
Driverless technology reduces customers’ support work
UniKey Time has a real time clock inside
Both automatic (envelope without source modification) and APIs protection
Numerous sample codes in various programming languages

Greater Flexibility
Protect software, flash (swf and flv) and video files
Protection in local computers or over a network
Support all popular operating systems, including Windows, Linux, MacOS and Free BSD
Remote update and real time functionality
OEM enables flexibility of case, label, and color

A Cost-effective Choice
Competitive pricing
Experienced and efficient technical support
Life time warranty

About UniKey
The UniKey Software License Management System is a combination of Hardware Key and Software. With increasing concerns of software piracy and license distribution, SecuTech has dedicated itself in developing the best Software License Management Systems in the market today. In working in close collaboration with software developers, software distributors and in using its extensive range of commercial software experience, SecuTech has developed the UniKey range of products to meet the ever increasing and demanding array of requests from its customers globally.
To learn more, visit the SecuTech Web site at http://www.eSecuTech.com .

About SecuTech
SecuTech Solutions Inc. is a company specializing in software license management business systems focusing on the international market with their class leading UniKey product range. Having an extensive and in-depth range of experience within the Software Management Licensing market, SecuTech has drawn upon this experience to utilize today's cutting-edge technologies to introduce a COMPLETE and affordable solution for today's software vendor markets worldwide.