Licensing
dBSea v3 uses cloud-based licensing. This page explains how to activate your license, use trial mode, and troubleshoot common licensing issues.
License Activation
Section titled “License Activation”When you purchase dBSea, you will receive login credentials for your license account.
First-Time Activation
Section titled “First-Time Activation”- Launch dBSea
- When prompted, enter your email address and password
- dBSea will validate your credentials with the license server
- Once validated, your license is activated on this machine
Your license allows you to run dBSea on the number of machines specified in your purchase. You can manage which machines are activated through your account.
Logging In
Section titled “Logging In”Each time dBSea starts, it connects to the license server to validate your license. You will need an internet connection for this validation. Once validated, you can work offline for the duration of your session.
If you are logged into dBSea on another machine and have reached your license limit, you will need to log out from one machine before logging in on another.
Trial Mode
Section titled “Trial Mode”A trial version of dBSea is available to evaluate the software before purchase.
Trial Limitations
Section titled “Trial Limitations”Trial mode allows full use of dBSea’s modeling and analysis features with the following restrictions:
- Export of levels or bathymetry is disabled
- Exported images include a watermark overlay
Preserving Your Work
Section titled “Preserving Your Work”Projects created and saved in trial mode can be opened in the full version. If you start working on a project during your trial and later purchase dBSea, your work will carry over.
Requesting a Trial
Section titled “Requesting a Trial”To request a trial license, contact your distributor or visit dbsea.co.uk.
Demo Mode
Section titled “Demo Mode”If no valid license or trial is available, dBSea opens in demo mode. In this mode:
- Import and export functions are disabled
- Opening and saving projects is disabled
- You can explore the interface and work with the default bathymetry
Demo mode is useful for exploring the software’s interface and capabilities.
Managing Your License
Section titled “Managing Your License”Viewing License Status
Section titled “Viewing License Status”To view your current license status:
- Go to Help → About
- Your license serial number and expiry date are displayed
Logging Out
Section titled “Logging Out”To release your license on the current machine (allowing you to activate on a different machine):
- Go to Help → Log Out
- Confirm you want to log out
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting””License validation failed”
Section titled “”License validation failed””This error indicates dBSea could not connect to the license server. Check that:
- You have an active internet connection
- Your firewall or proxy allows connections to the license server
- Your license has not expired
Corporate Network Issues
Section titled “Corporate Network Issues”The most common licensing problem is corporate networks blocking connections to the license server. Firewalls, proxies, or domain restrictions on your corporate LAN can prevent dBSea from reaching the server.
To confirm this is the issue, try retrieving your license on a connection that bypasses the corporate network:
- Tether to your mobile phone’s hotspot
- Try on a machine at home or another location not dependent on the corporate IT network
If the license activates successfully on an alternative connection, the issue is with the corporate network. Contact your IT department about allowing connections to the dBSea license server.
License Seats
Section titled “License Seats”Each license includes a number of seats. A seat is occupied when dBSea is running and logged in on a machine.
- One machine at a time per seat — a single license seat cannot be used concurrently on multiple machines. However, you can freely move a seat between machines by logging out on one before logging in on another.
- Releasing a seat — closing dBSea releases the seat immediately, making it available to other machines.
- Automatic release — if dBSea does not release a seat cleanly (e.g. due to a crash or forced shutdown), the seat is automatically freed after a 90-minute timeout.
- Long solves are not interrupted — if you are running a long solve, dBSea will not log you out, even if there is a temporary disruption to your internet connection. The license is held for the duration of the solve.
”No licenses available”
Section titled “”No licenses available””This error occurs when all seats in your license are already in use. To resolve:
- Log out of dBSea on another machine, or wait up to 90 minutes for an uncleanly released seat to expire
- Contact your distributor if you need additional seats
Internet Connection Required
Section titled “Internet Connection Required”dBSea requires an internet connection to validate your license when starting. If you work in an environment without reliable internet access, contact your distributor to discuss options.
Getting Help
Section titled “Getting Help”If you continue to experience licensing issues:
- Note any error messages and error codes displayed
- Contact support at dbsea.co.uk with details of the issue
Legacy Licensing (v2 and earlier)
Section titled “Legacy Licensing (v2 and earlier)”dBSea versions 2.x and earlier used HASP dongle licensing. If you are upgrading from v2 to v3, you will need to transition to cloud licensing. Contact your distributor for assistance with the upgrade process.