Merge Engineers Toolset License Keys (FAQ)

What exactly is this new "merge" capability available for Engineer's Toolset?

Many customers own more than one license for Engineer's Toolset and wanted to use a single key with multiple activations to simplify license management operations, such as yearly maintenance renewal. This is now possible with Engineer's Toolset v11; you can choose which license keys you want to merge into a single key that allows multiple activations.

Engineer's Toolset v11 now has two keys, how does this relate to the merge?

Because of the addition of the Engineer's Toolset on the Web feature, Engineer's Toolset now has two keys for a single license: one key for the Desktop Engineer's Toolset and one for the new Engineer's Toolset on the Web. These two keys are different in nature and cannot be merged.

The merge function relates to merging multiple Desktop License Keys into a single one and multiple Web License Keys into a single one.

Example: Let’s say you have 5 Engineer's Toolset licenses. Initially, you will have 10 keys (5 Desktop and 5 Web). After the merge, you will have only 2 keys: one Desktop License Key to activate 5 installations of Desktop Engineer's Toolset and one Web License Key to enable 5 users to access Engineer's Toolset on the Web.

For simplicity throughout the rest of this document, when we refer to a "license key", we refer to a "pair of a Desktop License Key and the appropriate Web License Key".

Why should I merge keys?

It simplifies operations, such as renewing your yearly maintenance. If you own multiple licenses and are interested in reducing the numbers of keys you have to manage, you can request these keys to be merged.  

Do I have to merge my keys?

No, it’s optional. 

Can any set of Engineer's Toolset license keys be merged?

No. License keys that can be merged into a single one must meet the following requirements:

• The keys have to be under the same SolarWinds Account (i.e. visible in the same portal page under the same SWID).
• The keys must have the same expiration date. If they don’t, you can "co-term" them using your customer portal. For more information, see the Co-Terming through your Customer Portal video.
• Both the Web License Key and the Desktop License Key need to show as unregistered in your customer portal. For more information about deactivating your license keys, see "Using License Manager" in the SolarWinds License Manager online help.

Is there a video that shows how to merge keys?

Yes, click here.