LicenseSpring MCP Server

# LicenseSpring Documentation Guide This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the LicenseSpring platform documentation for developers working on the LicenseSpring MCP Server project. ## 📚 Official Documentation - **Main Documentation**: https://docs.licensespring.com/ - **API Reference**: https://docs.licensespring.com/docs/license-api - **Management API**: https://docs.licensespring.com/docs/management-api ## 🏗️ Platform Architecture ### Core Components 1. **Vendor Platform** - Web-based management interface - License management - Customer management - Product configuration - Analytics and reporting - Settings and API keys 2. **License API** - Client-facing API - Base URL: `https://api.licensespring.com` - Used by SDKs and client applications - Handles license activation, validation, and management - RESTful architecture with SSL 3. **Management API** - Administrative API - Base URL: `https://saas.licensespring.com` - Backend administrative operations - Has destructive capabilities (create, update, delete) - Not intended for client-facing use ## 🔐 Authentication ### License API Authentication **Methods:** 1. **API Key Authorization** - Requires API key from vendor platform - Found in Settings → Keys - Used as primary authentication method 2. **Shared Key (HMAC Signature)** - Optional enhanced security - Used for request signing - Provides additional layer of authentication 3. **OAuth Authorization** - Alternative authentication method - Suitable for web applications **Implementation:** ```javascript // API Key in header headers: { 'Authorization': 'Api-Key YOUR_LICENSE_API_KEY' } // With HMAC signature (optional) // Signature = HMAC-SHA256(request_data, shared_key) ``` ### Management API Authentication **Format:** ```javascript headers: { 'Authorization': 'Api-Key YOUR_MANAGEMENT_API_KEY' } ``` **Example:** ```python API_URL = 'https://saas.licensespring.com' API_KEY = 'your_management_api_key' response = requests.get( url=f'{API_URL}/api/v1/orders/generate_license/', params={'product': product_short_code, 'quantity': quantity}, headers={'Authorization': f'Api-Key {API_KEY}'} ) ``` ## 📡 API Endpoints ### License API Endpoints **Core Operations:** - `/activate` - Activate a license - `/check` - Validate license status - `/deactivate` - Deactivate a license - `/add_consumption` - Track usage/consumption - `/floating/borrow` - Borrow floating license - `/floating/release` - Release floating license - `/trial` - Generate trial licenses - `/versions` - Get available versions - `/installation_file` - Get installation files **Important Notes:** - Use product code (not product name) in requests - Encode special characters in emails (e.g., `+` → `%2b`, `@` → `%40`) - All requests must be signed with API key ### Management API Endpoints **Customer Management:** - `GET/POST /api/v1/customers/` - List/create customers - `GET/PUT/DELETE /api/v1/customers/{id}/` - Manage specific customer - `POST /api/v1/customers/import/` - Bulk import **License Management:** - `GET/POST /api/v1/licenses/` - List/create licenses - `GET/PUT/DELETE /api/v1/licenses/{id}/` - Manage specific license - `POST /api/v1/licenses/bulk/` - Bulk operations - `POST /api/v1/licenses/export/` - Export licenses **Product Management:** - `GET /api/v1/products/` - List products - `GET /api/v1/products/{id}/` - Get product details - `GET /api/v1/products/{id}/features/` - Product features **Order Management:** - `GET/POST /api/v1/orders/` - List/create orders - `GET /api/v1/orders/generate_license/` - Generate license from order ## 🛠️ SDKs ### Supported Platforms - **.NET/C#** - Full feature support - **C++** - Cross-platform support - **Python** - Native Python integration - **Java** - JVM-based applications - **Go** - Modern backend services - **Swift/Objective-C** - iOS/macOS applications - **Android** - Native Android apps - **Unity** - Game development - **Delphi** - Legacy application support ### SDK Features - Simplified integration process - Built-in license validation - Offline activation support - Hardware binding - Consumption tracking - Floating license management - Air-gapped activation support ## 📋 License Types & Policies ### License Types 1. **Perpetual** - One-time purchase, lifetime usage 2. **Subscription** - Time-based licensing 3. **Trial** - Time-limited evaluation 4. **Floating** - Concurrent user licensing 5. **Node-locked** - Hardware-bound licenses 6. **User-based** - Tied to specific users ### License Features - **Feature-level licensing** - Enable/disable specific features - **Consumption tracking** - Usage-based licensing - **Custom fields** - Metadata and custom attributes - **License policies** - Validation rules and restrictions - **Offline grace period** - Temporary offline usage - **Hardware fingerprinting** - Device identification ## 🔧 Implementation Best Practices ### Security 1. **Never expose API keys in client code** 2. **Use HTTPS for all API calls** 3. **Implement proper error handling** 4. **Validate input parameters** 5. **Store keys securely (environment variables)** 6. **Use shared key for enhanced security** ### Error Handling ```javascript try { const response = await apiClient.post('/activate', data); // Handle success } catch (error) { if (error.response) { // API returned error switch(error.response.status) { case 400: // Bad request case 401: // Unauthorized case 404: // Not found case 429: // Rate limited } } } ``` ### Rate Limiting - Be aware of API rate limits - Implement exponential backoff - Cache responses when appropriate - Batch operations where possible ## 🚀 Common Use Cases ### 1. License Activation Flow ``` 1. Collect license key from user 2. Generate hardware ID 3. Call /activate endpoint 4. Store activation response 5. Periodically call /check for validation ``` ### 2. Trial License Generation ``` 1. Collect user information 2. Call /trial endpoint 3. Provide trial key to user 4. Track trial expiration ``` ### 3. Floating License Management ``` 1. Request license with /floating/borrow 2. Use license for session 3. Release with /floating/release 4. Handle maximum concurrent users ``` ### 4. Consumption Tracking ``` 1. Track feature usage 2. Call /add_consumption periodically 3. Handle consumption limits 4. Alert on approaching limits ``` ## 📊 Analytics & Reporting ### Available Metrics - License activation trends - Feature usage statistics - Customer activity - Revenue tracking - Geographic distribution - Version adoption rates ### Webhook Events - License activated - License deactivated - License expired - Consumption threshold reached - Customer created/updated ## 🔍 Troubleshooting ### Common Issues 1. **Authentication Failures** - Verify API key is correct - Check key permissions - Ensure proper header format 2. **License Activation Issues** - Validate license key format - Check hardware ID generation - Verify product configuration 3. **API Response Errors** - Check request encoding - Validate required parameters - Review API response codes ### Debug Tips - Use API testing tools (Postman, cURL) - Enable verbose logging - Check server status page - Review audit logs in vendor platform ## 📖 Additional Resources ### Support Channels - Documentation: https://docs.licensespring.com - API Status: Check vendor platform - Support: Through vendor platform ### Development Tools - Postman Collection: Available for API testing - SDK Examples: Included with each SDK - Code Samples: In documentation ### Migration & Integration - Supports migration from other licensing systems - REST API for custom integrations - Webhook support for event-driven architectures - White-label options available ## 🎯 Key Takeaways for MCP Server Development 1. **Two Distinct APIs**: License API (client-facing) and Management API (admin) 2. **Authentication Priority**: API key is primary, shared key is optional enhancement 3. **Product Codes**: Always use product short codes, not names 4. **Encoding**: Special characters in parameters must be URL encoded 5. **Security**: Management API has destructive capabilities - handle with care 6. **Testing**: Use real API endpoints for integration testing 7. **Error Handling**: Implement comprehensive error handling for API responses 8. **SDK Pattern**: Follow SDK patterns for consistent implementation This guide should be used alongside the official LicenseSpring documentation for the most up-to-date information and API specifications.