Offline activation

Phoenix Contact recommends that you install your licenses online. If you cannot or do not want to connect your devices to the PLCnext Store via the Internet, you can activate licenses offline.

Prerequisite: Your device is already added to your PLCnext Store account, see the topic Connecting a PLCnext Control with the PLCnext Store .

Note: For information about the online installation, refer to the topic Installing a license.

To activate licenses offline, you need to exchange three files between the device and the PLCnext Store:

*.PLCnextRaC (license context file, former *.WibuCmRaC): device → PLCnext Store
*.PLCnextRaU (license update file, former *.WibuCmRaU): PLCnext Store → device
*.PLCnextRaR (license receipt file, former *.WibuCmRaR): device → PLCnext Store

Note: Create each file anew for each activation process. Do not use files twice. Phoenix Contact recommends deleting the used files after the activation process.

To do this, you use two wizards: a PLCnext Store wizard and a WBM wizard. Below you will learn exactly how to proceed. Go through the points from top to bottom and switch between the two wizards as you are told in the text.

All steps in this column take place in the PLCnext Store.

All steps in this column take place in the WBM.

Open the PLCnext Store wizard (for details, see the topic Installing a license):

Select a license from your license pool by clicking the Install button of the respective license.
Select the device on which you want to activate the license.
(You must have already added the device to your PLCnext Store account, see the topic Connecting a PLCnext Control with the PLCnext Store .)
Choose the installation option Manual.

Open the WBM wizard:

Open the WBM:
https://<IP-address-of-the-controller>/wbm,
for example: https://192.168.1.10/wbm
Open the License Management page (Administration → License Management).

Open the Offline Activation tab (1) and click the Next button (2).

Note: There are two options to create a license container. Option 1 is the standard procedure. Option 2 is the alternative approach. Only use Option 2 when you are asked to do so by the Phoenix Contact support.

Option 1

If no container was found, create one directly via the standard procedure:

Available from 2021.9:
At the Device drop-down menu, select whether you want to create a license container on the PLCnext device or on the SD card.
Click on Create container.

Option 2

The advanced option is only needed when you are asked by the licenser to import a specific *.WibuCmLIF file.

A *.PLCnextRaC license context file will be created.

In any case, proceed as follows:

Download the license context file (by clicking the ) and save it on your PC.

Switch to the PLCnext Store.

Upload the *.PLCnextRaC license context file:
- Click the Upload button (1).
- Select the *.PLCnextRaC license context file that you just saved on your PC.
- Click the Continue button (2).

The PLCnext Store will generate a *.PLCnextRaU license update file based on the information from the uploaded license context file.

Download the generated update file and save it on your PC:
- Click the Download button (1).
- Select the file and save it on your PC.
- Click the Continue button (2).

Switch to the WBM.

Upload the *.PLCnextRaU license update file:
- Click the Browse... button and select the file.
- Click the Upload button (1) and then the Next button (2).

A *.PLCnextRaR license receipt file is generated and provided for download.

Download the license receipt file (by clicking the (1)), save it on your PC and click the Finish button (2).