Detaching and re-attaching Cloud Licences and Software NETWORK licences

This guide applies to users running n4ce Cloud Licenses or Software Network Licenses.

Important Pre-requisite:

If your n4ce License Manager is currently set to Stand-alone USB Licensing, you must switch over to Software Licensing mode first. Otherwise, n4ce will fail to launch and display an error message. Follow our guide here to switch license modes:

How to Switch Between n4ce Licenses

Overview

Using the Thales Sentinel Admin Control Center (ACC), you can temporarily detach a license seat from the central pool to use offline (e.g., working on-site or without an active internet/VPN connection).

• Network Requirement: An active network connection or VPN is required only during the initial detachment or manual re-attachment process. Once detached, no internet connection is required.

• Automatic Return: Detached licenses automatically expire and return to the main pool once their set duration ends.

Step 1: Detaching a License

1. Open the Sentinel ACC Interface:
    

   • Open your web browser and go to: http://localhost:1947/int/products.html

   • Alternatively: Open the n4ce License Manager, navigate to the Licenses tab, and click Show Running Sessions.
     

2. Locate Your License:
    

   • In the left menu, select Products.

   • Look for your target n4ce license in the table and check the Actions column on the far right.

   • Click the Detach button (highlighted in green below)
     
     
      

   Note: If the Detach option is missing, On-Demand Detaching may be disabled (see image below). Navigate to Configuration → Detachable Licenses, select the Enabled option under the On-Demand Detaching of licenses box, and click Submit. (For software network licenses, this setting must be enabled on both the client PC and the server where the license is hosted.)

   

3. Choose the Detach Method:
    

   • Online Detach (Recommended):
     Automatically transfers and locks the license to your current PC.

• Offline Detach:
  Generates a file (.H2R / Host-to-Recipient) locked to a recipient machine selected from the dropdown menu. Transfer this file to the target machine and upload it via the Update/Attach section in the left-hand ACC menu.

⚠️ Important Notice Regarding "Concurrency":

Please leave the "Concurrency" checkbox unchecked. Checking this box detaches multiple network seats at once creating a new pool of licenses, which subsequently locks those licenses away from other team members and creating unnecessary access restrictions. Always detach single seats individually.

4. Set Expiration date:
   Specify the number of days or exact expiration date for the detachment.
    

5. Complete Detachment:
   Click Detach & Attach (or Detach).

A confirmation screen will appear indicating the operation was successful.

Step 2: Activating the Detached License in n4ce

Once detached, the license must be selected inside n4ce:

1. Open the n4ce License Manager.

2. Locate the detached seat under the Licenses tab - it will now be listed as a "Hire" license showing a countdown of remaining days.

3. Double-click the Hire license in the list to select it.

4. The license row will turn lilac, confirming it is active and ready for n4ce to launch.

Step 3: Re-attaching a License Early

If you finish your offline work early and wish to return the license seat to the shared cloud/network pool before it automatically expires, you can manually cancel it:

1. Open the Sentinel ACC page: http://localhost:1947/int/products.html

2. Locate the detached license under Products.

3. In the Actions column, click Cancel License.

4. Confirm the cancellation on the summary page (see below). 

Note: Canceling a license will immediately close any active n4ce session using that license. Ensure your work is saved before re-attaching!

Regardless of which method was used to detach the license, the re-attachment process is identical.

For additional information and guidance about detaching, you can use the following link to navigate to the local Gemalto interface: http://localhost:1947/_int_/ACC_help_detaching_overview.html

Once you see the screen below, the process of cancelling the detachment of the license is complete!