When you download and install SQL Backup, you have a 14-day trial period to evaluate it without purchase. If you need more time to evaluate the product, email dba.info@red-gate.com.

When you buy a license for the product, you will receive an invoice that contains your serial number to activate the product. If you can't find your invoice, you can view your serial numbers at http://www.red-gate.com/myserialnumbers. You will need to enter the email address and password you provided when you bought the product.

The SQL Backup server components are licensed per server. In this context, a server refers to a distinct system running a Windows operating system, whether physical or virtual. If you have a number of SQL Server instances running on the same physical or virtual server, you only need one license to activate the server components on each of the SQL Server instances. If your servers are clustered, you will need a license for each node running SQL Server. You do not require a license to use the SQL Backup graphical user interface.

The status of SQL Backup on the server is displayed in the Registered SQL Servers pane in the graphical user interface. You can activate SQL Backup on a server if one of the following icons is displayed to the right of the SQL Server instance name:

	SQL Backup is activated for a trial period on this server
	The SQL Backup trial period has expired. To use SQL Backup with this SQL Server instance, you must activate SQL Backup for the server.

When you activate the product, the licensing and activation program sends an activation request to the Redgate activation server, using checksums of attributes from your computer. The checksums that are sent to the activation server do not contain any details that might pose a security risk. The activation server returns an activation response and an encrypted key to unlock the software. The licensing and activation program should activate your product within a few seconds.

For more information on how to activate SQL Backup on a SQL Server, see Activating.

If you are experiencing problems with activating your products, you will be offered the option to activate manually. For example, you will need to use manual activation if:

• your computer is not connected to the internet
• your network uses a proxy server that interrupts contact between the product and the Redgate activation server

  Activation should work with proxies configured in the Internet Options applet in the Windows Control Panel. However, it will not work when:

  • the proxy settings specify an automatic configuration script
  • the proxy requires authentication, which cannot be transparently handled by Windows
  • the proxy filters out SOAP packet data or XML data
• activation is unsuccessful (see Troubleshooting licensing and activation errors)

If you are reinstalling SQL Backup on the same computer, for example following installation of a new operating system, you can reactivate the products using the same serial number. This does not affect the number of distinct activations for the serial number. For information on moving a serial number to a different computer, see below.

Serial numbers for bundles

If you've bought a bundle of products, your serial number activates all the products in the bundle. For bundles containing both server and client tools (such as the SQL DBA Bundle) you will have two serial numbers.

If you deactivate a bundle serial number, all products using that serial number will be deactivated.

For information on which products are included in a bundle, see Bundle history.

Changing the serial number used to activate a product

To change the serial number used to activate a product, from the Help menu select Enter Serial Number. For some products, you will need to deactivate the old serial number first.

Moving a serial number to a different computer

To move a serial number to a different machine, deactivate the serial number on the old computer, then use it to activate the product on the new computer.

To deactivate a serial number, on the Help menu, select Deactivate Serial Number. If this menu item is not available, use the deactivation tool.

If you cannot deactivate a serial number, contact Redgate support.