TRAILFLOW – Licensing Guide

This guide explains how TRAILFLOW licensing currently works, including local license files, installation binding, unlicensed operation, renewal, replacement, and the most common licensing failure points.

1. Licensing Model

Licensing is local and file-based
Licenses are issued per workstation installation
Licenses are time-based and include an expiry date
Licenses do not provide the right to disasemble or change the executables.
Licensing is currently valid for offline recording (no data is transmitted to TRAILFLOW servers)
Feature entitlements are defined inside the local license file if specifically not available

Current license data includes fields such as license type, license mode, license reference, company, contact, issue date, expiry date, seat count, feature flags, installation binding, and signature.

2. Licensing File Location

TRAILFLOW currently stores licensing files in the Windows user profile under:

C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Roaming\TRAILFLOW\licensing\

The current files are:

installation.json
license.json

installation.json

contains the local installation_id
identifies the specific local installation

license.json

contains the issued license data
contains feature flags such as record and verify
contains machine binding information
contains the signature used to validate the license content

If these files are missing, corrupted, manually altered, blocked by security tooling, or copied incorrectly, licensed status may not apply correctly.

3. Unlicensed Operation

TRAILFLOW currently allows operation without a valid commercial license.

Recording functions remain available
Verification functions remain available
Generated video and evidence packages are marked as unlicensed or unverified

Unlicensed operation does not block core use. It affects the status and markings of generated outputs.

4. License Activation

TRAILFLOW does not currently use a separate activation wizard. Licensing is applied through the local license files.

Generate Requst JSON to request license and to receive the correct license file set for the target workstation installation
Place the licensing files in the respective screen in the application
Ensure the folders to store license are readable and not blocked by antivirus or endpoint protection
Sometimes there is a need to restart TRAILFLOW if it is already running

The expected result is that the application reads the local installation and license data automatically. No separate online activation step is currently required.

5. Installation Binding

Licenses are tied to a specific workstation, called installation_id
The installation ID is stored in installation.json
The license contains machine binding data under machine_binding
If binding is required, the installation ID in the license must match the local installation ID

A license file copied from another machine or another installation may not apply correctly if the installation IDs do not match.

6. Feature Entitlements

Feature availability is full unless specifically defined differently in the local license file.

Current examples include:

"record": true
"verify": true

This means licensing is not only about expiry. It may also control which functions are formally licensed for that installation.

7. Expiry and Renewal

Licenses may include an expiry_date
When a license period ends, a new license file must be issued
Renewal is currently handled by replacing the old license file with the new one
Agent functionality remains unchanged, only recordings and exports are marked as unlicensed
After replacement, restart TRAILFLOW if it is already running

Do not assume renewal happens automatically. The current model is local and file-based and does not communicate with TRAILFLOW servers.

8. Machine Replacement or Reinstallation

If the workstation is replaced, the previous installation binding may no longer be valid
If Windows is reinstalled and a new installation ID is generated, the previous license may no longer match
In such cases, a new license may need to be issued for the new installation

Copying an old license file to a new installation is not a reliable replacement process when installation binding is enforced.

9. Multi-Workstation Use

Each workstation installation requires its own license context
A license tied to one installation should not be treated as a shared floating license
Recordings created on one workstation can be opened on another workstation
Trail Verifier does not currently enforce ownership restrictions on the recording source machine

Current behavior allows evidence review on a different workstation, provided the recording files themselves are available there.

10. Version Compatibility

Licenses are intended to remain usable across application versions unless explicitly stated otherwise
Feature behavior may still depend on the specific software version and the license content together
If a future version introduces a changed licensing structure, updated license files may be required

11. Security and Handling Notes

Do not manually edit license.json or installation.json
Do not remove or alter the signature field in the license file
Do not assume a copied license file from another system will work
Keep the licensing folder readable by the local user running TRAILFLOW

Antivirus or endpoint security tools may interfere with local files under AppData or with the application itself. If licensing appears correct but is not applied, check whether the files or application were blocked, quarantined, or partially removed.

12. Troubleshooting

The application still appears unlicensed

Check that license.json exists in AppData\Roaming\TRAILFLOW\licensing
Check that installation.json exists in the same folder
Check that the files are valid JSON and were not manually altered incorrectly
Restart TRAILFLOW after copying or replacing the files

Licensed outputs still appear marked unlicensed or unverified

Check that the local installation_id matches the installation binding inside license.json
Check that the license is not expired
Check that the relevant features are enabled in the license file

The license worked before but no longer applies

Check whether the machine was reinstalled or replaced
Check whether the installation ID changed
Check whether the license file was replaced by mistake
Check whether antivirus or endpoint security quarantined the files

The files are present but licensing still does not apply

Check file permissions on the licensing folder
Check whether the files are readable by the current Windows user
Check whether the files were copied to the wrong Windows profile

13. What This Means Operationally

TRAILFLOW licensing is currently simple, local, and offline
TRAILFLOW licensing is giving the right to raise issues to support@trailflow.eu without comitment on resolution time
The critical technical dependency is correct local file placement plus correct installation binding
The most common failure points are wrong folder, wrong machine, wrong installation ID, expired license, or blocked local files

TRAILFLOW Licensing Guide