Introduction
This article is to provide the necessary information to IT departments that may need to allow licence requests from EdgeVis Server, operating from their premises ('on-prem') to reach our Central Licensing Service (CLS).
This article contains:
What is the requirement for an internet connection?
EdgeVis, operationally, is network-agnostic and can operate over the internet or on private networks. All operational video and data is only ever sent over the network you specify.
With EdgeVis v9 licensing, we now require that all EdgeVis servers can connect back to our cloud-based Central Licensing System when a licensing request is made.
Do EdgeVis encoders now require a connection to the internet?
Our customers expect that their deployed encoders are secure and that they only communicate with their configured EdgeVis Server. Often, other security measures are utilised to further secure their encoders, including the use of VPNs and private mobile networks.
EdgeVis licensing does not change this in any way! Version 9 licensing does not introduce a new requirement for encoders to connect to the internet (unless that is how you choose to transmit your data to your server).
When exactly does EdgeVis require an internet connection?
EdgeVis Server will only access the internet to communicate with our licensing service in the following circumstances:
1. When a new v9 encoder is added to the server
2. When a user adds/removes a camera on a v9 encoder
3. A daily check for each encoder to verify that its licence is up to date
Technically, what request is made?
EdgeVis Server will connect to directly to CLS using a standard HTTPS web request on port 443 to https://licensing.digitalbarriers.com.
EdgeVis Server will take the response from CLS and distribute it back to the desired encoders over the same secure EdgeVis connection used for your video data.
What if my EdgeVis infrastructure doesn't have access to the internet?
In many organisations, your 'on-prem' infrastructure is heavily restricted, and devices on the network are blocked from accessing the internet. Effectively, your entire EdgeVis infrastructure operates as a private network.
In these situations, industry best practice is for the IT department to grant access to the required web resource on an exception basis. A proxy server is often used for this purpose.
Instead of accessing the internet directly, your EdgeVis Server can be configured to send any licence requests to a proxy server, and it will forward the request to CLS:
This ensures that the only internet traffic allowed is to the licensing service and no other internet locations, ensuring that EdgeVis can't be used as a way to circumvent your organisation's IT policies.
Need more information?
We also have a list of licensing frequently asked questions that go into further detail on the concepts introduced above.
If you are considering deploying EdgeVis and require more information, or will have other issues connecting your server to the internet, please contact your Digital Barriers sales representative.