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Knox SDK frequently asked questions — ELM license end of service

Here is the timeline:

  • August 2017 — The new Knox Platform for Enterprise (KPE) license replaces both the:

    • Enterprise License Management (ELM) license: a license that grants apps the permissions to call APIs for free Knox features. ELM keys will undergo an End-of-Service.

    • Knox License Management (KLM) license: a license that grants apps the permissions to call APIs for paid Knox features. KLM keys will continue to work indefinitely.

  • November 2018 — Samsung no longer generates new ELM or KLM license keys, providing only new KPE license keys.

  • January 29, 2021 — Apps can no longer activate ELM license keys on new devices. Exceptions are ELM keys used:

    • with KLM keys to access paid features. KLM keys can be activated only in conjunction with an ELM (or Backwards Compatible) key.

    • with the Samsung India Identity SDK

  • December 2021 — Apps can no longer activate ELM license keys on any new or existing devices.

For more detail, see About licenses, Get a license, Activate a license, and Declare Knox permissions. See also: What should I do if I want to service my app which uses an ELM license?

As described in When is the ELM license key terminated?, by December 2021, you must replace the ELM license key. After December 2021, apps trying to activate ELM keys will generate a licensing error and not be able to call Knox APIs. You have two options:

  • Replace the ELM key with a Knox Platform for Enterprise (KPE) key — We recommend this option as it offers greater flexibility in terms of:

    If you are also using a KLM (Premium or Customization) license, you have the option of replacing it with a KPE Premium key.

    Assuming that you have not hardcoded the ELM and KLM keys into your app, you should not need to modify your app code. You just need to update your key values, for example, on a back-end web server or cloud storage service. Replace the:

  • Replace the ELM key with a Backwards Compatible key — The Backwards Compatible Key performs the same function as an ELM key in enabling an app to activate a KLM key.

For more detail, see About licenses, Get a license, Activate a license, and Declare Knox permissions.

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