Licensing Model

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Core Licensing Concepts

RISKSHEET licensing is built on three fundamental concepts:

1. Server Users - All users registered in your Polarion installation
2. Active Users - Users who have edit permissions for RISKSHEET documents
3. Read-Only Users - Polarion users who can view but not edit RISKSHEET content

Think of it like a shared office workspace: server users are everyone with building access (your entire Polarion user base), active users are those with desk assignments and editing tools (the licensed RISKSHEET editors), and read-only users are visitors who can observe work but not modify documents.

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License Tiers

Nextedy RISKSHEET offers three primary license tiers:

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SMB Tier

The SMB (Small/Medium Business) tier is designed for organizations with small Polarion installations:

• Server User Cap: Your total Polarion user count must remain below 50
• Licensing Mechanism: All server users are considered licensed
• Cost: Discounted pricing compared to Named User tier
• Limitation: If you exceed 50 server users, you must upgrade to Named User or Unlimited tier

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Named User Tier

The Named User tier provides flexibility for medium-sized teams:

• No Server User Cap: Your Polarion installation can have unlimited total users
• Licensing Mechanism: Only Active Users (those in designated edit groups) count toward license
• User Reassignment: Named users can be reassigned to different people as team composition changes
• Cost: Per-user pricing, economical up to ~60-70 active users

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Unlimited Tier

The Unlimited tier is optimal for large organizations:

• No Caps: Unlimited server users and unlimited active users
• Flat Fee: Annual flat rate regardless of user count
• Break-Even Point: Typically cost-effective when you have 60-70+ active editors

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Server Users vs. Active Users

This distinction is the most common source of licensing confusion.

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Server Users (Total Registered Users)

Server users are all users registered in your Polarion installation, visible in Administration > Users. This includes:

• Active RISKSHEET editors
• Read-only viewers
• Inactive accounts
• System administrators
• Users from other teams who never touch RISKSHEET

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Active Users (Licensed Editors)

Active users are a subset of server users who have been explicitly granted editing permissions for RISKSHEET. This is not automatically determined by Polarion roles—it’s a business decision your organization makes. How Active Users Are Designated:

1. Administrators create a Polarion user group (e.g., “RISKSHEET_Editors”)
2. Users are manually added to this group via Administration panel
3. RISKSHEET configuration references this group for edit permissions
4. Only users in this group count toward your Named User license

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Read-Only Users

All Polarion users who are not designated as Active Users automatically have read-only access to RISKSHEET documents. They can:

• View risk matrices
• Export to PDF/Excel
• See historical baselines
• Read comments and review data

They cannot:

• Create new risk items
• Edit existing cells
• Modify formulas or configuration
• Approve or reject reviews (unless review permissions are separately configured)

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License Validation and Enforcement

RISKSHEET performs license validation checks at:

• Product initialization (when Polarion starts)
• User login (when accessing RISKSHEET documents)
• License revalidation (periodic checks or manual refresh)

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License Validation Errors

Common license validation errors and their causes:

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POWERSHEET Integration and License Unlocking

RISKSHEET can unlock additional features when Nextedy POWERSHEET is installed with a valid production license.

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How POWERSHEET Integration Works

• Automatic Detection: RISKSHEET detects if POWERSHEET is installed and checks its license status
• Feature Unlocking: When a valid POWERSHEET production license exists, RISKSHEET activates enhanced metadata and additional capabilities
• License Independence: RISKSHEET and POWERSHEET are licensed separately—you can have both products with different tier combinations
• Dynamic Revalidation: Changes to POWERSHEET license status (activation, expiration, upgrade) are detected automatically without restart

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POWERSHEET Licensing States

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Dual License Management

When both products are installed, RISKSHEET tracks:

• RISKSHEET License: Server users, active users (for RISKSHEET editing)
• POWERSHEET License: Server users, concurrent users (for POWERSHEET features)

Each product maintains independent license validation. Changes to one product’s license do not affect the other’s functionality—only the feature unlocking behavior.

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License Tier Selection Guide

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When to Choose SMB Tier

• Your Polarion installation has <50 total users
• Your team size is stable (unlikely to grow beyond 50)
• You want the lowest-cost entry point
• You can commit to cleaning up inactive accounts to stay under cap

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When to Choose Named User Tier

• Your Polarion installation has >50 total users
• You have 1-60 active RISKSHEET editors
• Your team composition changes periodically (need user reassignment)
• You need flexibility to scale active users independently of total Polarion users

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When to Choose Unlimited Tier

• You have 60-70+ active RISKSHEET editors
• Your organization is large or rapidly growing
• You want predictable annual costs regardless of user growth
• You want to avoid license management overhead

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License Assignment Workflow

To assign Active User licenses in a Named User tier deployment:

1. Decide Active User Count: Determine how many team members need edit access
2. Create Edit Group: In Polarion Administration, create a group (e.g., “RISKSHEET_Active_Users”)
3. Assign Users: Add selected users to the group via Administration > Users > Group Membership
4. Configure Permissions: Ensure RISKSHEET configuration references this group for edit permissions
5. Validate License: Check that group size does not exceed purchased license count

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Common Licensing Misconceptions

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Misconception 1: “Polarion roles determine RISKSHEET licenses”

Reality: RISKSHEET licensing is independent of Polarion’s built-in role system. Active Users are determined by group membership, not by having a “Developer” or “QA” Polarion role.

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Misconception 2: “SMB tier licenses 50 active editors”

Reality: SMB tier caps total server users at 50—all of whom get full access. If you have 50 Polarion users but only want 10 to edit RISKSHEET, you still pay for 50 (or upgrade to Named User tier for cost savings).

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Misconception 3: “Active Users are auto-calculated by RISKSHEET”

Reality: Active User designation is a manual process. Administrators must explicitly assign users to the edit group. RISKSHEET does not automatically count “users who edited this month” toward licensing.

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Misconception 4: “Upgrading to Unlimited tier unlocks hidden features”

Reality: License tiers control user capacity and cost, not feature access. All tiers have the same core feature set (unless POWERSHEET integration unlocks enhancements, which is separate from tier selection).

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Related Topics

• User Roles and Permissions - How Polarion roles and RISKSHEET permissions interact
• Understand License Types - Detailed comparison of license tier options
• Choose License Tier - Decision guide for selecting the right tier
• Assign Active Users - Step-by-step user assignment process
• Manage User Groups - Creating and managing Polarion user groups for licensing
• License Validation Errors - Troubleshooting common license issues
• Polarion License Types - How RISKSHEET interacts with Polarion’s license model

Sources

Support Tickets

• #5935

Source Code

• RisksheetProduct.java