> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.nextedy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Licensing Model

> Common questions about Nextedy RISKSHEET licensing, user tiers, and the relationship between Risksheet licenses and Polarion server users.

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  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/-Icoak49xQVOW38R/risksheet/diagrams/faq/licensing-model/diagram-1.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=-Icoak49xQVOW38R&q=85&s=c8c7e419dda7a0f79067bee89c18cb1b" alt="diagram" style={{ maxWidth: "560px", width: "100%" }} width="560" height="340" data-path="risksheet/diagrams/faq/licensing-model/diagram-1.svg" />
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***

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is the difference between server users and active users?">
    Risksheet distinguishes between two categories of users. **Server users** are all registered users on the Siemens Polarion ALM server, regardless of whether they hold a Polarion license or use Risksheet. **Active users** are users explicitly assigned to Risksheet through a special user group, and they can create, edit, and manage risk items. All other server users receive **read-only access** through the Connect license, allowing them to view risk analysis data without editing.

    <Warning title="Common Licensing Pitfall">
      Risksheet counts **all registered users on the Polarion server** as server users -- not just users who hold Polarion licenses. If your Polarion server has 203 registered users but only 50 Polarion license holders, the Risksheet server user count is 203. This distinction frequently causes confusion during initial licensing.
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I assign active users?">
    Active users are managed by adding user email addresses to a special user group in Polarion Administration. When you assign users to this group, they gain full editing capabilities in Risksheet including creating risk items, editing cell values, and saving changes. Users not in the group retain read-only viewing access. The specific group name depends on your product configuration:

    * **Risksheet only**: Assign users to the `nextedy_risksheet_users` group
    * **Risksheet + Powersheet**: Assign users to the `nextedy_powersheet_users` group (see the migration question below)

    <Tip title="Active License Required">
      You must have an active Risksheet license before you can assign active users to the group. The user group assignment feature is only available with a valid production license.
    </Tip>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What licensing tiers are available?">
    Risksheet is available in tiered licensing based on the number of active users:

    | Tier        | Active Users           | Server Users               | Notes                                   |
    | ----------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
    | Small team  | 20 active users        | Unlimited (read-only view) | Suitable for departmental risk teams    |
    | Medium team | 50 active users        | Unlimited (read-only view) | Cross-functional deployment             |
    | Unlimited   | Unlimited active users | Unlimited                  | Cost-effective above 60-70 active users |

    | Active Users Needed | Recommended Tier       | Notes                                |
    | ------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
    | \< 20               | Small team (20 users)  | Suitable for departmental risk teams |
    | 20 -- 50            | Medium team (50 users) | Cross-functional deployment          |
    | 50 -- 70            | Compare tier pricing   | Unlimited may be more cost-effective |
    | > 70                | Unlimited              | Best value above 60-70 active users  |

    The unlimited licensing tier becomes cost-effective when your organization has more than 60-70 active users who need editing capabilities. If you anticipate growth beyond 50 active users, evaluate the unlimited tier during your initial purchase. For current pricing details, see the [Risksheet pricing FAQ](https://www.nextedy.com/product/nextedy-risksheet/#faq).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the Connect license?">
    The Connect license provides **read-only access** to Risksheet for all Polarion server users who are not assigned as active users. With the Connect license, non-active users can view risk analysis data, browse risk tables, and see all column values, but they cannot create new risk items, edit cell values, or save changes. This ensures that stakeholders, auditors, and reviewers can access risk data without consuming active user slots.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the SMB discount?">
    The SMB (small and medium business) discount is a reduced pricing tier available to organizations that stay within 50 server users on the Polarion server. Since server users count all registered accounts regardless of license type, exceeding the 50 server user threshold disqualifies the SMB pricing. Regularly audit your Polarion server for inactive or deprovisioned user accounts to maintain eligibility.

    <Info title="Verify in application">
      Contact Nextedy sales for current SMB pricing details and eligibility requirements -- see the [Risksheet pricing FAQ](https://www.nextedy.com/product/nextedy-risksheet/#faq) for the latest information. The 50 server user threshold is based on all registered accounts on the Polarion server.
    </Info>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Risksheet count Polarion licenses or server accounts?">
    Risksheet counts **all registered server users** on the Polarion server, not Polarion license holders. This is a critical distinction. For example, if you have 7 named Risksheet licenses and 203 registered accounts on the server, the system counts 203 server users. To stay within license limits, you can either clean up inactive server accounts or upgrade your Risksheet license tier. Common sources of unexpected server user counts include:

    * Service accounts used by integrations
    * Deactivated users who were never removed from the server
    * Test accounts from previous deployments
    * Integration accounts for CI/CD systems
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens when I install both Risksheet and Powersheet?">
    When both Risksheet and Powersheet are installed with valid production licenses, Risksheet automatically detects the Powersheet installation and switches to an enhanced configuration that unlocks additional features. This integration is transparent -- no manual configuration is required. However, the **user group assignment changes**:

    * Risksheet reads active user assignments from the `nextedy_powersheet_users` group instead of `nextedy_risksheet_users`
    * This change is automatic when Powersheet has a valid production license
    * Evaluation or trial Powersheet licenses do not trigger this switch
    * The dual license system tracks user counts for both products independently

    <Warning title="Upgrade Migration">
      When updating Risksheet across major versions where Powersheet is also installed, verify that your active users are assigned to the correct group (`nextedy_powersheet_users`). The automatic switch from `nextedy_risksheet_users` to `nextedy_powersheet_users` can cause access issues if users are only configured in the old group. Review user group membership before and after the upgrade.
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Risksheet support evaluation licenses?">
    Yes. Evaluation licenses allow you to trial Risksheet with full functionality before purchasing a production license. During evaluation, all Risksheet features are available for assessment. Note that evaluation Powersheet licenses do **not** enable the enhanced Risksheet features that require a production Powersheet license -- the automatic feature unlocking only occurs with a valid production Powersheet license. Evaluation licenses are time-limited and designed for proof-of-concept and capability assessment.

    See [Evaluate Risksheet](/risksheet/getting-started/evaluation) for details on starting an evaluation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How does license revalidation work?">
    Risksheet supports dynamic license revalidation that automatically checks both Risksheet and Powersheet license status. When a license status changes -- for example, when a Powersheet license is activated, expires, or is upgraded from evaluation to production -- Risksheet adjusts available features accordingly without requiring a server restart. The system maintains separate license managers for Risksheet and Powersheet, each tracking server users, configured named users, and configured concurrent users. License changes are detected automatically and the configuration adapts in real time.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can't I save changes even though I have a license?">
    If you have a valid Risksheet license but cannot save changes, the most common causes are:

    1. **Server user count exceeded**: Your Polarion server has more registered users than your license allows. Risksheet counts all registered server accounts, not just Polarion license holders. Clean up inactive server accounts or upgrade your license tier.

    2. **Not assigned as active user**: Your user account is not in the active user group (`nextedy_risksheet_users` or `nextedy_powersheet_users`). Ask your administrator to add your email to the appropriate group.

    3. **Read-only Connect access**: You are accessing Risksheet through the Connect license (read-only mode). Contact your administrator to be assigned as an active user.

    4. **License group mismatch**: If both Risksheet and Powersheet are installed, ensure you are in the `nextedy_powersheet_users` group rather than the `nextedy_risksheet_users` group.

    5. **Polarion ALM license restriction**: Risksheet honors your underlying Polarion ALM license capability (see the next question). If your Polarion license is PRO, you can modify existing risk items but cannot create new lines; if it is REVIEWER, you have read-only access.

    6. **Document-level permissions**: The Polarion document itself may have restricted write access. Verify your project role and document permissions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do Polarion ALM license types relate to Risksheet?">
    Risksheet honors the capability of your underlying Polarion ALM license. Three Polarion license tiers map to Risksheet behavior as follows:

    | Polarion License            | Risksheet Capability                                          |
    | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **ALM / Requirements / QA** | Full access -- create new risk items and modify existing ones |
    | **PRO**                     | Modify existing risk items only -- cannot create new lines    |
    | **REVIEWER**                | Read-only access                                              |

    This is independent of the Risksheet active-user assignment: a user must be both (a) in the active user group (or accessing read-only via the Connect license) and (b) holding a Polarion license that permits the action they want to perform. For example, an active user with a PRO Polarion license can edit existing failure modes but cannot add a new row to the risk table. To create new risk items, the user must hold an ALM, Requirements, or QA license.

    For pricing details on each tier, see the [Risksheet pricing FAQ](https://www.nextedy.com/product/nextedy-risksheet/#faq).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I change the number of active users later?">
    Yes. You can upgrade your licensing tier at any time to increase the number of active users. When you upgrade, the license revalidation mechanism detects the change and adjusts the available active user slots without requiring a server restart. To downgrade, contact Nextedy support to discuss your options. Active user changes take effect immediately once the new license is applied.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I check my current server user count?">
    The server user count is the total number of registered user accounts on your Polarion server. You can check this through Polarion Administration under user management. Remember that this count includes all accounts -- active users, inactive users, service accounts, and integration accounts. Compare this number against your Risksheet license tier to ensure compliance.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

<Note title="Contact Nextedy Sales">
  For current pricing, custom licensing arrangements, or questions about your specific deployment, see the [Risksheet pricing FAQ](https://www.nextedy.com/product/nextedy-risksheet/#faq) or contact Nextedy sales directly. Pricing tiers, SMB discount eligibility, and unlimited license breakpoints may vary based on your organization's needs.
</Note>

## Related Pages

* [Evaluate Risksheet](/risksheet/getting-started/evaluation) -- starting a Risksheet evaluation
* [Understanding Licenses](/risksheet/guides/licensing/understanding-licenses) -- in-depth licensing guide
* [General Questions](/risksheet/faq/general) -- general product questions
* [Installation](/risksheet/getting-started/installation) -- installing Risksheet on your Polarion server