> ## 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 Questions

> Common questions about Nextedy RISKSHEET licensing tiers, Active User assignment, the relationship to Siemens Polarion ALM licenses, and how Risksheet interacts with a Nextedy POWERSHEET license.

<Note title="Pricing vs. licensing">
  This page explains how the **licensing model** works (Active Users, Server Users, Connect, PRO, REVIEWER). For pricing tiers and quote-related questions, see [Pricing Questions](/risksheet/faq/pricing).
</Note>

## How the Licensing Model Fits Together

The diagram below summarizes the three categories of users that can interact with a risksheet, and what each can do.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/-Icoak49xQVOW38R/risksheet/diagrams/faq/licensing/diagram-1.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=-Icoak49xQVOW38R&q=85&s=0a10f17d7bf78c8ae2c21b0648794a91" alt="diagram" style={{ maxWidth: "720px", width: "100%" }} width="720" height="260" data-path="risksheet/diagrams/faq/licensing/diagram-1.svg" />
</Frame>

## Active Users and Server Users

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is the difference between an Active User and a Server User?">
    An **Active User** can create and edit risk items, change the sheet configuration, and run formulas inside a risksheet. A **Server User** is any Polarion user on the server who can open and read risksheets but cannot modify risk data; this read-only access is granted through the **Connect** license that ships with Risksheet. Active Users count against your purchased tier (for example, 20, 50, or unlimited); Server Users are unlimited. See [Licensing Model](/risksheet/faq/licensing-model) for the full breakdown.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How are Active Users assigned?">
    Active Users are **explicitly assigned by a Polarion administrator** through a Polarion user group — they are not calculated automatically based on activity. The administrator creates a group, assigns the Active User role to specific users, and adds those users to the group by their account. This is distinct from the default Polarion user role: every Polarion user can open a risksheet read-only, but only members of the Active User group can edit. For the exact administrator workflow, see [Licensing](/risksheet/guides/licensing/index).

    <Tip title="Active User assignment is not automatic">
      A user does not become an Active User simply by opening or editing a risksheet. Until an administrator adds them to the Active User group, they fall back to the Connect (read-only) access level — regardless of their Polarion ALM license.
    </Tip>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I know how many Active Users I am currently using?">
    Risksheet tracks user counts for both server users and configured named users against your purchased tier. The administrator can review the assignment by opening the user group used for Active Users and counting its members. If you need help auditing the assignment or comparing it to your purchased seats, contact Nextedy support.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When does unlimited Active User licensing make sense?">
    As a rule of thumb, **unlimited Active User licensing becomes more cost-effective above roughly 60 to 70 Active Users**. Below that threshold, named tiers (typically 20 or 50 Active Users) are usually a better fit. The crossover point depends on your specific quote — see [Pricing Questions](/risksheet/faq/pricing) for how to request a quote that compares tiers side by side.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Relationship to Polarion ALM Licenses

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does Risksheet require a specific Polarion ALM license?">
    Yes. Risksheet builds on top of Polarion ALM, and Polarion's license tier determines what a given user can do **inside the risksheet grid**, in addition to the Risksheet Active User assignment.

    | Polarion license                     | What the user can do in a risksheet                           |
    | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | ALM / Requirements / QA (full named) | Full access: create new risk items, modify existing ones      |
    | PRO                                  | **Modify existing risk items only** — cannot create new lines |
    | REVIEWER                             | Read-only with comment and approval rights                    |

    <Warning title="PRO license cannot create new risk items">
      A common misconception is that Risksheet operates independently of Polarion ALM licensing. It does not. PRO-licensed users see the grid and can edit cells in existing rows, but **the action to add a new row is disabled**. If your team needs to create risk items, the user must hold an ALM/Requirements/QA-class Polarion license **and** be an Active User in Risksheet.
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do Polarion REVIEWER users count against my Active User tier?">
    No. REVIEWER users get read-only access through the Connect license that comes with Risksheet, so they do not consume Active User seats. They can read the grid, leave comments, and participate in approval-based reviews (see [Review Management](/risksheet/guides/reviews/index)).

    <Info title="Verify in application">
      The exact set of UI actions available to a REVIEWER inside the grid depends on the configured review workflow. Verify your specific scenario against your installed version before final sign-off.
    </Info>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Risksheet and Powersheet Together

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What happens when both Risksheet and Powersheet are licensed?">
    When a valid Powersheet **production** license is present alongside Risksheet, Risksheet automatically switches to an enhanced configuration that unlocks additional features. This switch is **transparent and automatic** — there is no manual setting to toggle. If the Powersheet license is removed or expires, Risksheet reverts to its standard feature set on the next license revalidation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does a Powersheet evaluation license unlock the extra Risksheet features?">
    No. Only a valid **production** Powersheet license activates the enhanced Risksheet configuration. Evaluation or trial Powersheet licenses do not trigger the feature unlock. If you are testing Powersheet alongside Risksheet, expect Risksheet to behave as if Powersheet were not installed until a production license is applied.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to restart Polarion after changing my Powersheet license?">
    No. Risksheet supports dynamic license revalidation and checks both the Risksheet and Powersheet licenses periodically. When the Powersheet status changes — activated, expired, or upgraded from evaluation to production — Risksheet adjusts the available features automatically without a restart.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are Risksheet and Powersheet licensed independently?">
    Yes. Each product has its own license manager and its own user counts (server users, named users, concurrent users where applicable). You can license Risksheet on its own, Powersheet on its own, or both together; the products do not require each other to function.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Configurations, Documents, and Reuse

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does Risksheet need a license per project or per document?">
    The Risksheet license is **server-wide** — it covers all projects on the Polarion server, not just one. A single Risksheet license entitles you to run any number of risksheet documents across any number of projects, subject only to the Active User count tied to your tier.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can one project have multiple risksheet configurations?">
    Yes. A project can contain multiple risksheets, each with its own sheet configuration (the file commonly referred to as `risksheet.json`). This means a single project can run an FMEA, a HARA, and a TARA in parallel, each driven by its own sheet configuration. See [Configuration Management](/risksheet/guides/configuration/index) for how to manage multiple configurations in one project.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I reuse a risksheet across product variants without buying extra licenses?">
    Yes. Risk analyses can be reused across product variants through standard Polarion mechanisms — there is no separate per-variant license. The Active User count is what is licensed, not the number of variants or analyses.

    <Note title="Reuse mechanics">
      The specific reuse mechanism depends on your Polarion setup (branching, document templates, or copy workflows). The Risksheet license does not restrict any of these patterns.
    </Note>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Trial, Evaluation, and Support

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I evaluate Risksheet before buying?">
    Nextedy provides evaluation builds of Risksheet that include a time-limited license. During evaluation you have access to the same features as a production install, except that any Powersheet-dependent enhancements require a **production** Powersheet license (an evaluation Powersheet license does not unlock them). For a quote, see [Pricing Questions](/risksheet/faq/pricing).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where can I see a working FMEA or HARA before I license Risksheet?">
    Risksheet ships with starter templates for typical risk analysis methodologies (FMEA, HARA, TARA, STRIDE). The recommended way to evaluate the tool is to pick the closest solution template for your industry, run through its sheet configuration, and adjust it to your process. See [Templates](/risksheet/reference/templates/index) for the available starting points and [Getting Started](/risksheet/getting-started/index) for the end-to-end walkthrough.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Who should I contact for licensing questions or quotes?">
    Licensing questions, quotes (including comparisons between 20, 50, and unlimited Active User tiers), and quote-for-resale requests are handled by Nextedy sales. Reach out through your reseller or the Nextedy contact channels on the support portal. For technical questions about applying or revalidating an already-issued license, contact Nextedy support and reference your server installation.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>