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[[Category:Administration]]
[[Category:Administration]]


This page explains how channel licensing works in VoIPmonitor, including what constitutes a channel, what happens when you exceed the limit, and how to resolve license lock issues.
This page explains VoIPmonitor channel licensing: what counts as a channel, what happens when limits are exceeded, and how to resolve license issues.


== What is a Channel License? ==
== Understanding Channel Licensing ==


A channel license limits the number of concurrent calls processed by the VoIPmonitor GUI. Commercial licenses are sold with a specific channel cap (e.g., 100, 500, 1000 channels).
=== What is a Channel License? ===
 
A channel license limits concurrent calls processed by the VoIPmonitor GUI. Commercial licenses specify a channel cap (e.g., 100, 500, 1000 channels).
 
{{Note|1='''Key distinction:''' A ''channel'' is a single, un-mergeable CDR leg—not necessarily one logical call. Complex scenarios (transfers, forking, re-invites) can create multiple CDR legs from one conversation.}}


=== What Counts as a Channel? ===
=== What Counts as a Channel? ===


The GUI counts **one channel per call**. For call correlation purposes, the GUI merges CDRs from all legs if the caller and called numbers share at least the last 6 digits.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Scenario !! Channels !! Explanation
|-
| Simple call: A → B || 1 || One CDR leg
|-
| Call ending with 487 (Request Terminated) || 0 || Excluded from counting
|-
| Call transfer: A → B → C (creates 2 legs) || 2 || Each un-mergeable leg counts
|-
| Forking/parallel ring || Multiple || One per destination leg
|-
| Same call captured by 2 sensors || 1 || Deduplicated if last 6 digits match (±10s window)
|}
 
'''Deduplication logic:''' The GUI deduplicates CDRs across sensors if the last 6 digits of caller and called numbers match within a ±10-second window. This means geo-redundant captures count as one channel.
 
=== Distributed Deployments ===
 
For multi-sensor architectures:


For example:
* '''One license covers all sensors''' connecting to a single central GUI+DB
* Call from 123456001 to 123456002 = 1 channel (caller and called share last 6 digits: 456001 and 456002)
* Channels are aggregated across all sensors, not multiplied per sensor
* Call from 123456789 to 987654321 = 1 channel (different numbers do not merge)
* Same call captured by multiple sensors is deduplicated automatically
* Multiple calls to different phone numbers are counted separately


== What Happens When the License Limit is Exceeded? ==
'''Example:''' Sensors in New York, London, and Tokyo connecting to Frankfurt GUI = ONE license sized for total concurrent calls across all sites.


When the channel count exceeds your license limit, VoIPmonitor has a grace period before locking:
For deployment details, see [[Sniffer_distributed_architecture|Client-Server Mode]].


1. **3-Day Grace Period:** You can exceed the limit for up to 3 consecutive days without any blocking
== License Limit Exceeded ==
2. **Day 4 onwards:** The system begins a lockdown process
3. **After 14 Days:** The GUI locks completely


=== Effects of a Locked GUI ===
=== Timeline ===


When the GUI becomes locked after exceeding the license limit for more than 14 consecutive days:
<kroki lang="mermaid">
%%{init: {'flowchart': {'nodeSpacing': 15, 'rankSpacing': 30}}}%%
flowchart LR
    A[Limit<br/>Exceeded] --> B[Days 1-3:<br/>Grace Period]
    B --> C[Days 4-13:<br/>Lockdown]
    C --> D[Day 14+:<br/>GUI Locked]
    style A fill:#ffcc00
    style B fill:#90EE90
    style C fill:#FFA500
    style D fill:#FF6B6B
</kroki>


* **GUI becomes unusable:** You cannot access the web interface
=== Effects When Locked ===
* **Alerts are disabled:** No alert notifications will be sent
* **Reports are unavailable:** You cannot generate reports
* **CSV exports are blocked:** Data export functionality is disabled


=== What Still Works During Lock ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Blocked !! Still Working
|-
| GUI access, Alerts, Reports, CSV exports || '''Sniffer continues recording all CDRs''' (data is NOT lost)
|}


'''Important:''' The sniffer continues to operate normally and record all CDRs to the database even when the GUI is locked. Your call data is not lost.
=== Do I Need to Act Immediately After Receiving Alert Emails? ===


== Resolving a License Lock ==
If you received multiple '''VoIPmonitor license alert''' emails after exceeding the limit once:


To unlock your VoIPmonitor GUI after it has been locked due to license limit overage:
{{Note|1='''No, you do NOT need to act immediately.''' A license upgrade is only necessary if the concurrent call limit is exceeded for '''3 consecutive days'''.}}


=== Option 1: Upgrade Your License ===
{{Tip|Receiving multiple emails from a single over-limit event is normal behavior and does not indicate a worsening problem. The system continues monitoring in the background during the grace period.}}


The recommended solution is to upgrade to a larger channel license:
== Resolving License Issues ==


1. Contact VoIPmonitor support to upgrade your license to a higher channel limit
=== Option 1: Upgrade License (Recommended) ===
2. Install the new license key
3. Restart the GUI service


=== Option 2: Increase License Limit (Temporary) ===
# Log in to [https://www.voipmonitor.org voipmonitor.org] → '''Services''' → '''My services'''
# Click '''UPGRADE''' on your license → select new tier → complete checkout
# Download new <code>key.php</code> and install (see [[#License Key Location|License Key Location]])


If you have a higher tier license available but the limit is currently set lower:
=== Option 2: Self-Service Temporary Increase ===


1. Update your license key configuration to increase the channel limit
For immediate relief without contacting support:
2. Restart the GUI service


=== Option 3: Remove and Re-compute CDRs ===
# GUI → '''Settings > License'''
# Click '''"Get License Key"''' button
# Receive '''14-day temporary increase'''


If you need to quickly unlock the GUI without upgrading:
{{Tip|The license check considers only the last 3 weeks of call data. After clicking "Get License Key", daily over-limit alerts stop for 14 days.}}


<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
=== Option 3: Contact Support ===
# WARNING: This will delete all existing CDRs from the database
# Make sure you have backups or can re-compute from PCAP files


# Stop VoIPmonitor
Support can:
systemctl stop voipmonitor
* Provide temporary channel limit increase
* Investigate incorrect CDR counting
* Issue emergency 30-day trial license (for expired licenses due to billing issues)


# Connect to MySQL and delete CDRs
=== Option 4: Delete CDRs (Destructive) ===
mysql -u root -p voipmonitor


# Run these commands in MySQL
{{Warning|1=This deletes all existing CDRs. Only use as last resort.}}
TRUNCATE TABLE cdr;
TRUNCATE TABLE cdr_next_partition;
-- Also truncate any cdr_partition_* tables
TRUNCATE TABLE cdr_partition_YYYYMM;
EXIT;


# Restart VoIPmonitor
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
systemctl stop voipmonitor
mysql -u root -p voipmonitor -e "TRUNCATE TABLE cdr; TRUNCATE TABLE cdr_next_partition;"
systemctl start voipmonitor
systemctl start voipmonitor
</syntaxhighlight>
</syntaxhighlight>


After deleting the CDRs and restarting, the GUI will recalculate the channel count from the remaining data. If the count is now within the license limit, the GUI will unlock.
To re-process from PCAP files afterward:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
voipmonitor --config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf --readpcapdir /var/spool/voipmonitor
</syntaxhighlight>
 
=== Trial Expiration ===
 
Before purchasing after trial expiration:
 
# Check if license already purchased: voipmonitor.org → '''Services''' → '''My services'''
# If purchased but not applied: Get <code>key.php</code> from order email and install it
# Only if no purchase exists: Buy via GUI (About > Buy License) or portal
 
=== HWID Mismatch Error ===
 
'''"license file key.php is for another hwid"''' occurs when hardware ID changed (migration, cloud instance recreation).
 
'''Solution:''' GUI → '''Settings > License''' → '''"Get License"''' button (auto-syncs with current HWID)
 
'''For frequent cloud instance recreation:''' Request '''domain-based licensing''' from support (binds to domain name instead of hardware ID).
 
=== "get hwid failed" Error ===
 
'''Problem:''' The GUI displays "get hwid failed" when attempting to update the license key.


'''Note:''' This is a destructive operation. Only use this if you can afford to lose historical CDR data.
'''Cause:''' The web server user cannot read or execute the Hardware ID binary.


=== Option 4: Re-compute CDRs from PCAP Files ===
'''Solution:'''


If you have PCAP files in your spool directory, you can re-compute CDRs after making changes:
Test if the hwid binary works as the web server user:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
su - www-data -s /bin/bash -c '/var/www/html/bin/hwid-x86_64'
</syntaxhighlight>


If this command fails with permission denied, fix the binary permissions:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
# Stop VoIPmonitor
chmod +rx /var/www/html/bin/hwid-x86_64
systemctl stop voipmonitor
</syntaxhighlight>
 
{{Note|Replace '''www-data''' with your web server user (e.g., '''apache''' on RHEL/Rocky systems).}}
 
=== After License Renewal ===
 
# GUI → '''Settings > License'''
# Click '''"Change license key"''' to expand options
# Click '''"Get license key"''' to fetch updated license
 
'''Manual method:''' Paste full license key (all lines: Expires, easycallerid, hwid, id, maxcalls, upgradeexpire) into the license text field.
 
== Monitoring Usage ==
 
=== Current Status ===
 
Check GUI footer or '''About/License''' page for active channels vs. license limit.
 
=== Historical Data ===
 
'''Tools > Concurrent Calls Stats''' shows maximum concurrent calls for last 14 days (averaged over 60-minute windows).
 
=== Notification Emails ===
 
To disable license notification emails:
 
# GUI → '''Settings > License'''
# Clear the email address field for license notifications
# Save changes
 
{{Note|This only disables license-related emails (warnings, overage, expiration, lock). Other alerts continue normally.}}
 
== License Key Management ==
 
=== License Key Location ===
 
<code>/var/www/html/voipmonitor/key.php</code>
 
=== Transferring to New System ===
 
# Copy <code>key.php</code> from old system to new system
# Restart GUI service
 
'''For concurrent operation''' (old + new during migration, or test/dev environments):
* Contact support to configure license for simultaneous multi-server use (preferred)
* Or obtain 30-day trial license for temporary system
 
{{Tip|For test/dev servers, contact support to reconfigure your existing license for multiple servers at no extra cost.}}


# Delete old CDRs (see Option 3 above)
=== AWS/Cloud Considerations ===


# Re-process PCAP files to regenerate CDRs with the new license settings
{| class="wikitable"
voipmonitor --config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf --readpcapdir /var/spool/voipmonitor
|-
! Operation !! HWID Changes? !! Action Required
|-
| Stop & Start || Usually No || None
|-
| Reboot || No || None
|-
| Terminate & Launch New || Yes || New license key (use "Get License" button or contact support)
|-
| Auto-scaling Group || Yes per instance || Request domain-based licensing
|}


# After processing completes, restart VoIPmonitor normally
'''AWS permission fix''' (for "Invalid or corrupted hwid" errors):
systemctl start voipmonitor
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
chmod 644 /dev/root
</syntaxhighlight>
</syntaxhighlight>


== Monitoring Your Channel Usage ==
== Subscription Terms ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Term !! Meaning
|-
| '''Formal End Date''' || When your paid service period ends
|-
| '''Grace Period''' (20 days after) || For automatic renewal processing only—NOT extended access after cancellation
|}
 
{{Warning|1=If you cancel, access ends on the Formal End Date, not the grace period end.}}
 
'''Emergency access:''' Contact support for 30-day emergency trial license while resolving billing issues.
 
== Known Issue: Incorrect Channel Counting ==
 
{{Warning|1=Known bug: Some calls are incorrectly counted as two channels. Confirmed and escalated to development team.}}
 
'''Symptoms:'''
* License exceeded more frequently than expected
* Tools > Concurrent Calls Stats shows higher peaks than actual call patterns


Check your current channel usage and license limit:
'''Workaround:''' Contact support for manual channel limit increase (no upgrade required).
 
== See Also ==
 
* [[Billing]] - Call cost calculation
* [[Reports]] - Report configuration
* [[GUI_Installation]] - Installation and upgrade procedures
* [[Sniffer_distributed_architecture|Client-Server Mode]] - Multi-sensor deployments
 
=== How Legs Are Correlated ===
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Scenario !! Channels !! Explanation
|-
| Simple call: A → B || 1 || One CDR leg
|-
| Call ending with 487 (Request Terminated) || 0 || Excluded from counting
|-
| Call transfer: A → B → C (creates 2 legs) || 1+ || Legs correlated if same call context
|-
| Forking/parallel ring || Multiple || One per destination leg
|-
| Same call captured by 2 sensors || 1 || Deduplicated if last 6 digits match (±10s window)
|}
 
'''How legs are correlated for license counting:''' CDR legs are treated as a single channel when:
* Legs start within '''5 seconds''' of each other AND
* '''Last 6 digits''''' of BOTH caller AND called numbers match
 
This means a single logical call may create multiple CDR legs on the network (e.g., via SBC/B2BUA with generated new Call-IDs) but still count as '''one license channel'''.
 
'''Cross-sensor deduplication:''' When the same call is captured by multiple sensors, it's deduplicated if the last 6 digits of caller and called numbers match within a ±10-second window. Geo-redundant captures count as one channel.


1. Log in to the VoIPmonitor GUI
2. Check the footer or the **About/License** page (often found under the Gear icon or User menu)
3. Look for **Active channels** vs **License limit**


If you consistently hit the limit during peak hours, consider upgrading your license to avoid lock situations.


== License Key File Location ==


The license key file is typically located at:


<code>/var/www/html/voipmonitor/key.php</code>


This file contains your license details including the channel limit. Updates to this file (e.g., when upgrading your license) should be provided by VoIPmonitor support.


== Related Topics ==


* [[Billing]] - Learn about billing features and call cost calculation
* [[CDR_Summary]] - Pre-aggregated CDR data for faster queries
* [[Reports]] - Configure and generate VoIPmonitor reports


== AI Summary for RAG ==
== AI Summary for RAG ==


'''Summary:''' VoIPmonitor channel licensing limits the number of concurrent calls processed by the GUI, with licenses sold in channel caps (e.g., 100, 500, 1000 channels). The GUI counts one channel per call, merging CDRs from all legs if caller and called numbers share at least the last 6 digits. What constitutes a channel: one channel per SIP call (concurrent dialog). CDR merging logic: merges all legs if caller and called numbers share the last 6 digits. Exceeding the limit consequences: 3-day grace period allows exceeding limit without block; after 3 consecutive days over limit, lockdown process begins; after 14 days total, GUI locks completely. When locked, GUI, alerts, reports, and CSV exports become unusable. The sniffer continues recording all CDRs to database even while locked (sniffer does NOT stop). Resolution options: (1) Upgrade license to higher channel limit (recommended), (2) Increase license limit if higher tier available, (3) Remove and re-compute CDRs from database (destructive - TRUNCATE TABLE cdr and cdr_next_partition, then restart), (4) Re-compute CDRs from PCAP files using --readpcapdir. Monitor usage: check GUI footer or About/License page (Gear icon or User menu) for Active channels vs License limit. License key file location: /var/www/html/voipmonitor/key.php (provided by VoIPmonitor support).
'''Summary:''' VoIPmonitor uses channel licensing to limit concurrent calls processed by the GUI. Key concepts: (1) A channel = one un-mergeable CDR leg (transfers, forking, re-invites can create multiple legs from one call). Calls ending with 487 (Request Terminated) are excluded. (2) Distributed deployments: ONE license covers ALL sensors connecting to a single central GUI+DB. Deduplication occurs if last 6 digits of caller/called numbers match within ±10s window. (3) Exceeding limits: 3-day grace period, then lockdown process, GUI locks at day 14. Sniffer continues recording during lock. (4) Resolution options: Upgrade license, self-service 14-day temporary increase via "Get License Key" button (Settings > License), contact support for temporary increase or emergency trial, or delete CDRs (destructive). (5) Monitor usage via GUI footer or Tools > Concurrent Calls Stats (14-day history). (6) License transfer: Copy key.php to new system; contact support for concurrent multi-server use. (7) HWID mismatch: Use "Get License" button to re-sync; request domain-based licensing for frequent cloud instance recreation. (8) AWS: Stop/Start preserves HWID; Terminate/Launch changes it. Use chmod 644 /dev/root for permission issues. (9) Subscription terms: Formal End Date = service ends; Grace Period = renewal processing only. (10) Known bug: Some calls incorrectly counted as two channels—contact support for temporary limit increase.


'''Keywords:''' channel license, concurrent calls, license limit, GUI lock, license lock, exceed limit, grace period, 14 days lock, unlock GUI, upgrade license, CDR merging, caller called numbers, 6 digits, channel count per call, active channels, license key key.php, re-compute CDR, PCAP restore, sniffer continues recording, GUI locked, alerts disabled, reports unavailable, CSV export blocked
'''Keywords:''' channel license, concurrent calls, license limit, GUI lock, grace period, 14 days lock, 3 consecutive days, unlock GUI, upgrade license, CDR leg, un-mergeable CDR, call transfer, forking, re-invite, distributed licensing, multi-server, multiple sensors, channel aggregation, deduplication, last 6 digits, license transfer, HWID mismatch, domain-based licensing, license renewal, formal end date, grace period end date, emergency trial license, Get License button, Get License Key button, key.php, Tools Concurrent Calls Stats, temporary license increase, 14-day temporary license, self-service license increase, incorrect channel counting, known bug, test server, dev server, AWS, EC2, cloud instances, hardware ID, chmod 644 /dev/root, license notification emails, disable license emails, 487 Request Terminated


'''Key Questions:'''
'''Key Questions:'''
* What happens when I exceed the channel license limit in VoIPmonitor?
* What is a channel in VoIPmonitor licensing?
* How many days can I exceed the license limit before the GUI locks?
* Can one call consume multiple license channels?
* What constitutes a channel in VoIPmonitor licensing?
* What happens when I exceed the channel license limit?
* Does VoIPmonitor stop recording CDRs when the license limit is exceeded?
* How do I unlock my VoIPmonitor GUI after license lock?
* How do I unlock my VoIPmonitor GUI after the license limit lock?
* How do I get a temporary license increase without contacting support?
* What happens to CDRs when the GUI is locked due to license overage?
* How does licensing work for distributed/multi-server deployments?
* How do I check my channel usage vs license limit in VoIPmonitor?
* Do I need a separate license for each sensor?
* Can I re-compute CDRs to fix a license lock without upgrading?
* How do I check my channel usage vs license limit?
* What is the grace period for exceeding the VoIPmonitor channel license?
* How do I transfer a license to a new system?
* Do I have to upgrade my license if the GUI is locked?
* Can I use my existing license on a test or development server?
* How does VoIPmonitor count channels for licensing?
* How do I fix "license file key.php is for another hwid" error?
* What is the difference between one channel and multiple channels?
* What is domain-based licensing?
* How are CDRs merged for channel counting purposes?
* How do I refresh my license after renewal?
* Does the sniffer stop when the license limit is reached?
* What happens to my VoIPmonitor license when I terminate an AWS EC2 instance?
* What functionality is disabled when the GUI is locked?
* How do I disable license notification emails?
* How long can I exceed the channel limit before locking?
* Why is my license showing higher channel usage than expected?
* Where is the VoIPmonitor license key file located?
* Does the sniffer stop recording when the GUI is locked?
* How do I upgrade my VoIPmonitor channel license?
* What is the difference between formal end date and grace period?
* Can I delete CDRs to unlock the GUI temporarily?
* Does VoIPmonitor have a trial period for exceeding licenses?

Latest revision as of 02:20, 10 January 2026


This page explains VoIPmonitor channel licensing: what counts as a channel, what happens when limits are exceeded, and how to resolve license issues.

Understanding Channel Licensing

What is a Channel License?

A channel license limits concurrent calls processed by the VoIPmonitor GUI. Commercial licenses specify a channel cap (e.g., 100, 500, 1000 channels).

ℹ️ Note: Key distinction: A channel is a single, un-mergeable CDR leg—not necessarily one logical call. Complex scenarios (transfers, forking, re-invites) can create multiple CDR legs from one conversation.

What Counts as a Channel?

Scenario Channels Explanation
Simple call: A → B 1 One CDR leg
Call ending with 487 (Request Terminated) 0 Excluded from counting
Call transfer: A → B → C (creates 2 legs) 2 Each un-mergeable leg counts
Forking/parallel ring Multiple One per destination leg
Same call captured by 2 sensors 1 Deduplicated if last 6 digits match (±10s window)

Deduplication logic: The GUI deduplicates CDRs across sensors if the last 6 digits of caller and called numbers match within a ±10-second window. This means geo-redundant captures count as one channel.

Distributed Deployments

For multi-sensor architectures:

  • One license covers all sensors connecting to a single central GUI+DB
  • Channels are aggregated across all sensors, not multiplied per sensor
  • Same call captured by multiple sensors is deduplicated automatically

Example: Sensors in New York, London, and Tokyo connecting to Frankfurt GUI = ONE license sized for total concurrent calls across all sites.

For deployment details, see Client-Server Mode.

License Limit Exceeded

Timeline

Effects When Locked

Blocked Still Working
GUI access, Alerts, Reports, CSV exports Sniffer continues recording all CDRs (data is NOT lost)

Do I Need to Act Immediately After Receiving Alert Emails?

If you received multiple VoIPmonitor license alert emails after exceeding the limit once:

ℹ️ Note: No, you do NOT need to act immediately. A license upgrade is only necessary if the concurrent call limit is exceeded for 3 consecutive days.

💡 Tip: Receiving multiple emails from a single over-limit event is normal behavior and does not indicate a worsening problem. The system continues monitoring in the background during the grace period.

Resolving License Issues

Option 1: Upgrade License (Recommended)

  1. Log in to voipmonitor.org → Services → My services
  2. Click UPGRADE on your license → select new tier → complete checkout
  3. Download new key.php and install (see License Key Location)

Option 2: Self-Service Temporary Increase

For immediate relief without contacting support:

  1. GUI → Settings > License
  2. Click "Get License Key" button
  3. Receive 14-day temporary increase

💡 Tip: The license check considers only the last 3 weeks of call data. After clicking "Get License Key", daily over-limit alerts stop for 14 days.

Option 3: Contact Support

Support can:

  • Provide temporary channel limit increase
  • Investigate incorrect CDR counting
  • Issue emergency 30-day trial license (for expired licenses due to billing issues)

Option 4: Delete CDRs (Destructive)

⚠️ Warning: This deletes all existing CDRs. Only use as last resort. 

systemctl stop voipmonitor
mysql -u root -p voipmonitor -e "TRUNCATE TABLE cdr; TRUNCATE TABLE cdr_next_partition;"
systemctl start voipmonitor

To re-process from PCAP files afterward: 

voipmonitor --config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf --readpcapdir /var/spool/voipmonitor

Trial Expiration

Before purchasing after trial expiration:

  1. Check if license already purchased: voipmonitor.org → Services → My services
  2. If purchased but not applied: Get key.php from order email and install it
  3. Only if no purchase exists: Buy via GUI (About > Buy License) or portal

HWID Mismatch Error

"license file key.php is for another hwid" occurs when hardware ID changed (migration, cloud instance recreation).

Solution: GUI → Settings > License → "Get License" button (auto-syncs with current HWID)

For frequent cloud instance recreation: Request domain-based licensing from support (binds to domain name instead of hardware ID).

"get hwid failed" Error

Problem: The GUI displays "get hwid failed" when attempting to update the license key.

Cause: The web server user cannot read or execute the Hardware ID binary.

Solution:

Test if the hwid binary works as the web server user: 

su - www-data -s /bin/bash -c '/var/www/html/bin/hwid-x86_64'

If this command fails with permission denied, fix the binary permissions: 

chmod +rx /var/www/html/bin/hwid-x86_64

ℹ️ Note: Replace www-data with your web server user (e.g., apache on RHEL/Rocky systems).

After License Renewal

  1. GUI → Settings > License
  2. Click "Change license key" to expand options
  3. Click "Get license key" to fetch updated license

Manual method: Paste full license key (all lines: Expires, easycallerid, hwid, id, maxcalls, upgradeexpire) into the license text field.

Monitoring Usage

Current Status

Check GUI footer or About/License page for active channels vs. license limit.

Historical Data

Tools > Concurrent Calls Stats shows maximum concurrent calls for last 14 days (averaged over 60-minute windows).

Notification Emails

To disable license notification emails:

  1. GUI → Settings > License
  2. Clear the email address field for license notifications
  3. Save changes

ℹ️ Note: This only disables license-related emails (warnings, overage, expiration, lock). Other alerts continue normally.

License Key Management

License Key Location

/var/www/html/voipmonitor/key.php

Transferring to New System

  1. Copy key.php from old system to new system
  2. Restart GUI service

For concurrent operation (old + new during migration, or test/dev environments):

  • Contact support to configure license for simultaneous multi-server use (preferred)
  • Or obtain 30-day trial license for temporary system

💡 Tip: For test/dev servers, contact support to reconfigure your existing license for multiple servers at no extra cost.

AWS/Cloud Considerations

Operation HWID Changes? Action Required
Stop & Start Usually No None
Reboot No None
Terminate & Launch New Yes New license key (use "Get License" button or contact support)
Auto-scaling Group Yes per instance Request domain-based licensing

AWS permission fix (for "Invalid or corrupted hwid" errors): 

chmod 644 /dev/root

Subscription Terms

Term Meaning
Formal End Date When your paid service period ends
Grace Period (20 days after) For automatic renewal processing only—NOT extended access after cancellation

⚠️ Warning: If you cancel, access ends on the Formal End Date, not the grace period end.

Emergency access: Contact support for 30-day emergency trial license while resolving billing issues.

Known Issue: Incorrect Channel Counting

⚠️ Warning: Known bug: Some calls are incorrectly counted as two channels. Confirmed and escalated to development team.

Symptoms:

  • License exceeded more frequently than expected
  • Tools > Concurrent Calls Stats shows higher peaks than actual call patterns

Workaround: Contact support for manual channel limit increase (no upgrade required).

See Also

How Legs Are Correlated

Scenario Channels Explanation
Simple call: A → B 1 One CDR leg
Call ending with 487 (Request Terminated) 0 Excluded from counting
Call transfer: A → B → C (creates 2 legs) 1+ Legs correlated if same call context
Forking/parallel ring Multiple One per destination leg
Same call captured by 2 sensors 1 Deduplicated if last 6 digits match (±10s window)

How legs are correlated for license counting: CDR legs are treated as a single channel when:

  • Legs start within 5 seconds of each other AND
  • Last 6 digits of BOTH caller AND called numbers match

This means a single logical call may create multiple CDR legs on the network (e.g., via SBC/B2BUA with generated new Call-IDs) but still count as one license channel.

Cross-sensor deduplication: When the same call is captured by multiple sensors, it's deduplicated if the last 6 digits of caller and called numbers match within a ±10-second window. Geo-redundant captures count as one channel.





AI Summary for RAG

Summary: VoIPmonitor uses channel licensing to limit concurrent calls processed by the GUI. Key concepts: (1) A channel = one un-mergeable CDR leg (transfers, forking, re-invites can create multiple legs from one call). Calls ending with 487 (Request Terminated) are excluded. (2) Distributed deployments: ONE license covers ALL sensors connecting to a single central GUI+DB. Deduplication occurs if last 6 digits of caller/called numbers match within ±10s window. (3) Exceeding limits: 3-day grace period, then lockdown process, GUI locks at day 14. Sniffer continues recording during lock. (4) Resolution options: Upgrade license, self-service 14-day temporary increase via "Get License Key" button (Settings > License), contact support for temporary increase or emergency trial, or delete CDRs (destructive). (5) Monitor usage via GUI footer or Tools > Concurrent Calls Stats (14-day history). (6) License transfer: Copy key.php to new system; contact support for concurrent multi-server use. (7) HWID mismatch: Use "Get License" button to re-sync; request domain-based licensing for frequent cloud instance recreation. (8) AWS: Stop/Start preserves HWID; Terminate/Launch changes it. Use chmod 644 /dev/root for permission issues. (9) Subscription terms: Formal End Date = service ends; Grace Period = renewal processing only. (10) Known bug: Some calls incorrectly counted as two channels—contact support for temporary limit increase.

Keywords: channel license, concurrent calls, license limit, GUI lock, grace period, 14 days lock, 3 consecutive days, unlock GUI, upgrade license, CDR leg, un-mergeable CDR, call transfer, forking, re-invite, distributed licensing, multi-server, multiple sensors, channel aggregation, deduplication, last 6 digits, license transfer, HWID mismatch, domain-based licensing, license renewal, formal end date, grace period end date, emergency trial license, Get License button, Get License Key button, key.php, Tools Concurrent Calls Stats, temporary license increase, 14-day temporary license, self-service license increase, incorrect channel counting, known bug, test server, dev server, AWS, EC2, cloud instances, hardware ID, chmod 644 /dev/root, license notification emails, disable license emails, 487 Request Terminated

Key Questions:

  • What is a channel in VoIPmonitor licensing?
  • Can one call consume multiple license channels?
  • What happens when I exceed the channel license limit?
  • How do I unlock my VoIPmonitor GUI after license lock?
  • How do I get a temporary license increase without contacting support?
  • How does licensing work for distributed/multi-server deployments?
  • Do I need a separate license for each sensor?
  • How do I check my channel usage vs license limit?
  • How do I transfer a license to a new system?
  • Can I use my existing license on a test or development server?
  • How do I fix "license file key.php is for another hwid" error?
  • What is domain-based licensing?
  • How do I refresh my license after renewal?
  • What happens to my VoIPmonitor license when I terminate an AWS EC2 instance?
  • How do I disable license notification emails?
  • Why is my license showing higher channel usage than expected?
  • Does the sniffer stop recording when the GUI is locked?
  • What is the difference between formal end date and grace period?
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