Contrast Protect licensing guide
This guide describes the Contrast licensing model for Protect. It explains key terms and provides real-world examples to illustrate how Contrast applies Protect licensing.
The goal of this guide is to provide clarity about the licensing model for technical and non-technical audiences.
Assess versus Protect licenses
Assess licenses: These licenses apply to individual applications, regardless of the number of times they are running.
Protect licenses: These licenses are based on the number of servers in the production environment.
The licenses can adjust based on the changing number of servers in use. Contrast allows for burst flexibility; license use can go beyond the number of licenses purchased. This option allows for dynamic scaling of applications and ensures Contrast is able to provide continuous service with minimal interference.
Common scenarios
One application to one server
If you are running one application on one server, you need one Protect license. This scenario is the most basic one.
One application across multiple servers
If a you have one application distributed across several servers, each server requires its own Protect license. This scenario is typical in high-availability or load-balanced configurations.
Multiple applications on one server
If you are running several applications on a single server, you need just one Protect license for that server. This scenario is common in environments that use Java Virtual Machines (JVMs) or Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), where multiple applications coexist on a single server.
Example: StreamFlix, a Video Streaming Platform
This real-world example shows how you could use Protect licensing.
Background
StreamFlix operates a video streaming platform and employs a microservices architecture. They have several microservices, including User Authentication, Video Playback, and Analytics. StreamFlix uses ephemeral servers that can scale up or down based on demand.
Event
A highly anticipated series premiere is scheduled. As users start logging in to watch, there's a sudden surge in traffic.
Microservice behavior
Phase | User authentication service | Video playback service | Analytics service |
|---|---|---|---|
Normal operation | 5 servers | 10 servers | 3 servers |
Premiere day | 20 servers Due to the influx of users logging in, the number of servers scale up to handle demand. | 50 servers More users are streaming. | 5 servers More servers are required to process the higher volume of user data. |
Post premiere | 5 servers As traffic normalizes, the number of servers scales down. | 15 servers Once the rush subsides, the numbers of servers scales down to a slightly higher number due to continued interest. | 3 servers |
Protect licenses
Phase | Protect licenses |
|---|---|
Normal operation | 18 licenses (5 + 10 + 3 servers) |
Premiere day | License use surges to 75 (20 + 50 + 5 servers) |
Post premiere | License use adjusts to 23 (5 + 15 + 3 servers) |
Key insights
Adaptive Licensing: Protect licensing dynamically adjusts to the changing number of servers during high-demand events, ensuring continuous service.
Distinct Focus: Asses licensing focuses on unique applications. Protect licensing focuses on the servers running these applications in a production environment.