How the Orixa Subscription System works 

This topic lays out the technical process by which the Orixa Server system tests a user's account status.

Basic operation of the Subscription system

Single user Orixa systems operate with direct access to the Orixa database and are free to set up and run. Multi-user systems are run using the OrxServer program. This program is run on the user's main computer, and accesses their Orixa database. All other instances of the user's Orixa App then connect to the OrxServer to access data. The OrxServer manages issues such as multiple-concurrent access to data, so that large numbers of users can access and edit data simultaneously.

Orixa charge a license fee for the use of the OrxServer program. This license is usually in the form of an annual subscription, sometimes bundled with support and maintenance services.

When the OrxServer starts, and periodically while it is running, it communicates with Orixa's web-servers and "pings" them with its subscription details. If the subscription is valid nothing happens, and the OrxServer continues to run. If the subscription is out of date users will start to see warning messages saying that their subscription should be renewed. If there is no connection to the internet from the OrxServer the program will run for a number of days. This allows continued operation in situations where connectivity is intermittent.

If a user's main server computer does not access the internet, the user needs to communicate this with Orixa, and a different solution can be supplied.

Where Orixa Stores Subscription details

OrxServer Subscription Settings  

1.  Open the OrxServer program and click on the "Server Settings" tab
2. The Subscription Key is shown part-way down the window.
3. The first part of the subscription key is the customer's subscription number.
4. The second part of the subscription key is the customer's Orixa-ID.
5. The third part of the subscription key is an auto-generated number for this OrxServer.

What happens if your subscription goes out of date

You will be given warning messages prior to the expirary date of the subscription, and for 30 days after the end of the subscription. After that OrxServer will refuse new connections.

Where is the subscription-status displayed?

The subscription status is shown in the bottom section of the main OrxServer window shown with 1., in the image below.

OrxServer Subscription Status  

Technically, what happens when the OrxServer Communicates with Orixa's Web-server?

On start-up and at 24 hour intervals thereafter the OrxServer creates an HTTP POST request and sends it to www.orixa.co.uk. This request passes the Subscription Key and some other data, including the IP Address of the sender. 

The Orixa Webserver stores Customer, Subscription and Subscription-Items data in an Orixa database. The SubscriptionItems data-table holds the end-date for the current subscription. The Orixa Webserver also holds a Subscription-Log data-table, in which it logs server connections from running instances of OrxServers at customer-sites.

Orixa's webserver receives the request, and checks the validity of the request, it stores the details, IP-Address, date and time of the request, and generates a response. This response is text, coupled with a key-value that the OrxServer can check to ensure it is valid. When the response is received, OrxServer checks it. 

The Orixa Web-server response can be any of the following values: 

1. Unknown Subscription OrxServer will not start or if running will stop connecting users.
2. Active Subscription OrxServer will run normally.
3. Short-dated Subscription, if your subscription has 30 days or less still to run. OrxServer will continue to operation normally but it will show a warning message on the main server computer. General users will not see change in operation.
4. Overdue Subscripton, OrxServer will still function normally but it will show a warning message whenever any user starts their App. This will continue for 30 days after the end of the subscription period.
5. Blocked Subscription, OrxServer will close connections to the database. It is still possible to access data as a single-user.
6. Oversubscribed Subscription, if a large number of connection requests are being received, from inappropriate IP Addresses for a particular set of subscription details, OrxServer will show warning messages whenever any user starts their App. Note that as under normal operation each OrxServer only sends one request per day if a larger number of requests is being received this indicates that a customer is running multiple instances of their system. Each instance of OrxServer requires its own Subscription.