What is a VAR
Value Added Reseller (VAR) customers are those that need to redistribute the InterBase licenses that they sell on to their own customers. These licenses are typically included as part of a software product or solution that they have developed and sold themselves. These developers need the right to redistribute commercially as well as the capability to have a transparent database installation as part of their own application software installation procedure to end users/ customers.
The VAR agreement provides four key things…
1. The right to redistribute
2. Access to transparent database installation
3. Potential preferable licensing pricing on volume purchases
4. Commercial flexibility with deployment reporting
Serial Key Set
Once you have your VAR agreement, Embarcadero will assign you a set of unique InterBase serial keys . These will be normal InterBase user product serial keys for a combination of user numbers that you would need to setup a single customer installation. As a VAR, you will be required to register the serial keys that are assigned to you prior to the next stage of creating your slip files.
Slip Files
The mechanism that provides VARs with installation flexibility and commercial scalability is the slip file. The main purpose for slip files is to provide the VAR with a transparent and inobtrusive installation on InterBase to their own users. A slip file is a small binary form file that is created by Embarcadero from a specific unique serial number. On startup an InterBase server will recognize slip files that have been placed in a specific folder. Slip files are digitally stamped with the identity of each VAR. With valid slip files in place the end customer/user need not even be aware that the powerful database behind their packaged application is InterBase. Slip files control the number of users that can access the database and can be used in combinations, as described below.
VAR Deployment Reporting
In conjunction with their VAR agreement, the VAR is responsible for accurately and regularly reporting the number of users that they have deployed.
More info
Contact Margreet van Muyden for more information about the InterBase VAR Agreement at +31 23 54 222 27 or per email
m.vanmuyden@barnsten.com