Simple Agent Designer Documentation
Index

Registration

Simple Agent Designer runs free in a Business Central SaaS sandbox (demo mode), but requires a purchased license key for production use. This page explains the licensing model and how to register your license.

License Overview

Simple Agent Designer uses an online license management system to validate your installation. The licensing model is:

  • SaaS sandbox (demo mode): The extension runs free of charge. Use this to evaluate and build agents before going live.
  • Production: A valid, purchased license key is required. Without it, both workload processing and the interactive agent chat are blocked in a production environment.

The license key and its expiration date are stored in IsolatedStorage and are tied to your specific tenant and environment. A key registered in one environment does not carry over to another.

Accessing License Registration

  1. Open Simple Agent Designer Setup (search for "Agent Setup" or navigate from the Role Center)
  2. In the action bar, choose App License
  3. The Register AAI page opens where you can manage your license

Registering Your License

New Installation

To register a production license:

  1. Open the App License page from Setup
  2. Enter your Registration Key provided by Hougaard
  3. Choose Register, or simply confirm the Registration Key field — validating that field also triggers registration
  4. The system validates your key against the online license server
  5. Upon successful registration, you will see a confirmation message and the stored expiration date

Online Validation and HttpClient Approval

License validation is an online operation. The extension contacts the Hougaard license server at host check.hougaardlicense.com. For this to work:

  • The extension's outbound HttpClient calls must be approved by an administrator. In SaaS, an admin approves the extension's outbound HTTP access.
  • If outbound calls are blocked, an HttpClient Warning page appears and registration/validation cannot complete.

If you see the HttpClient Warning, work with your administrator to approve the extension's outbound requests. See Permissions and Troubleshooting Common Issues.

License Validation and Expiry

The license is checked automatically when:

  • You open the Setup page
  • You initiate workload processing (the orchestration engine validates the license before starting)
  • You use the interactive agent chat

Expiry Warning Window

There is a 2-week warning period before a license expires. During this window you are alerted that renewal is due. When the license actually expires, the stored key is cleared from IsolatedStorage and processing is blocked until a new valid key is registered.

If the license is invalid, expired, or the license server cannot be reached, the system displays a message and prevents workload processing and interactive chat until a valid license is registered (in production).

Managing Your License

Checking License Status

  1. Go to Simple Agent Designer Setup
  2. Choose App License
  3. The registration page displays your current license status

Transferring a License

If you need to move your license to a different Business Central environment, contact Hougaard support for assistance with license transfer.

Renewing a License

When your license approaches its expiration date:

  1. Contact Hougaard or visit the Hougaard website to purchase a renewal
  2. Open the App License page
  3. Enter your new Registration Key
  4. Choose Register to apply the renewal

Tips and Best Practices

  • Register your production license before the 2-week expiry warning window to avoid interruptions
  • Keep a record of your license key in a secure location
  • Because the key is tied to tenant and environment, each production environment needs its own license
  • Ensure the extension's outbound HttpClient access to check.hougaardlicense.com is approved so validation can succeed
  • Contact support promptly if you experience license validation issues