Infor CRM Xbar - Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is a Named or Concurrent license best for Xbar?

A: A Named license is preferred as it will always be available for the Xbar user. A Concurrent license may work depending on your organizational needs. For purposes of this FAQ, all other questions pertain to using Xbar with Concurrent licenses.

Q: Does Xbar for Outlook consume a license?

A: If using a version of Infor CRM that is prior to release 8.3.0.04, a license will be consumed while using Outlook in addition to any other clients the user is logged into. For instance, assuming Lee is assigned a Concurrent license and is logged into the Web Client, a second Concurrent license would be consumed if Lee logged into Xbar as a new ASP.NET Session is created for each XBar request. This is because the Session ID is not passed after the initial login thus causing a new license to be consumed for each request because licensing was based on the Session ID rather than the User ID. As of Infor CRM 8.3.0.04, Xbar checks to see if a Concurrent license is available but does not consume a license once logged in.

Q: Does Xbar use a license if Outlook is open but I’m not using it? I usually leave Outlook open overnight while I’m not working.

A: Assuming the customer is on a version of Infor CRM prior to 8.3.0.04, the length of time Xbar holds onto a license without active use is determined by a timeout period defined on the web server (IIS) which is generally defaulted to 20 minutes. If Outlook (and, consequently, Xbar) are not used within this timeout period, the license is released.

Q: I have 8.3.0.04 or newer. Why won't Xbar log me in?

A: Xbar checks to see if a license is available (but does not consume a license) upon login. If all Concurrent licenses are in use in the web client, Xbar will not allow you to log in. Note: In order to release a Concurrent license within the Web Client, a user must either click the “Logout” button or

be inactive for the IIS-defined timeout period (see prior question); closing the web browser window will not release a license.

Q: When did Xbar start requiring a license?

A: Xbar has always required a license. However, Outlook Integration was merged with Xbar in versions 8.3.0.0, 8.2.0.02, 8.1.0.08, Xbar version 1.3.1 or later in 2016. This has made the license consumption more noticeable.

Q: When did Outlook Integration start requiring a license?

A: Outlook Integration started using a license when it was redesigned to use SData for release 8.1 per contractual obligations after we stopped using a 3rd party product. License conflicts were seldom encountered due to the infrequent nature of CRM calls within Outlook Integration.

Q: Can I get Outlook Integration without Xbar?

A: Yes. The latest version of Xbar allows users to enable or disable different areas of the add-on. This can also be configured using command-line options for system admins. If the sidebar is disabled, then when an Xbar action is selected that accesses the server a license will be needed at that

time.  Just having Outlook open will not use a license when the sidebar is disable. 

Q: How is licensing for Xbar, Mobile and SData different?

A: Infor CRM’s Xbar and Mobile clients use the SData REST API to connect to Infor CRM. The licensing behavior is built into SData. As such, the Mobile and Xbar clients, as well as other SData clients, will behave in the same manner regarding license consumption.

Q: I’m logged into the web client. Why can’t I also log into Xbar?

A: Xbar only checks to see if a license is available. It does not verify if the user is already occupying a valid license.

Q: How many licenses am I using?

A: SData applications such as Xbar and Mobile do not use licenses though they verify a license is available. Logging into the web client will consume a license. It is possible to consume multiple

licenses if a user logs into the client using multiple browsers, multiple computers or doesn’t sign out

of the web client properly upon exit.

Q: How can I tell which users are using the licenses?

A: Infor is working on exposing license usage by user to the administrator in an upcoming release.

Q: Will the licenses always work this way?

A: Infor will be implementing a feature to allow concurrent users to only consume a single license per user. This will prevent a user from using multiple licenses at any given time.