License Format¶

Understanding the structure and format of QuantumMeta license files.

File Format¶

QuantumMeta licenses are stored in encrypted .qkey files using AES-256-GCM encryption. The file structure consists of:

Salt (16 bytes) - Random salt for key derivation
Nonce (12 bytes) - Random nonce for AES-GCM
Authentication Tag (16 bytes) - GCM authentication tag
Encrypted Data (variable) - JSON license data

JSON Structure¶

When decrypted, the license file contains JSON data with the following structure:

{
  "package": "quantum-metalearn",
  "user": "user@company.com", 
  "machine_id": "abc123def456789012345678901234567890",
  "issued": "2025-07-15T10:30:00",
  "expires": "2026-07-15T10:30:00",
  "features": ["core", "pro"],
  "signature": "base64-encoded-ed25519-signature"
}

Field Descriptions¶

Required Fields¶

Field	Type	Description
`package`	string	Package name (lowercase, normalized)
`user`	string	User email or identifier
`machine_id`	string	Hardware fingerprint (32-char hex)
`issued`	string	Issue date in ISO 8601 format
`expires`	string	Expiration date in ISO 8601 format
`features`	array	List of enabled feature strings

Optional Fields¶

Field	Type	Description
`signature`	string	Base64-encoded Ed25519 signature

Machine ID Format¶

The machine ID is a 32-character hexadecimal string generated from:

System UUID
Primary network interface MAC address
Primary disk serial number
Hostname
CPU information
Total memory

Example: abc123def456789012345678901234567890

Feature System¶

Features are case-insensitive strings that enable specific functionality:

Standard Features¶

core - Basic package functionality
pro - Advanced features
enterprise - Enterprise-grade features
api - API access
unlimited - Unlimited usage/resources

Custom Features¶

Packages can define custom features:

{
  "features": [
    "core",
    "quantum-simulation", 
    "ai-models",
    "distributed-computing"
  ]
}

Date Format¶

All dates use ISO 8601 format:

YYYY-MM-DD - Date only
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS - Date and time
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.ffffff - With microseconds
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+05:00 - With timezone

Examples:

{
  "issued": "2025-07-15",
  "expires": "2026-07-15T23:59:59"
}

Signature Format¶

Ed25519 signatures are base64-encoded and cover all fields except the signature itself:

{
  "package": "example",
  "user": "user@example.com",
  "signature": "MEUCIQDx...base64...xyz="
}

The signature is generated from canonical JSON (sorted keys, no whitespace).

Encryption Details¶

AES-256-GCM¶

Algorithm: AES-256 in GCM mode
Key Size: 256 bits (32 bytes)
Nonce Size: 96 bits (12 bytes)
Tag Size: 128 bits (16 bytes)

Key Derivation¶

Keys are derived using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256:

Iterations: 100,000
Salt Size: 128 bits (16 bytes)
Output Size: 256 bits (32 bytes)
Default Password: "quantummeta"

File Structure¶

[Salt:16][Nonce:12][Tag:16][Encrypted JSON:variable]

Validation Rules¶

Package Name¶

Must be non-empty string
Converted to lowercase
Whitespace trimmed

User¶

Must be non-empty string
Typically email address
No format validation enforced

Machine ID¶

Must be 32-character hex string
Generated deterministically from hardware
Case-insensitive comparison

Dates¶

Must be valid ISO 8601 format
Expiration must be after issue date
Timezone information optional

Features¶

Array of strings
Case-insensitive matching
Empty array allowed
Duplicates ignored

Example License Files¶

Basic License¶

{
  "package": "quantum-sim", 
  "user": "researcher@university.edu",
  "machine_id": "a1b2c3d4e5f67890123456789abcdef01",
  "issued": "2025-07-15T09:00:00",
  "expires": "2025-12-31T23:59:59", 
  "features": ["core"]
}

Pro License with Signature¶

{
  "package": "ai-models",
  "user": "developer@company.com", 
  "machine_id": "f1e2d3c4b5a6978012345678fedcba09",
  "issued": "2025-07-15T10:30:00.123456",
  "expires": "2026-07-15T10:30:00.123456",
  "features": ["core", "pro", "api"],
  "signature": "Rx8kKZ...ed25519-signature...abc123="
}

Enterprise License¶

{
  "package": "quantum-cloud",
  "user": "admin@enterprise.com",
  "machine_id": "123456789abcdef01234567890abcdef",  
  "issued": "2025-01-01T00:00:00Z",
  "expires": "2027-01-01T00:00:00Z",
  "features": [
    "core",
    "pro", 
    "enterprise",
    "unlimited",
    "priority-support",
    "custom-integrations"
  ],
  "signature": "4B7hKL...enterprise-signature...xyz789="
}

Security Considerations¶

Encryption Strength¶

AES-256-GCM provides authenticated encryption
PBKDF2 with 100K iterations resists brute force
Random salts prevent rainbow table attacks

Hardware Binding¶

Machine ID prevents license sharing
Multiple hardware components increase uniqueness
Deterministic generation ensures consistency

Digital Signatures¶

Ed25519 provides strong cryptographic signatures
Prevents license tampering
Enables license authenticity verification

Best Practices¶

Use strong passwords for license generation
Rotate signing keys periodically
Monitor for license validation failures
Implement proper key management