Document revision date: 30 March 2001
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Compaq Advanced Server for OpenVMS
Guide to Managing Advanced Server Licenses
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2.4 Examples of Advanced Server License Management

The following examples provide step-by-step instructions for using Advanced Server licensing software and PAKs.

2.4.1 Setting Up Client-Based Licensing in a LAN

Configuration:

Components:

Procedure:
Step Action
1. Register and load PAKs into the License Management Facility (LMF) on the system that will run the License Server. Follow the instructions provided in the OpenVMS License Management Utility Manual.
2. Install and configure Advanced Server for OpenVMS software on one or more systems following the instructions found in the Compaq Advanced Server for OpenVMS Server Installation and Configuration Guide. Make sure you enable the License Server when configuring the Advanced Server for OpenVMS on the node that will run the License Server.
3. Start the Advanced Server on the node where the License Server is enabled. Using the License Manager, optionally create license groups and allocate licenses to each client group as described in Chapter 4, Managing Licenses on the OpenVMS Platform.
4. Load PATHWORKS client license software on the clients and configure them as described in the README.TXT file provided with the Advanced Server PWLICENSE share on the file server. Clients are running Microsoft LAN Manager software and can access the file servers.
5. Restart the newly configured clients.

2.4.2 Setting Up Combined Client-Based and Server-Based Licensing in a WAN

The following example demonstrates how to set up a License Server to support client-based and server-based licensing in a WAN.

Configuration:

Components:

Procedure:
Step Action
1. Choose a system to run the License Server. On the License Server system, register and load PAKs into the License Management Facility (LMF). Follow the instructions provided by the OpenVMS License Management Utility Manual.
2. Install and configure Advanced Server for OpenVMS software on the file server system following the instructions found in the Compaq Advanced Server for OpenVMS Server Installation and Configuration Guide. Make sure you run the License Server when configuring the Advanced Server for OpenVMS software on the node that will run the License Server.
3. Start the License Server and the file server.
4. Appropriately install and configure the client software. For information about procedures, refer to the README.TXT file provided with the Advanced Server PWLICENSE share on the file server.
5. Restart the newly configured clients.
6. Use the License Manager to allocate sufficient licenses to the Server-Based group to support server-based licensing.

Clients requesting assignment of a client-based license will obtain client-based licenses and others will use server-based licenses.

2.4.3 Setting up a V6 Server to Allow Clients to Request PATHWORKS V5 for OpenVMS (LAN Manager) Licenses

The following example demonstrates how to configure the License Server so that clients can use PATHWORKS V5 for OpenVMS (LAN Manager) licenses.

Configuration:

Components:

Procedure:
Step Action
1. Upgrade the standalone License Server software by installing and configuring the PATHWORKS V6.0C for OpenVMS (Advanced Server) software on the License Server system. During the installation procedure, specify that you do not want to install the PATHWORKS V6.0C for OpenVMS (Advanced Server). Then specify that you do want to install the standalone License Server software.
2. Start the License Server. Licenses that were previously served by the License Server running the PATHWORKS V5 for OpenVMS (LAN Manager) software will continue to be available and be served using the PATHWORKS V6.0C for OpenVMS (Advanced Server) software. In addition, if the client access licenses (PWLMXXXCA06.00) are purchased, they can be registered and loaded on the License Server system and be served to clients requesting them.

2.4.4 Using Server-Based Licensing in a LAN or WAN

The following example demonstrates how to set up server-based licensing in a LAN or WAN.

Configuration:

Components:

Procedure:
Step Action
1. Register and load the PAKs in the License Management Facility (LMF) on the system where the Advanced Server will be used.
2. Install, configure, and run the Advanced Server for OpenVMS software. Do not configure the License Server software for this system.

2.5 Upgrading Client Licenses

If you are upgrading the file server from one version to the next, note the following:

  1. Any client accessing a new version of the file server must be sufficiently licensed for access; unlicensed clients or clients without a sufficient level of licensing will not be allowed access.
  2. A higher-level license is required to access the new file server than is required to access the previous version of the file server.

The license required depends on the version of the server that the clients need to access, as listed in Table 1-1, File Server Licenses.

Note
If you use Advanced Server for OpenVMS licenses (PWLMXXXCA07.03), clients can access both Advanced Server for OpenVMS servers and PATHWORKS V6 for OpenVMS (Advanced Server) servers.

When you plan the migration of the file server, assess the environment and decide the best procedure to ensure that clients who need to access the file server are sufficiently licensed. Upgrade procedures for client-based licenses are described in the following sections:

2.5.1 Configuring Client License Upgrades Individually

Individually configuring specific clients to request a new license requires modifying the client configuration for the licenses the client requests. This procedure works best when:

The procedure for configuring clients individually is described in the README.TXT file provided with the Advanced Server PWLICENSE share on the file server.

2.5.2 Replacing All Licenses

This procedure works best if you choose to remove all the old licenses from the License Server system. If some old licenses are still needed on the License Server system, in addition to new Client Access licenses, set up automatic license upgrading, as described in Section 2.5.3, Upgrading Client Licenses Automatically.

If new licenses have been loaded onto the License Server system, the License Server, through normal license version look-up procedures, will not find an old license, but will find a new license and assign it to the client instead. For a discussion of how license lookup works, see Section 3.3, Controlling License Version Lookup.

If the old license PAKs are removed from the License Server system, all clients that had previously been assigned licenses by this server will automatically have their licenses revoked. The next time these clients attempt to verify their licenses, they will be informed that their previously assigned license is now invalid. The client license requester will automatically attempt to acquire a new license. (Some older client license requesters may need to be manually run again to request a new license.)

2.5.3 Upgrading Client Licenses Automatically

By default, the License Server will not perform license upgrades. You can configure a License Server to upgrade licenses automatically. For example, if configured appropriately, the License Server will automatically upgrade a PATHWORKS V5 for OpenVMS (LAN Manager) client license request or a PATHWORKS V6 Advanced Server license request to an Advanced Server for OpenVMS (PWLMXXXCA07.03) license. Follow this procedure to enable the License Server to upgrade licenses automatically:

  1. Load new license PAKs on the License Server.
  2. Edit the License Server start-up command file
    SYS$STARTUP:PWRK$LICENSE_S_START.COM to include the appropriate logical name definition, depending on which licenses will be available:

    License PAK Logical Name Definition
    PWLMXXXCA06.00 
    $ DEFINE/SYSTEM PWRK$LS_V6_ACCESS_UPGRADE 1
    PWLMXXXCA07.03 
    $ DEFINE/SYSTEM PWRK$LS_V7_ACCESS_UPGRADE 1

    Be sure to define the logicals before the following RUN command: 


    $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:PWRK$LICENSE_SERVER

If a logical name is disabled (undefined or defined to be zero), the License Server will not automatically upgrade licenses to the appropriate new license. If the logical name is defined to the value 1 (or any numeric value other than zero), clients requesting assignment or verification of licenses will have their licenses upgraded automatically to new licenses, if sufficient new licenses exist.

Note
The PWLMXXXCA07.02 and PWLMXXXCA07.03 licenses are recognized by PATHWORKS (LAN Manager) V5.0F servers and later versions of V5. Clients presenting this license to an earlier version of PATHWORKS (LAN Manager) will be denied access.

If you define the PATHWORKS V6 Advanced Server logical PWRK$LS_V6_ACCESS_UPGRADE, read the documentation in the License Server startup file about the interaction between this logical and the PWRK$LS_V7_ACCESS_UPGRADE logical.

If you only define the V6 logical, PWLMXXXCA06.00 licenses are assigned before assigning PWLMXXXCA07.02 or PWLMXXXCA07.03 licenses.

If you want to remove all PWLMXXXCA06.00 and PWLMXXXCA07.02 licenses so that you only have PWLMXXXCA07.03 licenses, or if all units of a PWLMXXXCA06.00 license are consumed, the License Server will assign a PWLMXXXCA07.02 license first, if available. If no PWLMXXXCA07.02 licenses are available, then it will assign a PWLMXXXCA07.03 license, if available. Remember that to access the Advanced Server V7.3 for OpenVMS, a PWLMXXXCA07.03 license is required.

The first time the License Server is started after an upgrade, the License Server state file will be modified to remove all old licenses from the Server-Based license group that do not provide access to the current file server. (The state file keeps track of licenses that are loaded, groups that are created, and licenses assigned to each group.) The Advanced Server License Server still assigns and verifies client-based licenses.

When an upgrade operation occurs, the License Server logs both the assignment of the new license and the name of the license returned to the client in the License Server log file
PWRK$LOGS:PWRK$LICENSE_SERVER_node-name.LOG. This license returned to the client is called a virtual license, as described in Section 2.5.4, Virtual Licenses.

Configuring the License Server to automatically upgrade old license requests affects all clients requesting or verifying a license. If the License Server is configured to automatically upgrade licenses, client-based licenses are upgraded to new licenses when either of the following occurs:

The License Server automatically assigns the client a new license (even if it has requested assignment or verification of an old license), and returns an equivalent new license to the client.

2.5.4 Virtual Licenses

Before the introduction of Client Access (CA) licenses, the file server required older style licenses (such as FP or CC licenses). Requests for these older style licenses will be upgraded properly. However, the client will only accept licenses of the type requested with the requested version number or higher. To get the client to accept a Client Access license, the License Server returns a different name than that assigned.

If a client requests an earlier form of the PATHWORKS license (such as FP or CC licenses), the upgrade returns a "virtual license," that is, an equivalent Client Access license with a name that does not match the name of the license assigned to the client.

For example, if a client requests assignment of a PWLMXXXFP05.00 license from the License Server, the License Server upgrades the request to a Client Access license and assigns a new license (if one is available).

From the client's perspective, the license assigned is PWLMXXXFPmm.nn and the client will accept that. The symbols mm.nn represent any valid license version number. From the License Server's perspective (as displayed by the License Manager), the client was assigned a PWLMXXXCAmm.nn license. Table 2-1, Virtual License Names, lists the names of the licenses returned to clients due to upgrade operations.

Table 2-1 Virtual License Names
License Requested License Assigned by PATHWORKS for OpenVMS (Advanced Server) or Advanced Server for OpenVMS License Returned by PATHWORKS for OpenVMS (Advanced Server) or Advanced Server for OpenVMS
PWLMDOSCC nn. mm PWLMXXXCA06.00 PWLMDOSCC07.00
PWLMDOSCC nn. mm PWLMXXXCA07.02 PWLMDOSCC07.02
PWLMDOSCC nn. mm PWLMXXXCA07.03 PWLMDOSCC07.03
PWLMWNTCC nn. mm PWLMXXXCA06.00 PWLMWNTCC07.00
PWLMWNTCC nn. mm PWLMXXXCA07.02 PWLMWNTCC07.02
PWLMWNTCC nn. mm PWLMXXXCA07.03 PWLMWNTCC07.03
PWLMXXXFP nn. mm PWLMXXXCA nn. mm PWLMXXXFP nn. mm

When the license assigned is different from the license returned to the client, the License Server log file contains two messages:

2.6 License Server and License Registrar Configuration Parameters

When the License Server and License Registrar run, complete descriptions of the configuration parameters used by these processes are contained in the following command procedures:

For descriptions of the License Registrar configuration parameters and the logicals that determine their values, see Section A.3, License Registrar Events.

As part of their startup sequence and announcement, the License Server and License Registrar place tables of their configuration parameters in their respective log files related to license processing:

For each parameter in the table, the following information is recorded:

2.6.1 Dynamic Configuration Parameters

Dynamic configuration parameters allow the value of a parameter to be changed using a system logical, without having to restart the Advanced Server for OpenVMS. The license component that uses the parameter obtains the changed value while the component is running.

When the value of a dynamic configuration parameter is changed by redefining the control logical associated with the configuration parameter, the change might not take effect immediately. The license components periodically check the values of their dynamic configuration parameters to see if the value of any parameter has changed. When the license component detects a change to the value of a dynamic configuration parameter, a message is recorded in the component's log file when the new value is put into use. By default, the components check for changes to dynamic parameter values every 10 minutes.

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