Server License Management

Licenses

Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect are equipped with pre-installed port licenses, providing the option to purchase them fully licensed, partially licensed, or add licenses after delivery. The licensing model varies across different Fabric Interconnect series, with some models adopting perpetual software licenses to simplify license management.

Perpetual Licensing for Cisco UCS 6500 Series, 6600 Series, and Cisco UCS X-Series Direct Fabric Interconnects

Cisco UCS 6664 Fabric Interconnect (UCS-FI-6664): Starting with release 6.0(1b), all ports and software features are activated through a perpetual software license. No additional license management is required.

Cisco UCS 6536 Fabric Interconnect (UCS-FI-6536): Starting with release 4.2(3b), all ports and software features are similarly activated through a perpetual software license. No additional license management is required.

Cisco UCS 9108 100G Fabric Interconnect (X-Series Direct): Starting with release 4.3(4b), all ports and software features are similarly activated through a perpetual software license.

Cisco UCS 6400 Series Fabric Interconnect uses port-based licensing

Table 1. Cisco UCS 64108 Fabric Interconnect Licenses

Ports

Licenses

Ports 1-96

ETH_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG and ETH_PORT_C_ACTIVATION_PKG - Licenses used for 10/25 GB Ethernet ports

Ports 97-108

100G_ETH_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG – Licenses used for 40/100 GB Ethernet ports

Table 2. Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnect Licenses

Ports

Licenses

Ports 1-48

ETH_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG and ETH_PORT_C_ACTIVATION_PKG - Licenses used for 10/25 GB Ethernet ports

Ports 49-54

100G_ETH_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG – Licenses used for 40/100 GB Ethernet ports

The following licenses are used when S3260 system is connected to FI as appliance (appliance port) or Cisco UCS Manager managed node (server port):

Table 3. S3260 system License Requirement

FI Model

License

Cisco UCS 6536

Perpetual software license.

6454 and 64108

10G_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG

Cisco UCS C125 M5 Server is supported on Cisco UCS 6600 Series Fabric Interconnect, Cisco UCS 6500 Series Fabric Interconnectand Cisco UCS 6400 Series Fabric Interconnect

Fabric Interconnect

Default Base Licenses

Cisco UCS 6664 Fabric Interconnect

Perpetual software license. This license activates all the ports and software features of Cisco UCS 6664 Fabric Interconnect.

Cisco UCS 9108 100G Intelligent Fabric Module (Cisco UCS X-Series Direct)

Perpetual software license. This license activates all the ports and software features of Cisco UCS X-Series Direct.

Cisco UCS 6536

Perpetual software license. This license activates all the ports and software features of 6536 Fabric Interconnect.

Cisco UCS 64108

For 36 10/25 GB ports (ports 1-96)

For 4 40/100 GB ports (ports 97-108).

Cisco UCS 6454

For 18 10/25 GB ports (ports 1-48)

For 2 40/100 GB ports (ports 49-54).
Port License Consumption

Port licenses are not bound to physical ports. When you disable a licensed port, that license is retained for use with the next enabled port. To use additional fixed ports, you must purchase and install licenses for those ports. All ports, regardless of their type (fibre, ethernet) consume licenses if they are enabled.


Important

Licenses are not portable across product generations.

Grace Period

If you attempt to use a port that does not have an installed license, Cisco UCS initiates a 120 day grace period. The grace period is measured from the first use of the port without a license and is paused when a valid license file is installed. The amount of time used in the grace period is retained by the system.


Note

Each physical port has its own grace period. Initiating the grace period on a single port does not initiate the grace period for all ports.

If a licensed port is unconfigured, that license is transferred to a port functioning within a grace period. If multiple ports are acting within grace periods, the license is moved to the port whose grace period is closest to expiring.

High Availability Configurations

To avoid inconsistencies during failover, we recommend that both Fabric Interconnects in the cluster have the same number of ports licensed. If symmetry is not maintained and failover occurs, Cisco UCS enables the missing licenses and initiates the grace period for each port being used on the failover node.

C-Direct Rack Licensing Support

Perpetual License: Cisco offers perpetual licenses for the following fabric interconnects, enabling all ports and software features with a single, perpetual software license. No additional license management is required:

  • Cisco UCS 6664 Fabric Interconnect (Supported from Cisco UCS Manager Release, 6.0(1b))

  • Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnects 9108 100G (Cisco UCS X-Series Direct) (Supported from Cisco UCS Manager Release, 4.3(4b))

  • Cisco UCS 6536 Fabric Interconnect (Supported from Cisco UCS Manager Release, 4.2(3b))

Release 4.1(1a) and Higher

Beginning with release 4.1(1a), Cisco UCS 64108 Fabric Interconnects use the ETH_C_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG feature pack for C-Direct port licenses for ports 1-96. There are no default ETH_C_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG licenses shipped with the Fabric Interconnect. You may purchase them as required.

C-direct support is only applicable on ports that are connected to the rack servers. The ETH_C_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG is added to the existing license package with all the same properties as the existing licensing feature. The Subordinate Quantity property is added to the ETH_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG to track ports connected to rack servers.

The License Tab in the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the new license and the Subordinate Quantity for the license. You can also use the show feature and show usage commands under scope license to view the license feature, the vendor version type, and the grace period for each license.

Release 4.0(1a) and Higher

Beginning with release 4.0(1a), Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnects use the ETH_C_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG feature pack for C-Direct port licenses for ports 1-48. There are no default ETH_C_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG licenses shipped with the Fabric Interconnect. You may purchase them as required.

C-direct support is only applicable on ports that are connected to the rack servers. The ETH_C_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG is added to the existing license package with all the same properties as the existing licensing feature. The Subordinate Quantity property is added to the ETH_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG to track ports connected to rack servers.

The License Tab in the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the new license and the Subordinate Quantity for the license. You can also use the show feature and show usage commands under scope license to view the license feature, the vendor version type, and the grace period for each license.

Obtaining the Host ID for a Fabric Interconnect

The host ID is also known as the serial number.

This task is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects.

Step 3

Click the node for the fabric interconnect for which you want to obtain the host ID.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Properties area, the host ID is listed in the Serial Number (SN) field.

What to do next

Obtain the required licenses from Cisco.

Obtaining a License


Note

This process may change after the release of this document. If one or more of these steps no longer applies, contact your Cisco representative for information on how to obtain a license file.

This procedure is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Before you begin

Obtain the following:

  • Host ID or serial number for the fabric interconnect

  • Claim certificate or other proof of purchase document for the fabric interconnect or expansion module

Procedure

Step 1

Obtain the product authorization key (PAK) from the claim certificate or other proof of purchase document.

Step 2

Locate the website URL in the claim certificate or proof of purchase document.

Step 3

Access the website URL for the fabric interconnect and enter the serial number and the PAK.

Cisco sends you the license file by email. The license file is digitally signed to authorize use on only the requested fabric interconnect. The requested features are also enabled once Cisco UCS Manager accesses the license file.

What to do next

Install the license on the fabric interconnect.

Downloading Licenses to the Fabric Interconnect from the Local File System


Note

In a cluster setup, Cisco recommends that you download and install licenses to both fabric interconnects in matching pairs. An individual license is only downloaded to the fabric interconnect that is used to initiate the download.

This procedure is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Before you begin

Obtain the required licenses from Cisco.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Admin.

Step 2

Expand All > License Management.

Step 3

Click the node for the fabric interconnect to which you want to download the license.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the Download Tasks tab.

Step 5

Click Download License.

Step 6

In the Download License dialog box, click the Local File System radio button in the Location of the Image File field.

Step 7

In the Filename field, type the full path and name of the license file.

You cannot have spaces anywhere in the path name or the file name. For example, c:\Path\Folder_Name\License.lic is a valid path, but c:\Path\Folder Name\License.lic is invalid due to the space in "Folder Name".

If you do not know the exact path to the folder where the license file is located, click Browse and navigate to the file.

Step 8

Click OK.

Cisco UCS Manager GUI begins downloading the license to the fabric interconnect.

Step 9

(Optional) Monitor the status of the download on the Download Tasks tab.

Note

 

If Cisco UCS Manager reports that the bootflash is out of space, delete obsolete bundles on the Packages tab to free up space. To view the available space in bootflash, navigate to the fabric interconnect, click Equipment, and expand the Local Storage Information area on the General tab.

Step 10

Repeat this task until all the required licenses have been downloaded to the fabric interconnect.

What to do next

After all of the download tasks complete, install the licenses.

Downloading Licenses to the Fabric Interconnect from a Remote Location


Note

In a cluster setup, Cisco recommends that you download and install licenses to both fabric interconnects in matching pairs. An individual license is only downloaded to the fabric interconnect that is used to initiate the download.

This procedure is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Before you begin

Obtain the required licenses from Cisco.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Admin.

Step 2

Expand All > License Management.

Step 3

Click the node for the fabric interconnect to which you want to download the license.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the Download Tasks tab.

Step 5

Click Download License.

Step 6

In the Download License dialog box, click the Remote File System radio button in the Location of the Image File field.

Step 7

Specify the protocol, and enter the required information.

You cannot have spaces anywhere in the path name or the file name. For example, c:\Path\Folder_Name\License.lic is a valid path, but c:\Path\Folder Name\License.lic is invalid due to the space in "Folder Name".

Note

 

If you use a hostname rather than an IPv4 or IPv6 address, you must configure a DNS server. If the Cisco UCS domain is not registered with Cisco UCS Central or DNS management is set to local, configure a DNS server in Cisco UCS Manager. If the Cisco UCS domain is registered with Cisco UCS Central and DNS management is set to global, configure a DNS server in Cisco UCS Central.

Step 8

Click OK.

Cisco UCS Manager GUI begins downloading the license to the fabric interconnect.

Step 9

(Optional) Monitor the status of the download on the Download Tasks tab.

Note

 

If Cisco UCS Manager reports that the bootflash is out of space, delete obsolete bundles on the Packages tab to free up space. To view the available space in bootflash, navigate to the fabric interconnect, click Equipment, and expand the Local Storage Information area on the General tab.

Step 10

Repeat this task until all the required licenses have been downloaded to the fabric interconnect.

What to do next

After all of the download tasks complete, install the licenses.

Installing a License

This procedure is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Before you begin

Obtain the required licenses from Cisco.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Admin.

Step 2

Expand All > License Management.

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the Downloaded License Files tab.

Step 4

Choose the license you want to install from the table.

Note

 

There is no downtime required or impact to traffic when installing a new port license.

Step 5

Click the Install License button.

Step 6

In the Install License dialog box, click Yes.

Cisco UCS Manager GUI installs the license and activates the unlicensed port or feature.

Viewing the Licenses Installed on a Fabric Interconnect

This procedure is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Admin.

Step 2

Expand All > License Management.

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the Installed Licenses tab to view the details of all licenses installed on the fabric interconnect.

Step 4

Click a license in the table to view the details of that license in the Contents tab.

You may need to expand the license file to view the details of individual licenses in the file.

Determining the Grace Period Available for a Port or Feature

This procedure is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Admin.

Step 2

Expand All > License Management.

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 4

Click a feature in the table to view details for that feature, including the operational state and used grace period.

Determining the Expiry Date of a License

This procedure is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Admin.

Step 2

Expand All > License Management.

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the Installed Licenses tab.

Step 4

Click a license in the table to view the details of that license in the Contents tab below.

Step 5

In the Contents tab, expand the license file to view all licenses in the file.

Step 6

In the Expiry column, view the expiry date of the license.

Uninstalling a License


Note

Permanent licenses cannot be uninstalled if they are in use. You can only uninstall a permanent license that is not in use. If you try to delete a permanent license that is being used, Cisco UCS Manager rejects the request and display an error message.

This information is specific to fabric interconnects using port-based licenses and does not apply to fabric interconnects with perpetual license configurations.

Before you begin

Back up the Cisco UCS Manager configuration.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Admin.

Step 2

Expand All > License Management.

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the Installed Licenses tab.

Step 4

Choose the license you want to uninstall from the table.

Step 5

Click the Clear License button.

Step 6

If a confirmation dialog box displays, click Yes.

Cisco UCS Manager deactivates the license, removes the license from the list of licenses, and deletes the license from the fabric interconnect. The port is moved into unlicensed mode. In a cluster setup, you must uninstall the license from the other fabric interconnect.