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This chapter describes the licensing of OpenVMS guests on Integrity VM, which differs from licensing physical OpenVMS Integrity server systems in a few ways. Key differences are described in the following sections:
OpenVMS PCL licenses for the Integrity VM environment are distributed
based on the number of host machine cores that can be used for any
OpenVMS guest instance. Any OpenVMS guest number may use virtual CPUs
up to the number of host machine cores that are licensed.
4.2 Standalone System Licensing Requirements
If the OpenVMS guest system that you are running is not a member of a cluster, there is no special licensing operation that you need to perform. You can run as many standalone OpenVMS guests on a host system that are physically possible. Each guest loads its own copy of the license database.
If you plan to add your OpenVMS guest system to a cluster in the
future, HP recommends that you modify the PCL licenses with the
/VIRTUAL qualifier option described in Appendix A.
4.3 Cluster Licensing Requirements
Licensing on OpenVMS guests allows the running guests to consume more
units than are available on the OpenVMS PCL licenses issued for the
host system. As long as the OpenVMS guest system is running with a
number of virtual CPUs less than or equal to the number of physical
cores licensed on the host system, the guest is licensed. LMF allows as
many OpenVMS Guests that can be physically created on the host system
to run. To support the new unlimited usage virtual licensing, a new
license option; VIRTUAL is required for all PCL licenses that you want
to use on OpenVMS guests in an OpenVMS Cluster. The VIRTUAL option is
not required for Activity licenses.
4.3.1 New License Modify Qualifier /[NO]VIRTUAL Required for OpenVMS Guest Systems
Prior to adding your OpenVMS guest system to a cluster, you must modify all PCL licenses you want to load on OpenVMS guests with the LICENSE MODIFY /VIRTUAL command. If you are using a common LMF$LICENSE database, load your HOST system licenses into the database and modify them with the /VIRTUAL qualifier. OpenVMS guests in clusters only load licenses that are tagged with the VIRTUAL option. If you use private LMF databases for each guest, you must modify the licenses with the virtual flag prior to adding the OpenVMS guest to a cluster. You can do this from the "Execute DCL Command" option of the OpenVMS Installation Menu or by booting the system standalone prior to adding it to an OpenVMS Cluster.
As previously required by LMF, if you use multiple LMF$LICENSE.LDB
databases, ensure that you register all licenses in every
LMF$LICENSE.LDB database used in the cluster. Additionally, modify all
licenses intended to run on OpenVMS guests with the /VIRTUAL qualifier
in all the databases.
4.3.2 Virtual License Loading
Loading the licenses with the Virtual option in a cluster is restricted as follows:
To facilitate the ease of use and migration to OpenVMS guests, the initial implementation of guest licensing is not restrictive. Compatible OpenVMS PCL licenses can be shared among OpenVMS guests from different host systems. After the OpenVMS Version 8.4 release, LMF may be changed to restrict the usage of issued licenses to the host system, which loads the license first.
To ensure that your licenses load on the OpenVMS guest cluster members
you intend to load in the future, it is recommended you use /INCLUDE or
/EXCLUDE lists to define which OpenVMS node must load the license. This
is similar to modifying licenses with the /HARDWARE_ID=SOCKETS=n with
include or exclude lists to ensure that the licenses load on the
intended systems.
4.4 Compliance Checking and Reporting
Licenses for OpenVMS guests must have sufficient units to license all of the virtual CPUs running on the guest system. Unlike physical machines, you are not allowed to run in a non-compliant mode, where the number of units on the license is less than the number of active cores. The compliance check is performed during the license load.
Issuing the SHOW LICENSE/USAGE command from an OpenVMS guest cluster member displays Virtual Machine guest, no usage information for PCL licenses loaded on the system. There is essentially no usage charge against the license units for OpenVMS guest nodes since multiple guests can run on the same host using the same license units.
For example:
$ SHOW LICENSE/USAGE View of loaded licenses from node HOVMS2 20-DEC-2009 08:38:17.13 ------- Product ID -------- ---- Unit usage information ---------------- Product Producer Loaded Allocated Available Compliance OPENVMS-I64-HAOE HP Virtual Machine guest, no usage information |
This chapter provides details about the tasks involved in managing software licenses. Topics covered include:
In addition, this chapter contains a clarification about using logical
name LMF$DISPLAY_OPCOM_MESSAGE (see Section 5.7).
5.1 Preparing for License Registration
To license and use many software products on the OpenVMS operating system, follow at least these four steps:
After performing these steps, you can modify the license for a system or involve multiple systems in a licensing scheme (if your license agreement allows it).
For example, you want to restrict a license used in an OpenVMS Cluster
environment to a specific node. If you register a license that uses the
NO_SHARE option (an OpenVMS operating system license, for instance),
assign the license to a specific node. Either enter a LICENSE
MODIFY/INCLUDE=node-name command or respond to the prompt for
a System Communications Services (SCS) node name in VMSLICENSE.COM (see
Section 5.6.2 for details).
5.2 Managing the License Database
LMF stores all information about licenses in the License Database. By default, LICENSE commands refer to the default license database, and you usually do not need to know the name and location of the database. However, for system management reasons, you may need to move the database. This section describes techniques for accessing license information and moving the license database.
Most of the data fields in the License Database correspond to either the LICENSE qualifiers or to responses to command procedure prompts. For example, the authorization field contains the data entered with the following command:
$ LICENSE REGISTER /AUTHORIZATION=string product-name |
If you enter USA1234 for the string, USA1234 becomes the data in that field.
When you first register a license, you create the first record with data matching your PAK. When you enter other LICENSE commands, LMF creates new records to include any changes you make. For example, when you enter a LICENSE MODIFY command, LMF creates a new record marked with the new information, including a notation that the license was modified.
For performance reasons, License Database information is duplicated in
memory while your system is running. LICENSE commands impact the
database stored on disk. To update the License Database information in
memory, use the LICENSE LOAD or LICENSE UNLOAD commands.
5.2.1 Database Location
If you move the database to another directory or disk, or rename the database file, you must either define the logical name LMF$LICENSE at the system level to point to the new database, or you must use the /DATABASE=filespec qualifier with all LICENSE commands. Place permanent systemwide logical name definitions in the file SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]SYSLOGICALS.COM.
If you have multiple system disks in an OpenVMS Cluster environment where all the systems can access one of the system disks, put your common License Database on the readable disk. For any systems that boot from a separate system disk, you must redirect LMF to the License Database. Define the logical name LMF$LICENSE to be the disk where the database exists.
If you have multiple system disks in an OpenVMS Cluster environment where some systems cannot access one of the system disks, you must keep separate identical License Databases. Whenever one database is modified, you must copy it to update the other databases.
HP recommends you back up the License Databases after every
modification.
5.2.2 History Records
Your system maintains history records. Each history record contains an exact copy of the license record before modification, the LICENSE command used to modify the record, the issuing username, and the date and time of modification.
History records accumulate over time and provide a comprehensive audit trail of all modifications you make to the License Database. Most software issuers, including HP, require that you retain this information to demonstrate that you are complying with license terms and conditions.
To display history information, enter the following command:
$ LICENSE LIST /HISTORY |
To create a hard copy, enter the following command:
$ LICENSE LIST /HISTORY /OUTPUT=LICENSE.LIS $ PRINT LICENSE.LIS |
Over time, LICENSE commands, including the LICENSE START command issued automatically during system startup, might take longer than usual to execute. This could be due to an accumulation of license history records in the License Database.
If you notice delays, HP recommends that you purge the history records in your active License Databases, but only after first preserving this information in one or more backup locations. Use the DCL command COPY or the Backup utility to make a copy of the License Database, thereby preserving the current version of the License Database, including history records.
To purge history records, enter the following command:
$ LICENSE DELETE /STATUS=EXTINCT * |
Ensure that you do not omit the /STATUS=EXTINCT qualifier in the above command. If you do, all license records are deleted, leaving your License Database empty. |
LICENSE DELETE deletes all history records, making them invisible to subsequent LICENSE commands.
Creating a new, compressed version of the License Database reclaims the
disk space formerly occupied by the now deleted history records. To
create a compressed License Database, use the DCL Convert utility
(CONVERT).
5.3 Getting a Product Authorization Key (PAK)
Generally, you obtain both a PAK and the product from a representative of a company that distributes software. You order a PAK just as you order another product from HP or another company. HP provides PAKs on paper certificates, traditional media, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or by telephone or network so that you can register product data in the License Database. LMF needs specific values from a PAK to identify the source of the PAK and the source of a product.
A PAK comes from a PAK issuer---the LMF name for the entity that supplies the PAK. Currently, licenses for Alpha and VAX systems specify DEC for the PAK issuer, and currently DEC is the default character string when you register a PAK with VMSLICENSE.COM. A PAK issuer string can also be DEC-USA or DEC-EUROPE to differentiate regions or departments within HP. For Integrity server systems, licenses specify HP for the PAK issuer. Other software vendors provide their own PAK issuer strings with their licenses. LMF uses the string to differentiate between different sources of licenses.
HP may distribute and issue a PAK for a product that it does not produce. Thus, LMF also uses a string that identifies a software producer. A producer is the company that supplies the software product. Generally, a producer and a PAK issuer are the same. The current default producer name when you register a PAK with VMSLICENSE.COM is DEC.
The OpenVMS operating system and LMF use PAKs to authorize most products for use. For example, after you install OpenVMS, you may have all the software required to use the System Integrated Products (SIPs) such as networking, RMS Journaling, and Volume Shadowing. To enable a SIP, register its PAK and load the license (there is no separate installation media). Even when you receive multiple software products on one HP CD-ROM, register a PAK for each product to enable the software.
Some products follow the older product distribution and license approach, providing installation kits that include distribution media and documentation. If a kit does not include the PAK, order it separately.
Figure 5-1 illustrates the PAK transfer process.
Figure 5-1 PAK Transfer Methods
5.4 Registering Licenses
To run most HP software products, including the OpenVMS operating
system, you must first register the product license in the License
Database and then load the registered license. In addition, many
third-party vendors of OpenVMS layered software also require you to use
LMF to complete the same licensing tasks for their products.
Section 5.1 describes the registration options and presents examples of registration. Figure 5-2 illustrates the routes from a PAK to the License Database.
Figure 5-2 From a PAK to the License Database
Most HP software that runs on OpenVMS systems and many third-party software layered products use LMF. To check a product's licensing requirements, see its installation manual or release notes. These documents explain which products use LMF registration.
If a product uses LMF, you must obtain a PAK, which includes the appropriate data for you to enter. Example 5-1 show a typical PAK for an Alpha system.
Example 5-1 Typical PAK Information |
---|
ISSUER: DEC AUTHORIZATION NUMBER: USA126087 PRODUCT NAME: CRYPTICALMENT PRODUCER: DEC NUMBER OF UNITS: 460 VERSION: 8.2 PRODUCT RELEASE DATE: KEY TERMINATION DATE: 31-DEC-2004 AVAILABILITY TABLE CODE: E ACTIVITY TABLE CODE: KEY OPTIONS: MOD_UNITS PRODUCT TOKEN: HARDWARE I.D.: CHECKSUM: 1-BGON-IAMA-GNOL-AIKO |
Follow the licensing and installation procedure provided with each product. You can save time if you consider the following variations and consequences for product installation and license registration:
Figure 5-3 illustrates the license registration and product installation route both for processors running the OpenVMS operating system and for layered products.
Figure 5-3 The PAK and Software Routes to a License
Before you install a product,1 register licenses in the License Database by entering PAK information in one of the following ways:
Some products register their licenses during their own installation procedure. Unless you have a special circumstance, choose the registration method you prefer or the one recommended by your installation guide.
After a license is registered, it must be loaded to make it known on
the current system. Section 5.1 describes the primary methods for
registering and loading your licenses.
5.4.4 Using VMSLICENSE.COM
The following steps show how to use the VMSLICENSE.COM procedure to register a license for a product called CRYPTICALMENT. The PAK information is shown in Example 5-1.
$ @SYS$UPDATE:VMSLICENSE |
VMS License Management Utility Options: 1. REGISTER a Product Authorization Key 2. AMEND an existing Product Authorization Key 3. CANCEL an existing Product Authorization Key 4. LIST the Product Authorization Keys 5. MODIFY an existing Product Authorization Key 6. DISABLE an existing Product Authorization Key 7. DELETE an existing Product Authorization Key 8. COPY an existing Product Authorization Key 9. MOVE an existing Product Authorization Key 10. ENABLE an existing Product Authorization Key 11. SHOW the licenses loaded on this node 12. SHOW the unit requirements for this node 99. EXIT this procedure Type '?' at any prompt for a description of the information requested. Press Ctrl/Z at any prompt to return to this menu. Enter one of the above choices [1] |
* Do you have your Product Authorization Key? [YES]: |
Use the REGISTER option to add a new license to a license database. A Product Authorization Key (PAK) provides the product name and information you need to register the license. You must enter all the information provided by your PAK exactly as it appears. |
Issuer [DEC]: Authorization Number []: |
Product Name []: |
Producer [DEC]: |
Number of Units []: |
Version []: |
Key Termination Date []: |
Availability Table Code []: Activity Table Code []: |
Key Options []: Product Token []: Hardware-Id []: |
Checksum []: |
The checksum string always begins with a number. The other 16 characters are always alphabetic characters from A through P. |
Here is a list of the license information just entered: Issuer: DEC Authorization: USA126087 Producer: DEC Product Name: CRYPTICALMENT Units: 460 Release Date: Version: 8.2 Termination Date: 31-DEC-2004 Availability: E Activity: Options: MOD_UNITS Token: Hardware ID: Checksum: 1-BGON-IAMA-GNOL-AIKO Is that correct? [YES]: |
1 With the OpenVMS operating system, you start the installation first. Although HP does not recommend it, you can install some software products first and license them later. See your software product's documentation for details.1 Although the License Management Facility software is now produced by HP, DEC is still listed as the default issuer of the license on Alpha and VAX systems. On Integrity server systems, HP is listed as the default issuer. |
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