Central License Management

Owned by Kiss, Mate
May 24, 2022
3 min read

Overview

  • Deployments with multiple Verba instances can centralize license management, instead of deploying a separate (or the same) license for each instance.
  • One Media Repository can be designated as a Remote License Server (RLS) for other Media Repositories belonging to other Verba instances
  • If multiple Media Repositories are installed within a deployment, then the Verba Cluster ID should be set to avoid counting the usage multiple times
  • Media Repositories are fetching license information periodically and send usage data to the RLS
  • RLS computes the total usage and does license checks
  • RLS sends a compliance answer (OK / not OK)
  • If RLS says not OK, the license error on the MRs that use an RLS just shows the URL of the RLS
  • If a Media Repository sends its usage to the RLS which is installed in the same deployment, then the RLS recognizes the conflict based on the Verba Cluster ID setting and ignores this data
  • Authentication is done using API keys

Configure a Remote License Server

The Remote License Server configuration is done on the client servers.

Step 1 - Log in to the web interface with the Administrator user and navigate to System > License

Step 2 - Click on the Set Remote License Server link at the top right corner

Step 3 - Set configuration (an API Key and API User has to be set in advance on the RLS)

If the configuration is correct and the RLS was accessible, then the RLS information will be shown on the License screen.

Change / Unbind a Remote License Server

  • If the RLS needs to be changed, then just set up a new one exactly the same way as the first one was set up
  • If no RLS is needed anymore, then the RLS can be unbound by uploading a license file on the License Information screen
  • Both the former and the new RLS will be informed about the change

Remote License Server Side

The Remote License Server automatically gets the RLS role as the first client connects to it.

The License Information screen displays the accumulated numbers by default, but the independent usage can also be viewed by selecting a server from the client's list box:

The list box shows the clients' hostname (or the Verba Cluster ID in case of multiple MRs), and the last date the client sent its license usage.

Technical Information

  • The settings are stored in JSON format on the hard drive in Verba\settings\license-rls.json
  • Modifications to the settings file become effective immediately
  • Local and remote license usages are stored in the SQL database within the RLS cluster
  • The RLS does the daily license check one hour later than the other daily jobs to ensure that the clients have already sent the usage
  • If a client sends the usage after the RLS already did the license check, then the RLS will perform the license check again