Application Delivery Management

Upgrading a Perpetual License in NetScaler MPX to NetScaler Pooled Capacity

NetScaler MPX appliance with perpetual license can be upgraded to NetScaler Pooled Capacity license. Upgrading to NetScaler Pooled Capacity license enables you to allocate licenses from the license pool to NetScaler appliances on demand. You can also configure NetScaler Pooled Capacity license for NetScaler instances configured in high availability mode. To configure NetScaler Pooled Capacity license for NetScaler MPX instances in high availability mode, see Upgrading the perpetual license in NetScaler MPX high availability pair to NetScaler pooled capacity.

Note

Conversion from a perpetual license to a pooled capacity license is a one-way process for license entitlement. You can’t revert the pooled capacity license to perpetual. Important

For upgrading NetScaler MPX appliance to NetScaler Pooled Capacity license, you need to upload the MPX-Z license to the appliance.

To upgrade to NetScaler Pooled Capacity:

  1. In a Web browser, type the IP address of the NetScaler appliance, such as http://192.168.100.1.

  2. In User Name and Password fields, type the administrator credentials.

  3. On the Welcome page, click Continue.

  4. Upload the zero capacity license (MPX-Z license). On the Configuration tab, navigate to System > Licenses.

  5. In the details pane, click Manage Licenses, click Add New License.

  6. In Licenses page, select Upload license files and click Browse to select the zero capacity license from your local machine.

  7. After the license is uploaded, click Reboot to reboot the appliance.

    Warning

    After applying the MPX-Z license, the features including SSL offloading on the appliance become unlicensed. The appliance stops processing HTTPS requests.

    If the Secure Access Only option is enabled on the appliance before the upgrade, you can’t connect to the appliance through NetScaler ADM GUI, by using HTTPS.

  8. On the Confirm page, click Yes.

  9. After the appliance reboots, logon to the appliance.

  10. On the Welcome page, click the Licenses section.

    Save configuration and reboot

  11. In the License Server section, do the following:

    Configure license server

    1. In the Server Name/IP Address field, enter the license server details.

    2. In the License Port field, enter the license server port. Default value: 27000.

    3. If you want to manage your instance’s pool licenses through NetScaler ADM, select the Register with Licensing Server for manageability check box and enter ADM credentials.

    4. Click Continue.

  12. In Allocate licenses, do the following:

    1. Select the license edition from the drop-down list.

      Assign a license

    2. Allocate the bandwidth to the NetScaler appliance from the Allocate menu and click Get Licenses.

      Get licenses

    3. When prompted, click Reboot to reboot the appliance.

  13. Once the NetScaler MPX appliance reboots, logon to the NetScaler MPX appliance. On the Welcome page, click Continue.

    The Licenses page lists all the licensed features.

  14. Navigate to System > Licenses and click Manage Licenses.

    On the Manage Licenses page, you can view the details of the license server, license edition and the allocated bandwidth.

    License details of the license server

Upgrading the perpetual license in NetScaler MPX high availability pair to NetScaler pooled capacity

For the MPX appliances configured in high availability mode, you have to configure pooled capacity on both the primary and secondary ADC instances in the HA pair. Allocate licenses of the same capacity to both the primary and secondary NetScaler instances in the HA pair. For example, if you want 1 Gbps capacity from each instance in the HA pair, you need to allocate 2 Gbps capacity from the common pool. With 2 Gbps capacity, you can allocate 1 Gbps each to the primary and secondary NetScaler instances in the HA pair.

Important

For upgrading NetScaler MPX appliance to use NetScaler Pooled Capacity license, you need to upload the MPX-Z to the appliance.

Prerequisites

Make sure that you upload the MPX-Z license to both the primary and secondary instances in the HA pair.

To upload the MPX-Z license to the NetScaler MPX instances in the HA pair:

  1. In a Web browser, type the IP address of the appliance, such as http://192.168.100.1.

  2. In User Name and Password fields, type the administrator credentials.

  3. On the Welcome page, click Continue.

  4. Upload the zero capacity license (MPX-Z license). On the Configuration tab, navigate to System > Licenses.

  5. In the details pane, click Manage Licenses, click Add New License.

  6. In Licenses page, select Upload license files and click Browse to select the zero capacity license from your local machine.

    Once the license is uploaded you are prompted to reboot the appliance.

  7. Click Reboot to reboot the appliance.

    Reboot the appliance

  8. On the Confirm page, click Yes.

Confirmation message

To upgrade an exisiting HA setup to NetScaler Pooled Capacity:

  1. Log on to the secondary NetScaler MPX Instance. In a Web browser, type the IP address of the NetScaler appliance, such as http://192.168.100.1.

  2. In User Name and Password fields, type the administrator credentials.

  3. On the Welcome page, click the Licenses section.

    Welcome to high-availability setup

  4. In the License Server section, do the following:

    License server

    1. In the Server Name/IP Address field, enter the license server details.

    2. In the License Port field, enter the license server port. Default value: 27000.

    3. If you want to manage your instance’s pool licenses through NetScaler ADM, select the Register with Licensing Server for manageability check box and enter ADM credentials.

    4. Click Continue.

  5. In Allocate licenses, do the following:

    1. Select the license edition from the drop-down list.

      Assign a license

    2. Allocate the bandwidth to the NetScaler appliance from the Allocate menu and click Get Licenses.

      Get licenses

    3. When prompted, click Reboot to restart the appliance. After the appliance is up and running with the new license, force a failover by typing force ha failover. This failover ensures that the HA pair is in good health.

  6. Log on to the existing primary NetScaler MPX appliance and reboot the appliance. Perform the following:

    1. In a Web browser, type the IP address of the NetScaler appliance, such as http://192.168.100.1.

    2. In User Name and Password fields, type the administrator credentials.

    3. On the Welcome page, click Continue.

    4. On the Configuration tab, click System.

    5. On the System page, click Reboot.

    6. On the Reboot page, select Warm reboot and click OK.

      Save configuration and reboot

    After the primary NetScaler MPX appliance reboots, it becomes the secondary NetScaler MPX appliance in the HA pair. If you want to change the primary and secondary instance in the HA pair to your original HA pair configuration, force a failover. Run the following command on any instance in the HA pair:

    > force ha failover
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Upgrading a Perpetual License in NetScaler MPX to NetScaler Pooled Capacity