Managing Riverbed Licenses
This chapter describes the Riverbed licensing methods and how to manage Riverbed licenses. It includes the following sections:
Riverbed licensing methods
A license is a string issued by Riverbed that embeds information that ties the license to data to prevent tampering. After you install the license, the system saves it in the configuration database and enables the functionality associated with the license. Riverbed employs the following licensing methods:
• Automatic licensing - Once you connect your Core appliance to the network, it automatically contacts the Riverbed Licensing Portal, which downloads and installs the licenses.
• Manual licensing - You can manually fetch and activate licenses for Riverbed products using the Riverbed Licensing Portal. Go to
https://licensing.riverbed.com and follow the instructions to retrieve license keys. After you manually retrieve your license keys, you need to install them on the appropriate appliance.
• Token method - You use tokens to activate Riverbed software, such as the Virtual SteelCentral Controller for SteelHead Mobile, SteelHead (virtual edition), and Core-v. For detailed information, see the respective installation guides for these products.
• Factory licensing - You can have all your Riverbed licenses installed at the factory for a small fee.
Automatic licensing
Automatic licensing allows Core, once connected to the network, to automatically contact the Riverbed Licensing Portal to retrieve and install license keys onto the appliance. Automatic licensing simplifies inventory management and provides an automated mechanism of fetching licenses for Riverbed products without having to manually activate individual appliances and licenses.
If you are behind a firewall, you can retrieve licenses at the Riverbed Licensing Portal using the email option or by downloading an XML file to the SteelCentral Controller for SteelHead. For detailed information, see
Retrieving licenses using the Riverbed Licensing Portal.
Automatic licensing also works over a web proxy. For details about setting up a web proxy, see the SteelFusion Core Management Console User’s Guide.
Note: If automatic licensing fails, an error message appears in the SteelFusion Core Management Console. Go to the Riverbed Licensing Portal and follow the instructions for retrieving your licenses.
To view licenses on a new Core appliance
• Connect the new Core appliance to the network.
Core automatically connects to the Riverbed Licensing Portal and downloads and installs the licenses. The Management Console Licensing page displays a success message, or the Alarm Status page reports an actionable error message.
To replace expired licenses
• Purchase new downloadable licenses to replace the expired license.
At the time of the next scheduled automatic license fetch, the Core automatically contacts the Riverbed License Portal and downloads the new licenses. The Management Console Licensing page displays a success message or the Alarm Status page reports an actionable error message. You do not need to delete the expired license. The system uses the license with the latest expiration date.
To fetch a license on demand
1. In the Management Console, choose Settings > Maintenance: Licenses to display the Licenses page.
2. Click Fetch Updates Now.
The Management Console Licensing page displays a success message, or the Alarm Status page reports an actionable error message.
Note: Only users with administrative privileges can fetch and install licenses. For detailed information about administrator and monitor users, see the SteelFusion Core Management Console User’s Guide.
Manual and token licensing
You can retrieve and manage Riverbed licenses using the Riverbed Licensing Portal. After you retrieve the licenses, you need to install them.
Retrieving licenses using the Riverbed Licensing Portal
The licensing portal requires a unique product identifier to retrieve a license. Depending on the product, the identifier can be a serial number, license request key (activation code), or a token. The steps to retrieve a license vary based on the product identifier. Online instructions guide you through the process.
To retrieve your licenses for an appliance using a serial number
2. Enter your appliance serial number as your unique product identifier.
The serial number is on a label located on your device, and it also appears in the Support tab of the Management Console.
3. Click Next.
4. Provide the contact information for the license, including your name and email.
5. Click Submit.
The Licensing Portal displays license information for all the products purchased with the serial number you specified.
6. Click a serial number to see license details.
7. Optionally, if you are behind a firewall, type the email address in the Email address text box and click Email Keys to have the license keys emailed to you.
8. Optionally, if you are behind a firewall, click Download XML to download an XML file. You can import the XML file using the SteelCentral Controller for SteelHead.
Note: Click New Search to look for additional license records.
To retrieve your licenses for a virtual appliance using a token
1. Go to the Riverbed Licensing Portal at https://licensing.riverbed.com.
2. Enter your token as the unique product identifier.
3. To submit more than one product identifier, click Add.
4. Click Next.
5. Verify the token and enter your license key request (activation code).
You need a license request key (activation code) to generate a license key. You can generate a license request key from the Management Console or command line using an available token.
6. Click Next.
Licenses appear on the screen and are emailed to the customer address linked to the token.
Installing your license keys
If you manually retrieve your license keys, you need to install them on the appropriate appliance.
To install a license using the CLI
1. Connect to the CLI of the appliance and enter configuration mode.
For details, see the Riverbed Command-Line Interface Reference Manual.
2. At the system prompt, enter the following commands:
license install <license-key>
write memory
To install a license using the Management Console
1. Connect to the SteelFusion Core Management Console.
For details, see the SteelFusion Core Management Console User’s Guide.
2. Choose Settings > Maintenance: Licenses to display the Licenses page.
3. In the Licenses Text Box, copy and paste the license key provided by the Riverbed Licensing Portal into the text box.
Separate multiple license keys with a space, Tab, or Enter.