Configure pooled capacity

You can allocate licenses in the license pool to Citrix ADC instances on demand in Application Delivery Management (ADM). You can upload the pooled capacity license files to the license server. You can allocate the licenses from ADM, or you can check-out the licenses from the ADC VPX and MPX instances according to the minimum and maximum capacity of the instance.

Configuring ADM as license server

Note: You need to configure the license server to pool and allocate the licenses to the pooled-capacity enabled instances, or check-out licenses from the pooled capacity enabled ADC instance.

You can configure the ADM as a license server for the pooled capacity. There are two ways for a ADC instance to get bandwidth and or instance license:

An ADC instance can initiate the check-out request to ADM to obtain its bandwidth and/or instance licenses. The licenses can be allocated to the ADC instance through ADM.

Note: Pooled Capacity is displayed on ADM only if pooled licenses are added to the ADM.

Following are the operating modes of the instances that are using the pooled capacity:

• Optimum. Instance is running with proper license capacity.

• Capacity mismatch. Instance is running with a capacity less than user configured.

• Grace. Instance is running on grace license.

• Grace & Mismatch. Instance is running on grace but with a capacity less than user configured.

• Not available. Instance is not registered with ADM for management, or Nitro communication from ADM to the instances is not working.

• Not allocated. License is not allocated in the instance.

To install license files on ADM

1. In Citrix ADM, navigate to Networks > Licenses.

2. In the License Files section, select Add License File and select one of the following options:

   • Upload license files from a local computer. If a license file is already present on your local computer, you can upload it to ADM.

   • Use license access code. Specify the license access code for the license that you have purchased from Citrix and select Get Licenses. Then select Finish.

   Note: At any time, you can add more licenses to ADM from the License Settings.

To allocate pooled capacity licenses from ADM

Prerequisite: Before you can manage your instance’s pool licenses through ADM, you must register the instance with ADM. In the Citrix ADC GUI, navigate to System > Licenses > Manage Licenses, and select the Register with NetScaler MA Service for manageability check box when adding the ADM IP.

Note: If you have not registered the instance with ADM, you can check out licenses from ADM, but you cannot allocate the from ADM to the pooled capacity enabled instance.

Note: In the user name and password fields on the above screen, enter your ADM credentials.

After the instance is registered with the license server, allocate the licenses as follows:

1. Navigate to Networks > Licenses > Bandwidth Licenses > Pooled Capacity.

2. Click on the license pool that you want to manage.

3. Select an ADC instance from the list of available instances by clicking on the > button.

   

   The License status column displays corresponding license allocation status messages.

4. If you want to change or release a license allocation, click Change allocation or Release allocation.

5. A pop-up window with the available licenses in the license server appears.

6. You can choose the bandwidth or instance allocation to the instance by setting the Allocate list options. After making your selections, click Allocate.

7. You can also change the allocated license edition from the list options in the Change License Allocation window.

   

Configuring pooled capacity on ADC MPX-Z instances

MPX-Z is the pooled-capacity enabled ADC MPX appliance. MPX-Z supports bandwidth pooling for Platinum, Enterprise, or Standard edition licenses.

MPX-Z requires platform licenses before it can connect to the license server. You can install the MPX-Z platform license by either uploading the license file from a local computer or using the instance’s hardware serial number, or the License Access Code from System > Licenses section of the instance’s GUI. If you remove the MPX-Z platform license, the pooled-capacity feature is disabled and all the checked-out licenses are checked in to the license server.

You can dynamically modify the bandwidth of a MPX-Z instance without a restart. A restart is required only if you want to change the license edition.

Note: When you restart the instance, it automatically checks out the pooled licenses required for its configured capacity.

Configuring pooled capacity on ADC VPX instances

A pooled-capacity enabled ADC VPX instance can check-out licenses from a bandwidth pool (Platinum/Enterprise/Standard editions). You can use the ADC GUI to check-out licenses from the license server.

You can dynamically modify the bandwidth of a VPX instance without a restart. A restart is required only if you want to change the license edition.

Note: When you restart the instance, it will automatically check-out the pooled licenses required for its configured capacity.

Allocating pool licenses to ADC MPX-Z or ADC VPX instances

To allocate your licenses:

1. Navigate to System > Licenses > Manage Licenses, click Add New License and select Use Pooled Licensing.

2. Enter the details of the license server in the Server Name/IP Address field.

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

4. Select the license edition and the required bandwidth, click Get Licenses.

5. You can change or release the license allocation by selecting Change allocation or Release allocation.

6. If you click Change allocation, a pop-up window shows the licenses available on the license server.

   Note: A restart is not required if you change the bandwidth allocation, but a warm restart is required if you change the license edition.

7. You can allocate bandwidth or instances to the instance from the Allocate list. Then click Get Licenses.

8. You can choose the license edition and the bandwidth required from the drop-down lists in the pop-up window.

   Note: Bandwidth allocation should be a multiple of the minimum bandwidth unit.