Upgrade the License Server

Before you upgrade

The following information helps you to prepare well before you begin your upgrade.

• Each time you upgrade your Citrix product, upgrade the Citrix License Server also. Each time a new License Server is released, it might contain better security, fixes to known issues, and so on.

• Sometimes, new versions of the Citrix product are incompatible with older versions of the License Server. New versions of the License Server are compatible with older versions of the product and old licenses.

• Version upgrade is moving from any previous version of a product to the newest version of the product. For example, moving from XenDesktop 7.18 to Citrix Virtual Desktops 7 1909.

• Edition upgrade means the purchase of a higher edition level of a product. For example, you now have Advanced Edition and you purchase upgrade to Premium Edition.

Prerequisites and precautions

• For information about system requirements, see System requirements.
• Ensure you download the latest version of License Server, go to Citrix Downloads.
• Installing the License Server from a UNC path (\\server\share) is not supported. So, install the License Server from your local copy.
• Upgrade your licensing components before upgrading your product, if necessary.
• Uninstall any versions of Citrix Licensing older than version 11.12.1 before installing this version.
• To avoid the failure of any subsequent License Server upgrades: Ensure that when you installed your License Server, you successfully configured it with the post installation License Server Configuration tool or uninstalled your previous License Server.

How to upgrade the License Server

Citrix recommends that you install the newest License Server. The new License Server is backward compatible and supports older products and license files. However, new products require the newest License Server to check out licenses correctly. Perform the following steps to upgrade your License Server:

1. Go to the Citrix Downloads page and download the installer to install or upgrade to the latest version.
2. Start the License Server installer (CitrixLicensing.exe) as an administrator, and follow the graphical interface.

To upgrade the License Server from your product media:

If you use the product media for your installation, you might have to enable some functionality by using the Citrix Licensing Manager after your installation. For example, use the Citrix Licensing Manager to enable Customer Success Services renewals.

1. From your License Server, open the media for your product.
2. If you do not see Setup, use Windows Explorer to open Autorun.exe or AutoSelect.exe.
3. Navigate through the Setup screens to Citrix Licensing and follow the instructions.

To upgrade the License Server from the command line:

Ensure that you run the command line with administrator privileges. To start the command prompt with elevated privileges, choose Start, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator.

You cannot change ports during command line upgrades.

The following sample command line installs licensing in silent mode.

CitrixLicensing.exe /quiet /l install.log INSTALLDIR=installdirectory CEIPOPTIN=ANON

• /quiet specifies a silent (quiet) installation.
• /l specifies the log file location
• INSTALLDIR is the location where the License Server executable is stored. Optional parameter. The default is c:\program files\citrix licensing or c:\program files (x86)\citrix\licensing.
• CEIPOPTIN specifies whether, or how, to opt in to Citrix Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) or Call Home. Optional parameter. The default is NONE.
  • DIAGNOSTIC - Call Home
  • ANONYMOUS - CEIP
  • NONE

You can modify the CEIP and Call Home choice using the Citrix Licensing Manager.

Important

The Citrix Service Provider program requires Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) and Call Home. If you are a Citrix Service Provider, you cannot disable CEIP or Call Home.

Events during a License Server upgrade

As part of the License Server upgrade, we stop services, upgrade the License Server, and then restart services. During the upgrade, products enter the License caching mode and self-license. When the License Server is online again, all product servers return from the License caching mode and reconcile license counts. This License caching mode works in the same manner as the regular License caching mode functionality.

How to upgrade licenses for your edition

If you are eligible for a version upgrade as a benefit of your maintenance, you can download your CSS Renewal license and add it to the License Server. Also change the product edition setting in the product user interface. It’s best to change the product edition setting when there are few connections to the affected servers or redirect connections to another computer. When you change the product edition setting, restart the product server for changes to take effect. See the product documentation for changing the edition setting. If you add the upgrade license to the License Server before you set the edition to the new edition, the Citrix product stops accepting new connections.

Perform the following steps to upgrade edition licenses:

1. From a web browser, go to http://www.citrix.com.
2. Choose Log In and type your user ID and password.
3. Select Manage Licenses.
4. At the bottom of the landing page, select Upgrade my licenses.
5. Follow the site options and instructions for upgrading your product edition licenses.
6. Either download or order new media. An email message provides you with instructions to return to citrix.com to allocate or receive more feature licenses.
7. Log on to https://www.citrix.com/ to allocate your licenses, generate a license file, download the license file to your License Server, and reread the file.