NetScaler licensing overview

The process of allocating your NetScaler licenses has been greatly simplified. The new licensing framework allows you to focus on getting maximum value from Citrix products.

In the NetScaler GUI, you can use your hardware serial number (HSN) or your license access code to allocate your licenses. Alternatively, if a license is already present on your local computer, you can upload it to the appliance.

For all other functionality, such as returning or reallocating your license, you must use the licensing portal. Optionally, you can still use the licensing portal for license allocation. For more information about the licensing portal, see http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX131110.

Note: Purchase separate licenses for each appliance in a high availability pair. Ensure that the same types of licenses are installed on both the appliances. For example, if you purchase a platinum license for one appliance, you must purchase another platinum license for the other appliance.

Prerequisites

To use the hardware serial number or license access code to allocate your licenses:

You must be able to access public domains through the appliance. For example, the appliance should be able to access www.citrix.com. The license allocation software internally accesses the Citrix licensing portal for your license. To access a public domain:
- Use a proxy server or set up a DNS server.
- Configure a NetScaler IP (NSIP) address or a subnet IP (SNIP) address on your NetScaler appliance.
Your license must be linked to your hardware, or you must have a valid license access code. Citrix sends your license access code by email when you purchase a license.

Allocate a license by using the GUI

If your license is already linked to your hardware, the license allocation process can use the hardware serial number. Otherwise, you must type the license access code.

You can partially allocate licenses as required for your deployment. For example, if your license file contains 10 licenses, but your current requirement is for only six licenses, you can allocate six licenses now, and allocate more licenses later. You cannot allocate more than the total number of licenses present in your license file.

To allocate your license

In a web browser, type the IP address of the NetScaler appliance (for example, http://192.168.100.1).
In User Name and Password, type the administrator credentials.
On the Configuration tab, navigate to System \ > Licenses.
In the details pane, click Manage Licenses, click Add New License, and then select one of the following options:
- Use Serial Number. The software internally fetches the serial number of your appliance and uses this number to display your licenses.
- Use license access code. Citrix emails the license access code for the license that you purchased. Enter the license access code in the text box.
  
  If you do not want to configure internet connectivity on the NetScaler appliance, you can use a proxy server. Select the Connect through Proxy Server check box and specify the IP address and port of your proxy server.
Click Get Licenses. Depending on the option that you selected, one of the following dialog boxes appears.
- The following dialog box appears if you selected Hardware Serial Number.
- The following dialog box appears if you selected license access code.
Select the license file that you want to use to allocate your licenses.
In the Allocate column, enter the number of licenses to be allocated. Then click Get.
- If you selected Hardware Serial Number, enter the number of licenses, as shown in the following screenshot.
- If you selected license access code, enter the number of licenses, as shown in the following screenshot.
Click restart for the license to take effect.
In the restart dialog box, click OK to proceed with the changes, or click Close to cancel the changes.

Install a license

If you downloaded your license file to your local computer by accessing the licensing portal, you must upload the license to the appliance.

To install a license file by using the GUI

In a web browser, type the IP address of the NetScaler appliance (for example, http://192.168.100.1).
In User Name and Password, type the administrator credentials.
On the Configuration tab, navigate to System Licenses.
In the details pane, click Manage Licenses.
Click Add New License, then select Upload license files from a local computer.
Click Browse. Navigate to the location of the license files, select the license file, and then click Open.
Click restart to apply the license.
In the restart dialog box, click OK to proceed with the changes, or click Close to cancel the changes.

To install the licenses by using the CLI:

Open an SSH connection to the ADC appliance by using an SSH client, such as PuTTY.
Log on to the ADC appliance by using the administrator credentials.
Switch to the shell prompt, create a license subdirectory in the nsconfig directory, if it does not exist, and copy one or more new license files to this directory.

Example
```
login: nsroot
Password: nsroot
Last login: Mon Aug  4 03:37:27 2008 from 10.102.29.9
Done
> shell
Last login: Mon Aug  4 03:51:42 from 10.103.25.64
root@ns# mkdir /nsconfig/license
root@ns# cd /nsconfig/license
```
Copy one or more new license files to this directory.

Note: The NetScaler appliance does not prompt for a reboot option when you use the command line interface to install the licenses. Run the reboot -w command to warm restart the system, or run the restart command to restart the system normally.

Verify licensed features

Before using a feature, ensure that your license supports the feature.

To verify the licensed features by using the CLI

Open an SSH connection to the ADC appliance by using an SSH client, such as PuTTY.
Log on to the ADC appliance by using the administrator credentials.

At the command prompt, enter the sh ns license command to display the features supported by the license.

Example

sh ns license
        License status:
                           Web Logging: YES
                      Surge Protection: YES
                        .......

                        HTML Injection: YES
 Done

To verify the licensed features by using the GUI

In a web browser, type the IP address of the ADC appliance, such as http://192.168.100.1.
In User Name and Password, type the administrator credentials.
Provide the User name and Password and click Login.
In the navigation pane, expand System, and then click Licenses. You see a green check mark next to the licensed features.

Enable or disable a feature

When you use the NetScaler appliance for the first time, you must enable a feature before you can use its functionality. If you configure a feature before it is enabled, a warning message appears. The configuration is saved but it applies only after the feature is enabled.

To enable a feature by using the CLI

At the command prompt, type the following commands to enable a feature and verify the configuration:

enable feature <FeatureName>

show feature

Example

 enable feature lb cs
 done
  >show feature

         Feature                        Acronym              Status
         -------                        -------              ------
  1)     Web Logging                    WL                   OFF
  2)     Surge Protection               SP                   ON
  3)     Load Balancing                 LB                   ON
  4)     Content Switching              CS                   ON
  5)     Cache Redirection              CR                   ON
  .
  .
  .
  24)    NetScaler Push                 push                 OFF
  Done

The example shows how to enable load balancing (lb) and content switching (cs).

If the license key is not available for a particular feature, the following error message appears for that feature:

ERROR: feature(s) not licensed

Note: To enable an optional feature, you must have a feature-specific license. For example, you have purchased and installed the Citrix NetScaler Enterprise Edition license. However, to enable the Integrated Caching feature, you must purchase and install the AppCache license.

To disable a feature by using the CLI

At the command prompt, type the following commands to disable a feature and verify the configuration:

disable feature <FeatureName>

show feature

Example

The following example shows how to disable load balancing (LB).

 > disable feature lb
  Done
 > show feature

         Feature                        Acronym              Status
         -------                        -------              ------
  1)     Web Logging                    WL                   OFF
  2)     Surge Protection               SP                   ON
  3)     Load Balancing                 LB                   OFF
  4)     Content Switching              CS                   ON
  .
  .
  .
  24)    NetScaler Push                 push                 OFF
  Done
 >

Check license expiration information

You can check NetScaler license expiration information through GUI or CLI.

NetScaler VPX Express license

Starting with NetScaler release 12.0 56.20, VPX Express for on-premise and cloud deployments does not require a license file and it comes with the following features:

20 Mbps bandwidth
All ADC standard license features, except Citrix Gateway
Maximum 250 SSL sessions
20 Mbps SSL throughput

You can upgrade the VPX Express License to the following two options:

1. A standalone NetScaler VPX license

2. NetScaler Pooled Capacity license for VPX instances. For more information, see NetScaler Pooled Capacity.

Support: https://www.citrix.com/support

Feedback and forums: https://discussions.citrix.com