Managing Licenses

Updated
  • Updated on Jul 31, 2025
  • Published on Jan 7, 2022
  • 3 minute(s) read
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License files typically provide access to additional feature instances and enable additional functionality.

Access the System â–¶ Licensing page to:

  • Configure the Cisco® Provider Connectivity Assurance Sensor Control to use a central licensing server to manage its licenses
  • Import a new license file
  • Export a hardware information file

The following table lists the kinds of feature licenses that can be managed.

Feature Licenses (System â–¶ Licensing)

Value Description
FM A flowmeter license
FB-Data A flow broker Data license

There is one FB-Data license per flow broker Analyzer instance configured in the system. As such, if you have purchased twenty FBData licenses and then create a twenty-first Analyzer, this Analyzer can be configured but not activated. Its operational status code will remain at WLIC (Waiting for a License) until an additional license is added. It can be associated, but it will never generate any data.
FB-Capture A flow broker Capture license

There is one FB-Capture license per rule configured in the system, and rules are associated with a Packet Engine. As such, if you create a Packet Engine with six rules, but only have five FB-Capture licenses, the sixth rule will be inactive.
SAT A Service Activation Testing (RFC-2544) license
Probe-Session A probe session license (DMM, SLM, TWAMP, etc.)

â–¶ To use a central server for license management

When you use a central server to manage the feature licenses on the Sensor Control, any local licenses are ignored. You can manage licenses locally or use a license server, but not both methods at the same time.

Note: If you manage licenses using a centralized license server and then disable the Central Server Configuration box, the Sensor Control is reset to the factory default licenses. Any licenses that were present will be discarded and must be reloaded via their license file.

  1. Access the page System â–¶ Licensing.

  2. Select the Central Server Configuration box.

  3. Enter the Hostname/IP Address of the server you want to use for license management.
    The Port number being used is 1443.

  4. Click the Apply button.
    The table of active feature licenses in the lower part of the screen refreshes with the updated license information.

â–¶ To import a new license file

Follow this procedure if you want to use a license file installed locally on the Sensor Control (rather than a central license server).

  1. Access the page System â–¶ Licensing.

  2. Click the Browse button located to the right of the Import License field.

  3. In the dialog box that appears, navigate to the license file on your local workstation or network.

Note: The license files are distributed by Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance (formerly Accedian) in a binary file with the filename extension .bin.

  1. Click the Upload button.
    The license file begins loading. Once it has finished, the Sensor Control displays the features of the newly imported license file.

â–¶ To export a hardware information file

  1. Access the page System â–¶ Licensing.

  2. Click the Export button to export the hardware information file.
    The file produced is downloaded automatically. It does not contain any human-readable information.

â–¶ To view the active feature licenses

  1. Access the page System â–¶ Licensing.
    A listing of all current active licenses associated with this instance of the Sensor Control is displayed in the Active License part of the page. The feature name, version number, the utilization status, the total number of licenses and the expiry date are provided for each type of license.

  2. (Optional) To limit the view to only certain license types, enter a value on which to filter, then click Search. You can filter by the feature, version, utilization status or when the license expires.

    Note: Enter an asterisk () as a wildcard to replace one or several characters.*

Active License Features (System â–¶ Licensing)

Value Description
Feature Name of particular license
Version Version number for the license
In Use Status of how many are currently in use
Local Total Total number of local licenses
Local Expiry When this license is set to expire:
  • If you are managing your licenses locally, the expiration date extracted from the license file appears here, for example 01-Jan-2020.
  • If you are using a centralized license server, each license expires and is renewed every 24 hours.

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