Licensing Platform Symphony products and features

Symphony supports two base license keys:

  • sym_base

  • sym_cluster_edition_base

Either one of these licenses is required for Symphony to function. If both licenses are present, the sym_base license takes effect. Symphony licenses are stored in a text file named license.dat, by default.

License key format

FEATURE [feature_name] lsf_ld [version] [expiryDate] 0 ADAD246AB126D5936EA9 HOSTID=[id] NOTICE="MAXCORE(#core)"

  • Feature name: for example, sym_base

  • Version: Symphony version, for example, 5.1

  • ExpiryDate: Expiry date of the license.

  • NOTICE: Defines the number of core licenses.

For example, a sym_base license key for 300 cores would look like this:

FEATURE sym_base lsf_ld 5.100 10-Dec-3010 0 ADAD246AB126D5936EA9 HOSTID=0080c84b0430 NOTICE="MAXCORE(300)"

sym_base license

A sym_base license allows a cluster to run an unlimited number of enabled applications concurrently and either an unlimited number of cores or the number of cores defined in NOTICE="MAXCORE(#core)".

The cores are reported by the OS, including cores on both physical and virtual hosts.

This license can be used with all add-on products. (Add-on product licenses are required.)

sym_cluster_edition_base

A sym_cluster_edition license allows a cluster to run up to 10 enabled applications concurrently and a maximum of 1000 cores or the number of cores defined in NOTICE="MAXCORE(#core)". The maximum number of cores that can be defined in the NOTICE is 1000.

The cores are reported by the OS, including cores on both physical and virtual hosts.

You can register more than 10 applications, but only 10 applications can be enabled at the same time.

Additional hosts that cause the cluster to exceed the core limit are not usable, but are still visible.

This license can be used with the following add-on products: (Add-on product licenses are required.)

  • Data Affinity

  • Dynamic Service

Licensing behavior

  • The master LIM does not communicate with a license server, but instead verifies the license locally.

  • A host is unlicensed if there is not enough core licenses for part or all of its cores.

  • An unlicensed host receives a closed status, which cannot be opened.

  • If a cluster initially has an unlicensed host and a licensed host is removed, the original unlicensed host will become licensed and opened automatically.

Licensing add-on products

Feasture licenses are required for the following add-on products:


Add-on product

license key

desktop scavenging

sym_desktop_scavenging

server scavenging

sym_server_scavenging

Adaptive Cluster

adaptive_cluster_for_symphony

data-aware scheduling

symphony_data_aware_scheduling

dynamic service

symphony_dynamic_service

MultiCluster

ego_base


The NOTICE="MAXCORE(#core)" parameter, which specifies the maximum number of core licenses for a feature, is defined in the following add-on product licenses:

  • sym_desktop_scavenging

  • sym_server_scavenging

  • adaptive_cluster_for_symphony

The total number of cores supported in a cluster is the sum of:

MAXCORE(#core) for the three add-on product licenses and the MAXCORE(#core) of sym_base or sym_cluster_edition_base. (Note: If both licenses are present, the sym_base license takes effect.)

For example:

1200 core cluster

  • sym_desktop_scavenging NOTICE="MAXCORE(#500)"

  • sym_server_scavenging NOTICE="MAXCORE(#100)"

  • adaptive_cluster_for_symphony NOTICE="MAXCORE(#100)"

  • sym_base NOTICE="MAXCORE(#500)"

  • sym_cluster_edition_base NOTICE="MAXCORE(#800)"

800 core cluster

  • sym_desktop_scavenging NOTICE="MAXCORE(#100)"

  • sym_server_scavenging NOTICE="MAXCORE(#100)"

  • adaptive_cluster_for_symphony NOTICE="MAXCORE(#100)"

  • sym_cluster_edition_base NOTICE="MAXCORE(#500)"

To view Symphony add-on product licensing using the PMC, select Cluster > Summary > License; refer to the PMC help for more information.

Updating or editing a license file

When a new license file is inserted into the cluster or an exisiting license file is updated, the following steps must be performed for the license change to take effect.

  1. Restart LIM on the master and all master candidate hosts.

  2. Stop and restart the SD service.

  3. If the license file contains changes to the adaptive_cluster_for_symphony license key, stop and restart the IS service.

  4. Disable and enable all applications.

How to view licensing information using the CLI

To view information about the number of cores licensed and which add-on products are licensed, use the egosh license info command; refer to the Symphony Reference guide for more details.

How to view unlicensed hosts using the CLI

You can use the egosh resource view command to check the host status reason for closed hosts. If a host is closed because it is unlicensed, it is stated as the reason. Refer to the Symphony Reference guide for more details.