Beginning with SBC Core release 7.0, the SBC is configured in legacy license mode by default. The “local” and “network” options for license mode that were supported for SBC SWe in prior releases are being phased out. Although some references to local license mode remain in documentation, the CLI, or the EMA UI, local license mode is not supported.
If your SBC SWe deployment was configured to use network license mode in a prior release, the tools to monitor and configure network-mode licensing remain available but will be phased out in the future. Contact your Ribbon Sales Representative for more information on licensing and assistance in updating your license.
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For SBC functions and features to be fully available, a valid license must be obtained from Sonus and installed in the system. Each SBC license provides a base set of capabilities to which additional features and capacity can be added and enabled as required.
License files are referred to as license bundles. A license bundle contains a set of feature keys, each of which corresponds to a specific SBC feature or capability. The set of license keys enabled in your license bundle determine the features available on your system. A feature is enabled when its value is set to 1 (or another positive number in cases where licensed sessions are counted). A feature is disabled in a license when its corresponding license key is set to 0. Work with your Sonus Sales Representative to determine your specific licensing requirements and to obtain your license bundle.
The basic SBC Core 'starter package' for SIP/H.323 interworking functionality includes the base license keys SBC-RTU and SBC-SIP323, plus any add-on session licenses required for the necessary number of sessions.
When other types of SBC functionality are required, additional license keys must be enabled in the license bundle. For example, SIP-I interworking requires enabling the SBC-SIP-I license key. The license bundle should therefore contain both the SBC-RTU and the SBC-SIP-I license keys.
The currently available feature licenses and the platforms to which they apply are listed in the table below.
When it is generated, a license bundle file is bound to the host ID of the SBC to which it will be applied. For chassis-based systems (SBC 5xx0, 7000), the host ID is the serial number attached to the hardware.
Note: An SBC SWe system uses the Virtual Machine UUID as the host ID.
For a stand-alone SBC, the machine’s host ID must be contained in the license file to be valid. Likewise, for a SBC HA pair the host ID of both machines must be contained in the license file to be valid. License files can contain up to two SBC serial numbers (or UUIDs).
To obtain the serial number of either a stand-alone or a HA pair SBC, log into the SBC EMA and navigate to Monitoring > Dashboard > System Status. The System Status window appears. The serial number(s) display in the third column of the Server Status table as depicted in the examples below.
The SBC SWe uses the Virtual Machine's Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) number instead of a serial number as shown in the example below.
Once purchased, customers install and manage SBC licenses using the Embedded Management Application (EMA) user interface. Refer to License Management - Legacy License Settings for the procedure to install a new license bundle.
Once the license is expired, the SBC treats the licensed functionality as disabled system wide. Any existing sessions that are active on expiry continues unimpaired. Traps are raised from the SBC to notify the user when a license is nearing expiration. For more information on Alarms, refer to the Alarms Guide.