Node-Locked Licensing
For SBC functions and features to be fully available, a valid license must be obtained from Ribbon 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. In node-locked licensing, an installed license file locks sessions and features to a specific SBC node which is identified through its hardware serial number or Virtual Machine Universal Unique Identifier (UUID).
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 Ribbon sales representative to determine your specific licensing requirements and to obtain your license bundle.
SBC Base Licenses
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.
Feature ID | Usage |
SBC-RTU | Controls the right-to-use (RTU) for SIP and H.323 sessions. The following type of media sessions are enabled: - Pass-through audio (no DSPs)
- Pass-through audio and video (no conferencing)
- Transcoded audio (DSP modules required).
|
SBC-SIP323 | SIP/H.323 Interworking function |
SBC Feature Licenses
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.
Feature ID | Usage | Platform |
ENCRYPT | Encryption function for signaling using TLS, IPsec | SBC Core |
DSP-AMRNB | RTU media interworking using AMRNB. Use license to enable AMR-NB audio transcoding. (DSP modules required) Note: Both DSP-AMRNB and VDSP-RTU licenses are required to transcode AMR-NB for SBC SWe. | SBC Core |
DSP-AMRWB | RTU media interworking using AMRWB. Use license to enable AMR-WB audio transcoding. (DSP modules required) | SBC Core |
DSP-EVRC | RTU media interworking using EVRC. Use license to enable EVRC audio transcoding. (DSP modules required) Note: This license is not applicable to SBC SWe because EVRC is not supported. | SBC Core |
DSP-EVS | RTU media interworking using EVS. Use license to enable EVS transcoding. (DSP modules required) | SBC Core |
DSP-G722 ($0 charge) | RTU media interworking using G.722. Use license to enable G.722 audio transcoding. (DSP modules required) Note: Ribbon does not charge for the G.722 codec; however, the SBC 5xx0/7000 series code still checks for this license. Because of this, a $0 charge DSP-G722 license must be generated and installed on SBC 5xx/7000 series in order to use G.722 features. | SBC Core |
DSP-SILK | RTU media interworking using SILK. Use license to enable SILK transcoding. (DSP modules required) | SBC Core |
SBC-1X10GMP | SBC 5400 RTU license to enable media port(s) operating at 10 Gbps. This will activate two 10 Gbps packet ports | SBC 5400 |
SBC-4X1GMP | SBC 5400 RTU license to enable all four media ports. each operating at 1 Gbps. Note: If the SBC 5400 is configured for two 1 Gbps media ports (default configuration), no license is required). | SBC 5400 |
SBC-POL-E911 | RTU license for E911 service. | SBC Core |
SBC-POL-ENUM | SBC ERE support for accessing ENUM databases. | SBC Core |
SBC-POL-RTU | SBC Advanced ERE RTU per session license. Note: If both "SBC-POL-E911" and "SBC-POL-ENUM" licenses are installed, the "SBC-POL-RTU" license is not required. | SBC Core |
SBC-LI | Enables support for Lawful Intercept service using ERE | SBC Core |
SBC-P-DCS-LAES | Enables lawful call interception when an appropriately formatted SIP P-DCS-LAES header is received. | SBC Core |
SBC-NICEREC | Session recording using the NICE proprietary recording system. | SBC Core |
SBC-SIPREC | SIPREC session recording support | SBC Core |
SBC-VIDEO | Video interworking support, including Content Sharing (BFCP), Far-End Camera Control (FECC) and H.239 for H.323 | SBC Core |
SBC-SIP-I | SIP-I Interworking function | SBC Core |
SRTP | Encryption function for Media using secure RTP | SBC Core |
SBC-CAPACITY | Enables use of SBC features up to the capacity of the node. Actual license usage is reported to Ribbon using EMS statistics. | SBC Core |
SBC-PSX-RTU | Required to use an external PSX system. | SBC Core |
VDSP-RTU | Enables transcoding feature in SBC SWe. If value is non-zero, it allows specified number of transcoded calls on the system. If zero, no transcoded calls are allowed. VDSP-RTU count should be always less than or equal to SBC-RTU count. If not, no transcoded calls are allowed. Note: Any additional emergency oversubscription is not supported for transcoded emergency calls on SBC SWe. | SBC SWe |
SWE-INSTANCE | Required to run SBC SWe software. | SBC SWe Cloud |
SBC-MRF-RTU | Required to enable transcoding using an external Media Resource Function (MRF) device in a distributed SBC environment. The SBC-MRF-RTU license is not a substitute for the SBC-RTU session license. Both the licenses are required to allow a session towards the MRF. The SBC-MRF-RTU license is only applicable to the S-SBC when deploying the distributed-SBC architecture. | SBC SWe Cloud |
License File Prerequisites
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. 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).
Serial Numbers (SBC 5xx0, 7000)
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.
Server Status - Serial Number HA-Pair
Server Status - Serial Number Standalone
UUIDs (SBC SWe)
SBC SWe systems uses the Virtual Machine's Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) number instead of a serial number as shown in the example below.
Server Status - Serial Number SWe
Installing Licenses
Once purchased, customers install and manage SBC licenses using the Embedded Management Application (EMA) user interface. Refer to License Management - Node Locked License Settings for the procedure to install a new license bundle.
License Expiry
Once a license is expired, the SBC treats the licensed functionality as disabled system wide. Any existing sessions that are active on expiry continue 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 SBC Core Alarms Guide.