Summary
This article describes licensing for Citrix XenServer 4.1 and 5.0. The primary focus of this document is XenServer Express, Standard, and Enterprise Editions. XenServer Platinum Edition licensing is a combination of XenServer Enterprise Edition licensing and Citrix Provisioning Server licensing. Provisioning Server licensing for Platinum Edition is covered at the end of this document.
License Delivery and Download
Citrix delivers XenServer licenses to the email address associated with the product order. The email will come from licenses@citrix.com (or similar email address) and the subject line will include the text “Citrix License Delivery”. The body of the email will include a Web URL where the license files can be downloaded.
Below are screen shots of the Web site where licenses are accessed:
Initial screen:
After entering the email address, a page similar to the following appears:
Next to the “Attachments” text are the license file(s) that can be downloaded. Each license file corresponds to an individual XenServer host. For example, if licenses for 10 XenServer hosts were purchased, then 10 license files would be available for download here.
The downloaded licenses should be saved in a location accessible by the XenCenter console. Once downloaded, the licenses can be applied to each of the XenServer hosts (as described below)
How XenServer licensing works
When XenServer 4.1 or 5.0 is first installed, the product is enabled with the XenServer Express Edition feature set by default. This feature set enables basic XenServer capabilities, such as single server management through XenCenter. However, to enable the more advanced capabilities found in XenServer Standard and Enterprise Editions, a corresponding license key—in the form of a license file—must be installed on each XenServer host system. Note: Platinum Edition licensing requires application of Enterprise Edition licenses as described here, as well as separate Provisioning Server licenses as discussed at the end of this article.
The XenServer license key is provided in the form of a license file with the .xslic extension. This unique file will be issued to your organization by Citrix and can be installed on a XenServer host system in one of two ways:
• Applying the license file to a selected server from within XenCenter (recommended)
• Using the xe command line interface (CLI) and host-license-add command
To install a license file from within XenCenter
1. Select the host server in the Resources pane. On the Server menu, click Install License Key.
2. Locate the license file and click Open. By default, only license files with the .xslic extension will be displayed.
Important: For XenServer Standard and Enterprise Edition, each host system in a resource pool must be individually licensed. For example, if you are supporting four XenServer hosts in a resource pool, you must apply four unique license files to each of the four host systems.
Troubleshooting common licensing issues
Issue: The XenServer (annual or not-for-resale) license has expired. What is going to happen?
Resolution: If the license on a XenServer host expires while the system is still running, all active virtual machines continue to run as long as the host system is not disrupted or rebooted. However, new virtual machines cannot be launched.
Note: Citrix strongly encourages customers who opt for the XenServer annual license to purchase new licenses before the expiration date to ensure the greatest degree of continuity.
Issue: If I have an annual license, how can I tell when it will expire?
Resolution: Within XenCenter, select your XenServer host server in the left-hand pane. Then select the “General” tab on the right. At the bottom of this screen you will see a “License Details” screen. The “expiry date” will be noted here, similar to what is shown below:
Administrators will also be notified regarding pending license expiration using alerts in XenCenter, beginning 30 days prior to expiration date.
Issue: How can I tell when my Subscription Advantage (SA) will need to be renewed?
Resolution: Customers can see when SA will need to be renewed by logging into the renewal portal on mycitrix.com. Additionally, Citrix sends SA renewal notices to all customers coming due for renewal at 70, 45, and 7 days prior to expiration. SA expiration dates are viewable within XenCenter.
Issue: The license file from a previous version of XenServer does not work with XenServer 4.1 or 5.0
Resolution: All license files from XenServer 3.x are incompatible with XenServer 4.1 and 5.0. XenServer 3.x customers under valid software maintenance or Subscription Advantage agreements will receive a valid XenServer 4.x or 5.0 license file from Citrix and these newly issued license files should be used in conjunction with XenServer 4.1 or 5.0. XenServer 4.0 license files are forward-compatible with XenServer 4.1 and 5.0.
Issue: This XenServer 4.0 license file has a .txt extension, but the product licensing instructions reference a license file with the .xslic extension. Does this mean that the XenServer 4.0 license is incompatible?
Resolution: No. In general, XenServer 4.0 license files are forward-compatible with XenServer 4.1 and 5.0, and as a result XenCenter can import valid XenServer 4.x / 5.0 license files of any extension. For some administrators, it may be easier to rename an older XenServer 4.0 license key with a .txt extension to a file with the .xslic extension prior to applying the license file in XenCenter.
Issue: Is there a way to manually install a XenServer license file without using XenCenter?
Resolution: Yes. First, license files may be manually installed using the xe CLI. The host-license-add command allows a local license file to be installed on a particular XenServer host. For more information about using xe, refer to CTX116769 – XenServer Administrator's Guide Or CTX118447 – XenServer Administrator's Guide. Additionally, you can use Secure Copy (SCP) to upload a license file from a system where the license file resides to a XenServer host. The target path on the XenServer Host system must be /etc/xensource/license. Citrix strongly recommends using SCP to apply a license file only as a last resort, such as when the XenCenter console or xe CLI are unavailable.
Issue: The XenServer time and date are incorrect. How do I address this so licensing works properly?
Resolution: Use the date command to change the date and time to the correct settings. The command for example is date 060616002008 (MMDDHHmmYYYY) to set the date to May 6 4 P.M. 2008.
Issue: Can XenServer licenses be managed through mycitrix.com the same as other Citrix licenses (such as XenApp)?
Resolution: No. While the serial numbers are visible in mycitrix.com, XenServer license management cannot be performed in mycitrix.com. This is because XenServer currently uses a different licensing system than XenApp and other Citrix products. However, the Provisioning Server licenses included in XenServer Platinum Edition can be managed through mycitrix.com.
Issue: How do I apply licenses for XenServer Platinum Edition?
Resolution: XenServer Platinum includes the ability to provision virtual machines using the same technology as Citrix Provisioning Server. Each XenServer Platinum license includes the ability to stream a virtual disk to an unlimited number of virtual machines on the XenServer-enabled host, as well as three separate physical (non-virtualized) servers. Citrix Provisioning Server has its own licensing system. To use XenServer Platinum Edition 4.1 or 5.0, you will be provided XenServer Enterprise Edition licenses, as well as Provisioning Server for Datacenters licenses. Citrix Provisioning Server licenses will be delivered in a separate email than those for XenServer Enterprise Edition. The Enterprise Edition licenses can be applied as described in this document. The Provisioning Server licenses will need to be applied as described in the following Knowledgebase Base article:
CTX117378 – Provisioning Server and Citrix License Server Interaction FAQ
If you have specific questions about XenServer licensing requirements, please contact Citrix Customer Service at customerservice@citrix.com or visit: http://www.citrix.com/customerservice/contact.
