Brocade Network OS User Manual v14.1.0

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05 February 2014

Network OS

Software Licensing Guide

Supporting Network OS v4.1.0

©

2014, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Brocade, the B-wing symbol, Brocade Assurance, ADX, AnyIO, DCX, Fabric OS, FastIron, HyperEdge, ICX, MLX, MyBrocade, NetIron,
OpenScript, VCS, VDX, and Vyatta are registered trademarks, and The Effortless Network and the On-Demand Data Center are trademarks
of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and in other countries. Other brands and product names mentioned may be
trademarks of others.

Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or implied, concerning any
equipment, equipment feature, or service offered or to be offered by Brocade. Brocade reserves the right to make changes to this document
at any time, without notice, and assumes no responsibility for its use. This informational document describes features that may not be
currently available. Contact a Brocade sales office for information on feature and product availability. Export of technical data contained in
this document may require an export license from the United States government.

The authors and Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. assume no liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to the
accuracy of this document or any loss, cost, liability, or damages arising from the information contained herein or the computer programs that
accompany it.

The product described by this document may contain open source software covered by the GNU General Public License or other open
source license agreements. To find out which open source software is included in Brocade products, view the licensing terms applicable to
the open source software, and obtain a copy of the programming source code, please visit http://www.brocade.com/support/oscd.

Contents

Preface.....................................................................................................................................3

Document conventions......................................................................................3

Text formatting conventions.................................................................. 3

Command syntax conventions.............................................................. 3

Notes, cautions, and warnings.............................................................. 4

Brocade resources............................................................................................ 5

Getting technical help........................................................................................5

Document feedback.......................................................................................... 6

About This Document................................................................................................................ 7

Supported hardware and software.................................................................... 7

What’s new in this document............................................................................ 8

Software Licensing Overview......................................................................................................9

Licensing overview............................................................................................9

How software licensing works........................................................................... 9

License types.................................................................................................. 10

Software licensing terminology....................................................................... 10

License requirements......................................................................................11

Licensing restrictions and considerations....................................................... 13

Usage restrictions for time-based licenses......................................... 13

Configuration management considerations.........................................13

Upgrade and downgrade considerations............................................ 14

Obtaining a license..........................................................................................14

Viewing software license information from the Brocade software portal.........16

Licensing Tasks.......................................................................................................................19

Dynamic Ports on Demand Licensing.......................................................................................25

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Installing a license...........................................................................................19

Adding an FCoE license......................................................................20

Displaying a license ....................................................................................... 20

Displaying the switch license ID......................................................................21

Removing licenses.......................................................................................... 21

Extending a time-based license...................................................................... 23

Troubleshooting licensing issues.................................................................... 23

License is not properly installed.......................................................... 23

Dynamic Ports on Demand overview.............................................................. 25

Managing automatic POD port assignments...................................................26

Mapping port assignments to a POD port set................................................. 26

Activating the Dynamic POD feature ..............................................................27

Adding a Dynamic POD license...................................................................... 28

Displaying the Dynamic POD assignments.....................................................28

Overriding Dynamic POD assignments...........................................................29

Reserving a port assignment.............................................................. 29

Releasing a port from a POD set........................................................ 29

1

Index.................................................................................................................................... 31

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Preface

● Document conventions......................................................................................................3

● Brocade resources............................................................................................................ 5

● Getting technical help........................................................................................................5

● Document feedback.......................................................................................................... 6

Document conventions

The document conventions describe text formatting conventions, command syntax conventions, and
important notice formats used in Brocade technical documentation.

Text formatting conventions

Text formatting conventions such as boldface, italic, or Courier font may be used in the flow of the text
to highlight specific words or phrases.

Format

bold text

italic text

Courier font

Description

Identifies command names

Identifies keywords and operands

Identifies the names of user-manipulated GUI elements

Identifies text to enter at the GUI

Identifies emphasis

Identifies variables and modifiers

Identifies paths and Internet addresses

Identifies document titles

Identifies CLI output

Identifies command syntax examples

Command syntax conventions

Bold and italic text identify command syntax components. Delimiters and operators define groupings of
parameters and their logical relationships.

Convention

bold text Identifies command names, keywords, and command options.

italic text Identifies a variable.

Description

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Notes, cautions, and warnings

Convention Description

value In Fibre Channel products, a fixed value provided as input to a command

option is printed in plain text, for example, --show WWN.

[ ]

{ x | y | z }

x | y

< >

...

\

Syntax components displayed within square brackets are optional.

Default responses to system prompts are enclosed in square brackets.

A choice of required parameters is enclosed in curly brackets separated by
vertical bars. You must select one of the options.

In Fibre Channel products, square brackets may be used instead for this
purpose.

A vertical bar separates mutually exclusive elements.

Nonprinting characters, for example, passwords, are enclosed in angle
brackets.

Repeat the previous element, for example, member[member...].

Indicates a “soft” line break in command examples. If a backslash separates
two lines of a command input, enter the entire command at the prompt without
the backslash.

Notes, cautions, and warnings

Notes, cautions, and warning statements may be used in this document. They are listed in the order of
increasing severity of potential hazards.

NOTE

A note provides a tip, guidance, or advice, emphasizes important information, or provides a reference
to related information.

ATTENTION

An Attention statement indicates potential damage to hardware or data.

CAUTION

A Caution statement alerts you to situations that can be potentially hazardous to you or cause
damage to hardware, firmware, software, or data.

DANGER

A Danger statement indicates conditions or situations that can be potentially lethal or
extremely hazardous to you. Safety labels are also attached directly to products to warn of
these conditions or situations.

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Brocade resources

Visit the Brocade website to locate related documentation for your product and additional Brocade
resources.

You can download additional publications supporting your product at www.brocade.com.

• Adapter documentation is available on the Downloads and Documentation for Brocade Adapters
page. Select your platform and scroll down to the Documentation section.

• For all other products, select the Brocade Products tab to locate your product, then click the
Brocade product name or image to open the individual product page. The user manuals are
available in the resources module at the bottom of the page under the Documentation category.

To get up-to-the-minute information on Brocade products and resources, go to MyBrocade. You can
register at no cost to obtain a user ID and password.

Release notes are available on MyBrocade under Product Downloads.

White papers, online demonstrations, and data sheets are available through the Brocade website.

Brocade resources

Getting technical help

You can contact Brocade Support 24x7 online, by telephone, or by e-mail.

For product support information and the latest information on contacting the Technical Assistance
Center, go to http://www.brocade.com/services-support/index.html.

Use one of the following methods to contact the Brocade Technical Assistance Center.

Online Telephone E-mail

Preferred method of contact for non­urgent issues:

• My Cases through MyBrocade

• Software downloads and
licensing tools

• Knowledge Base

Required for Sev 1-Critical and Sev
2-High issues:

• Continental US:
1-800-752-8061

• Europe, Middle East, Africa,
and Asia Pacific: +800-AT
FIBREE ([phone])

• For areas unable to access toll
free number: [phone]

• Toll-free numbers are available
in many countries.

[e-mail]

Please include:

• Problem summary

• Serial number

• Installation details

• Environment description

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Document feedback

Document feedback

To send feedback and report errors in the documentation you can use the feedback form posted with
the document or you can e-mail the documentation team.

Quality is our first concern at Brocade and we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and
completeness of this document. However, if you find an error or an omission, or you think that a topic
needs further development, we want to hear from you. You can provide feedback in two ways:

• Through the online feedback form in the HTML documents posted on www.brocade.com.

• By sending your feedback to [e-mail].

Provide the publication title, part number, and as much detail as possible, including the topic heading
and page number if applicable, as well as your suggestions for improvement.

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About This Document

● Supported hardware and software.................................................................................... 7

● What’s new in this document............................................................................................ 8

Supported hardware and software

In those instances in which procedures or parts of procedures documented here apply to some switches
but not to others, this guide identifies exactly which switches are supported and which are not.

Although many different software and hardware configurations are tested and supported by Brocade
Communications Systems, Inc. for Network OS 4.1.0, documenting all possible configurations and
scenarios is beyond the scope of this document.

NOTE

The 100-gigabit interface subtype is not supported for Network OS 4.1.0, even though this subtype is
referenced in some of the Network OS 4.1.0 user documentation.

The following hardware platforms are supported by this release of Network OS:

• Brocade VDX 6710-54

• Brocade VDX 6720

‐ Brocade VDX 6720-24
‐ Brocade VDX 6720-60

• Brocade VDX 6730

‐ Brocade VDX 6730-32
‐ Brocade VDX 6730-76

• Brocade VDX 6740

‐ Brocade VDX 6740-48
‐ Brocade VDX 6740-64

• Brocade VDX 6740T

‐ Brocade VDX 6740T-48
‐ Brocade VDX 6740T-64
‐ Brocade VDX 6740T-1G

• Brocade VDX 8770

‐ Brocade VDX 8770-4
‐ Brocade VDX 8770-8

To obtain information about an OS version other than Network OS v4.1.0, refer to the documentation
specific to that OS version.

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What’s new in this document

What’s new in this document

This document supports Network OS 4.1.0; and the new licenses in this release include:

• 10 GbE Port Upgrade

• 40 GbE Port Upgrade

For complete information, refer to the Release Notes.

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Software Licensing Overview

● Licensing overview............................................................................................................9

● How software licensing works........................................................................................... 9

● License types.................................................................................................................. 10

● Software licensing terminology....................................................................................... 10

● License requirements......................................................................................................11

● Licensing restrictions and considerations....................................................................... 13

● Obtaining a license..........................................................................................................14

● Viewing software license information from the Brocade software portal.........................16

Licensing overview

The Brocade Network Operating System (Network OS) includes platform support in standalone and
Brocade VCS Fabric modes as well as optional features that are enabled by license keys. You can
purchase Brocade licenses per product or per feature. Each switch in a fabric must have its own
licenses, but universal licenses for multiple switches are available for trial purposes along with individual
trial licenses. Licenses may be part of the licensed paperpack supplied with your switch software, or you
can purchase them separately from your switch vendor.

NOTE

The VCS Fabric license is enabled on all VDX platforms by default starting with Network OS 4.1.0; a
VCS Fabric license does not need to be installed to enable VCS Fabric functionality.

How software licensing works

A permanent license (for select features on specific units) can be ordered pre-installed in a Brocade
switch when first shipped from the factory, or later ordered and installed. In either case, additional
licenses can be ordered as needed.

When a license is ordered separately (not pre-installed), an entitlement certificate or e-mail message
along with a transaction key are issued to you by Brocade as proof of purchase. The transaction key
and license ID (LID) of the Brocade switch are used to generate a license key from the Brocade
software licensing portal. The license key is contained within the license file, which is downloaded to
your PC. You can add the license key to a switch using the license add command. Once a license is
installed on the Network OS switch, you may be prompted to reload the switch or to disable and re­enable the chassis or specific ports to activate the license.

When a time-based license expires, the commands and CLI related to the feature are disabled, but the
feature itself cannot be disabled until the system reloads. You can display expired licenses with the
show license command. Expired licenses display a "License has expired" message. RASLog warning
messages are generated every hour for licenses that have expired or will expire in the next five days.

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