F5 520, Manual

Page: 23 / 61

Introducing the 520/540 Platform
F5 Networks, Inc., Platform Guide 1 - 13
Activating the license
Once the platform is installed in the rack and connected to the network, you
need a valid license certificate to activate the software. To gain a license
certificate, you need to provide two items to the license server: a registration
key and a dossier.
The registration key is a 25-character string. In some cases, you may have
received the key by email. If you received a CD, the number is on the back
of the CD case. The registration key lets the license server know which F5
products you are entitled to license.
The dossier is obtained from the software, and is an encrypted list of key
characteristics used to identify the platform
You can obtain a license certificate using one of the following methods:
◆
Automatic license activation
You perform automatic license activation from the command line, the
License utility on an unlicensed unit, or from the web-based
Configuration utility of an upgraded unit. The automatic method
automatically retrieves and submits the dossier to the F5 license server,
as well as installing the signed license certificate. In order for you to use
this method, the unit must be installed on a network with Internet access.
◆
Manual license activation
You perform manual license activation from the License utility on an
unlicensed unit, or from the web-based Configuration utility of an
upgraded unit. With the manual method, you submit the dossier to, and
retrieve the signed license file from, the F5 license server manually. In
order for you to use this method, the administrative workstation must
have Internet access.
Note
You can open the Configuration utility with Netscape Navigator version 4.7,
or Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 or 5.5. The Configuration utility
is not supported in Netscape Navigator version 6.0.
Automatically activating a license
You can perform automatic license activation from the command line, the
License utility on an unlicensed unit, or from the web-based Configuration
utility of an upgraded unit. This section describes the automatic license
activation process in the following cases:
• From the web-based License utility or Configuration utility.
• From the command line, first-time installation.
• From the command line, upgrading a current installation.