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jaikumar_f5_226's avatar
jaikumar_f5_226
Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
May 05, 2016

Existing F5 LICENSE behaviour on other versions.

Hello,

I recently tried to switchboot the device running on 11.5 to 10.2.4. After booting in 10.x, the license was gone. I had taken the backup of bigip.license and tried reloadlic in 10.x, but its not working. I understand that i could re-license in portal and make it work.

But my question is,the license is being obtained from the base registration key which is dedicated to a Hardware. If I'm getting a license for a version, why I'm being required to re-license every time for different versions. Or is there a way to bypass when i play around with different versions.

[root@XXXX:Active] config switchboot -l

Current boot image: HD1.1 - title BIG-IP 10.2.4 Build 577.0

Default boot image: HD1.1 - title BIG-IP 10.2.4 Build 577.0

Available boot image(s):

HD1.1 - title BIG-IP 10.2.4 Build 577.0

HD1.2 - title BIG-IP 11.5.2 Build 0.0.141

HD1.3 - title BIG-IP 11.4.1 Build 608.0
application delivery
BIG-IP
LTM

2 Replies

  • BinaryCanary_19's avatar
    BinaryCanary_19
    Historic F5 Account
    May 05, 2016
    If it's a lab license, it probably just means the license expired and you need to renew it. Does it tell you "NO LICENSE" on the command line or "LICENSE EXPIRED"?
  • jaikumar_f5's avatar
    jaikumar_f5
    Icon for Noctilucent rankNoctilucent
    May 05, 2016

    Hi,

    Here's the complete issue, i'm stating. Let's say i'm running on 11.x.

    [root@testbox:Active:Standalone] config  cat /VERSION
Product: BIG-IP
Version: 11.4.1
Build: 625.0
BaseBuild: 608.0
Edition: Hotfix HF1
Date: Wed Oct 23 20:28:39 PDT 2013
Built: 131023202839
Changelist: 1092152

    Post i do a switchboot to 10.x

    [root@testbox:Active:Standalone] config  switchboot -l

Current boot image:
    HD1.1 - title BIG-IP 11.4.1 Build 625.0
Default boot image:
    HD1.1 - title BIG-IP 11.4.1 Build 625.0
Available boot image(s):
    HD1.1 - title BIG-IP 11.4.1 Build 625.0
    HD1.2 - title BIG-IP 11.5.2 Build 0.0.141
    HD1.3 - title BIG-IP 10.2.4 Build 577.0

    Taken backup of license... and license is valid...

    [root@testbox:Active:Standalone] config  cp bigip.license /var/tmp/bigip-backup.license
[root@testbox:Active:Standalone] config  tmsh show sys license

Sys::License
Licensed Version    11.2.1
Registration key    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Licensed On         2014/07/08
Service Check Date  2013/10/23
Platform ID         Z100

[root@testbox:Active:Standalone] config  switchboot -b HD1.3 
info: default boot location changed to HD1.3. 

[root@testbox:Active:Standalone] config  reboot

Broadcast message from root (pts/0) (Thu May  5 16:24:50 2016):

The system is going down for reboot NOW!

    Once it boots up in 10.x, i understand the config is not loaded yet. Because 11.x config would conflict with 10.x. Hence left that part. But license can be re-used right !!! But its not working.

    [root@localhost:] config  cat /VERSION
Product: BIG-IP
Version: 10.2.4
Build: 577.0
BaseBuild: 577.0
Edition: Final
Date: Tue Mar 27 14:53:46 PDT 2012
Built: 120327145346
Changelist: 856726

[root@localhost:] config  tmsh show sys license
Can't load license, may not be operational

[root@localhost:] config  
[root@localhost:] config  cp /var/tmp/bigip-backup.license /config/bigip.license
cp: overwrite `/config/bigip.license'? y
[root@localhost:] config  reloadlic
[root@localhost:] config

    Does this mean license needs to be renewed again for different versions?

    Backup license of a higher version cannot be used in other versions [on the samebox]?