Managing BIG-IP Licensing With BIG-IQ

If the article title doesn't have you excited, I don't know what else to do. You know BIG-IQ centralizes management and analytics of BIG-IP and Per-App Virtual Editions across your enterprise. Were you aware that BIG-IQ can run as a License Manager to simplify more complicated subscription and license pool requirements... for free? Subscriptions, RegKey Pools, offline licensing, and all the other customer requirements made licensing a quagmire that BIG-IQ License Manager can help solve. Below you will find several resources to assist configuring BIG-IQ as a License Manager or just simply manage a few licenses.

Configuring BIG-IQ as a License Manager

This video provides a walk through demonstration of setting up BIG-IQ as a License Manager. If you already have BIG-IQ running as a Configuration Manager, you already have this working. I recommend watching this on Youtube directly.

How to Manage Licenses Within BIG-IQ

This video provides a detailed walkthrough example of how to manage subscription licenses within BIG-IQ. I recommend watching this on Youtube directly.


Further Resources:

BIG-IQ Centralized Management: BIG-IP VE Subscriptions - The document you want when configuring BIG-IQ as License Manager or how to manage licenses within BIG-IQ. 
AskF5 K77706009: Using BIG-IQ License Manager to remotely manage BIG-IP Virtual Edition licenses

Published Sep 04, 2018
Version 1.0
application delivery
BIG-IQ
cloud
license management

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  • dragonflymr's avatar
    dragonflymr
    Icon for Cirrostratus rankCirrostratus
    Sep 07, 2018

    Great, it's working now :-)

     

    Hi,

     

    I was under impression that BIG-IQ can manage Base Registration Key (BRK) only for BIG-IP VE, seems that I am wrong.

     

    Where in BIG-IQ I should look to see hardware BRK? Devices > LICENSE MANAGEMENT > Licenses? Then I can use Add Device to add BRK or Add-on? Sure for hardware managing BRK do not make much sense (those are most of the time embedded) but managing Add-ons makes sense.

     

    When importing BIG-IP there is little info related to serials or BRK displayed in the GUI (Devices > BIG-IP DEVICES > [device name] > PROPERTIES). Only way I found to see serial and BRK was via Export Inventory.

     

    There is as well nothing created in Devices > LICENSE MANAGEMENT > Licenses/Assignments after discovering/importing BIG-IP.

     

    Considering license contracts I was not precise. I meant Service Contacts (like L1-L3) for hardware and modules installed. Just to have all related info in one place. Then it would be great to have ability to set alerts informing that such contracts are about to expire.

     

    Hope it makes more sense now.

     

    If you can provide mentioned links it would be great!

     

    Thanks in advance,

     

    Piotr

     

  • Piotr_Lewandow1's avatar
    Piotr_Lewandow1
    Icon for Nimbostratus rankNimbostratus
    Sep 07, 2018

    Hi,

     

    Seems that I can't post my comment. When trying I am getting message:

     

    Content has been identified as spam. If this is not the case, please contact devcentral@.

     

    Piotr

     

  • Chase_Abbott's avatar
    Chase_Abbott
    Icon for Employee rankEmployee
    Sep 06, 2018

    Are you referring to license keys for hardware appliances? If so, it does that and can do that in parallel with other license types.

     

    Regarding license contracts, are there specific types of contract licensing you're referring to? BIG-IQ will do subscription and volume key management offline and online (offline you'd pull a subscription report and submit it to F5).

     

    I've seen several demos of various license states so I may be able to share some of that up if I know what I'm looking for.

     

  • dragonflymr's avatar
    dragonflymr
    Icon for Cirrostratus rankCirrostratus
    Sep 06, 2018

    Hi,

     

    I know this is not cloud related question but are there any plans to include hardware keys management as well as maybe license contracts management in BIG-IQ?

     

    Piotr