Get an On-premises License Seat in Private Networks

About

SmartBear offers a special license type – on-premises – that can be used on computers with no access to the SmartBear license servers. The word on-premises means the license is controlled by the licensing subsystems on your side, not by SmartBear license servers available online.

To use an on-premises license, you can install the On-Premises License Server in your network. VirtServer e will connect to this server and consume license seats from it. Below is a step-by-step instruction on this. If you are a licensed user (the person who will run and use VirtServer), you will need assistance from your license administrator to perform some steps.

1. License administrator actions

   • Log in to the SmartBear Licensing Portal as a license administrator.

   • Download, install, and configure the On-Premises License Server in your network. This will be your local Licensing Portal and separate from the SmartBear Licensing Portal with internet access.

   • Your license must have no users assigned in order to be converted. Unassign any users before requesting conversion.

   • To download, click on ‘Export License to On-premise License Server’.

     

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   • If you do not have On-Premise License Server installed, follow the instructions and click on ‘download’ or download from here.

     

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   • Once installed, go to http://localhost:40892/#.

   • The license administrator logs in under ‘System_admin’ and creates a password on first access.

   • The license administrator logs in and selects ‘Add License’ in On-Premises License Server.

     

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   • Copy server fingerprint data to the clipboard or download it as a file.

     

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   • The fingerprint will download to your local machine.

     

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   • Go to manage.smartbear.com and click 'Export license to on-premise license server'.

     

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   • Add the server fingerprint data and click ‘Download License File’.

     

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   • The license administrator uploads the server fingerprint to the SmartBear Licensing Portal and downloads License File.

     

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   • The license gets exported.

     

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   • The license administrator goes back to On-Premises License Server, and clicks ‘Add License’.

     

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   • The license administrator selects the license file.

     

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   • The license administrator gets the confirmation of successful adding of license.

     

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   • The license administrator may configure and specify how the Server authenticates users and gives license seats to them. There is an option to either enable ‘Access for Everyone’ (no authentication required) or configure for LDAP or Kerberos (authentication required). If authentication is required, the VirtServer user will be required to add an access key to their license installation panel. See more about settings here Configure On-Premise License Manager | License Management Documentation:

     

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   • If authentication is configured for LDAP or Kerberos, the license administrator either must assign the VirtServer Admin a VirtServer license. Or, share the license by a link from the On-Premise License Server so VirtServer Admin can click and accept the license assignment.

     

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   • The user clicks on the link to accept license.

     

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   Note that the On-Premise License Server can handle multiple SmartBear licenses. If you already have it in your network, you can skip the downloading, installation, and configuration steps, and deal with converting and activating the license.

2. User actions

   • Start VirtServer.

   • Log into the WebUI The login URL for VirtServer will depend on where it is installed but will look like this https://localhost:9090/virtserver/#/.

   • Go to Admin/License Administration.

     

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   • Check that there is no license currently installed.

   • Click on ‘Add License’. The following install option will appear.

     • There are 2 scenarios for entering information. Install is greyed out until you enter the minimum information for your scenario.

       

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   • Scenario 1 - Your on-premise installation requires no authentication. License server settings are configured for ‘Access for Everyone’. In VirtServer, you must enter the License Server URL or address provided by your license administrator so that VirtServer can locate the license server and request a license from it. This normally going to look like: license-server-address:port, for example, http://localhost:40892/ or http://192.168.1.20:40892. 40892 is the default port number and you can replace it with another port number if required. Please ensure the port is open for access.

     

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   • Scenario 2 - Your on-premise installation requires authentication. Settings are configured for LDAP or Kerberos. In addition to entering the License Server URL or address, you must also enter an access key available from your on-premise license server. The access key is explained here.

     

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   • In order to get your access key, your license administrator will provide the location and access details for your on-premise license portal. You will log into the on-premise license portal. In the top right corner, select > Access Key and copy the access key in the subsequent dialog:

     You can now enter the access key into the VirtServer panel.

     

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   • Once the required information is entered, click Install to connect to the specified License Server and consume a license seat from it. If authentication is configured, the VirtServer admin should have accepted the license already or it should have been assigned by the license administrator.

Note

• An on-premises license is bound to the computer, where the On-Premise License Server is running, not to user machines.

• There can only be one license installed at any one time on VirtServer. To install a new license, please uninstall your existing license. This also applies to renewal or upgrade and downgrade license scenarios.

• If you are working with a trial license, you can install a new trial or your production license over an installed trial license. This is why you will see Install license shown when a trial license is installed.

• To uninstall the current license, please follow the uninstall instructions.

• In the event of any connection issues with the on-prem license server or your license session is interrupted for some reason, we had introduced a ‘grace period’ to ensure your tests can run without interruption. ‘Grace period’ will start if the connection with the license server is lost or your license is uninstalled and it will keep your virtual services running for up to 8 hours. If the connection with your license server or your license is not restored in this window, VirtServer will uninstall your license and you will need to reinstall your license. You may need to engage with your license administrator to ensure you have a license available before you attempt another installation.