How to Install and Apply NetScaler Flex Licensing

Provision  NetScaler Console Service 

If you will use the NetScaler Console Service instead of the NetScaler Console, you must have a NetScaler Console Service to add the licenses. Ensure you provision the NetScaler Console Service before getting started.  

The NetScaler Console Service will need to be connected to a NetScaler Console Agent running in the region or data center that the NetScalers to be licensed can communicate with. Below is a diagram of the required port communication between the NetScaler to be licensed and the NetScaler Console or Agent.  

Installing the NetScaler Console Agent

To install the agent:

1. Login to the NetScaler Console Service.
2. Navigate to Infrastructure, Agents and select “Set Up Agent”(note: the green dot indicating “LSA” shown here in the GUI is confusing. All agents in this screenshot are licensing agents in their respective regions so they are all LSAs. This is a bug that can be safely ignored)
3. On the next screen, select “Get started.”

1. Choose “Custom Deployment”
2. Then select “On-Premises” and choose Next
   
3. Then select “Traditional/Tiered” and choose next
4. Then, choose “On a Hypervisor (On Premises)” and select Next  
   
5. Select the appropriate Hypervisor and download the image.
6. Use the hypervisor console to import the image and start it.
7. Open a console on the image 
8. A screen will show for the networking configuration. If it does not, you can log in to the console (Default username is nsrecover, default password is nsroot) and run “networkconfig”  
   
9. Upon completion, run deployment_type.py 
10. Follow the prompts to fill in the site url and activation code. The Agent will have you change the default password and restart the agent service. Once this is complete, select next on the NetScaler Console Service screen.  
11. If you are going to be using the agent for telemetry as well as licensing, you can add them next, otherwise, you can choose “Skip”
12. Once the agent is in place, you can proceed with Licensing.
    

    Licensing a NetScaler VPX/CPX/BLX using a NetScaler Console Agent

The licensing procedure is similar whether you are licensing via the Agent or an on-premises NetScaler Console.

1. You will need to add the licenses in the NetScaler Console or NetScaler Console Service.
   
2. 
3. Once you have imported your licenses, you can switch to the NetScaler VPX Instance GUI.
4. Navigate to “System”, and then “Licenses.”
5. Choose “Manage Licenses”
6. Choose “Add New Licenses”

   

7. Change the selection to “Use Remote Licensing” an input the 10 address of the NetScaler Console/NetScaler Console Agent. The Username and Password are required, but will cause an error. You can safely ignore this error.
   
8. Once it has given the failed error, click “OK” and wait as it queries the license server.
   
9. You will need to wait a little bit, and you will see a “Requesting Licenses…” show in the lower right corner. Then, a popup screen will show asking you to allocate the licenses. Choose “Get Licenses”
   
10. Assign the bandwidth required and choose “Get Licenses”
11. You will be prompted to perform a warm reboot.
    
12. Once you have rebooted, the licensing will show as allocated.
    
13. Once allocated, in the future, bandwidth can be changed etc. without requiring a reboot.

Allocating the bandwidth portion of the license for physical appliances is performed similarly. Zero Capacity licenses must also be added to license the physical hardware. This is not covered in this post but could be covered in the future if needed.  

Links:

https://docs.netscaler.com/en-us/netscaler-application-delivery-management-software/current-release/license-server/adm-as-a-global-license-server.html

https://docs.netscaler.com/en-us/netscaler-application-delivery-management-software/current-release/licensing.html