You must install valid licenses for services and features to function properly in your Infoblox Grid. Different license types that are available are discussed in this topic. You can choose to obtain licenses for the desired features and services, and install them as static, dynamic, or Grid-wide licenses, depending on your network and business requirements.
After you install your licenses, you can monitor them through Grid Manager. Licenses are listed on the Grid tab -> Licenses tab. Grid Manager also displays the number of licenses that have expired and those that are expiring within the next 30 and 90 days respectively.

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After you have set up or pre-provisioned a physical appliance or vNIOS virtual appliance, obtain the hardware ID or the virtual host hardware ID in case of a vNIOS virtual appliance:

1. Log in to the NIOS CLI, or open a terminal session for the VM and open the NIOS CLI.

2. Run the show hwid command as shown in the following example:
   nios-vm-ib-1420-gm > show hwid
Hardware ID: 564d41e13a1cc55affb9bad4e3b5c48a
   Copy and paste the Hardware ID value for convenience.
   
   You can also run a show license command to obtain the same information:
   nios-vm-ib-1420-gm > show license
Version : 6.11.0-248090
Hardware ID : 564d41e13a1cc55affb9bad4e3b5c48a 

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To obtain permanent static licenses from Infoblox:

1. Log in to the support portal (https://support.infoblox.com) using Google Chrome for best performance.

2. Click My Products.
   An overview page that contains the list of appliance (hosts) maintenance contracts, software entitlements (assigned and unassigned) and subscriptions is displayed.

3. For partners only: In the Select Account drop-down list, select the account for which you want to obtain licenses.

4. To obtain the license for a new VM:

   1. Click Create Virtual Host.

   2. In the Create Virtual Host dialog box, enter the virtual host hardware ID and choose the license technology as DDI (for NIOS and BloxOne) or NetMRI. 

   3. Click Save & Assign Software.
      The Manage Software of Host <host name> page is displayed for the host you created.

   4. In the Software available to be assigned to Host section, enter the quantity to be assigned in the Qty to Assign field of the applicable license.

   5. Click Assign Software to assign the licenses.
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   6. Click the Download License Keys button to download the licenses.

5. To obtain the license for a new physical appliance:

   1. Click the Hosts tab.

   2. In the search box, enter criteria to search for your appliance.

   3. In the Manage column of your appliance, select Manage Software from the drop-down list.
      The Manage Software of Host <host name> page is displayed.

   4. Assign licenses to the appliance or unassign them if not needed:

      1. In the Software available to be assigned to Host section, enter the quantity to be assigned in the Qty to Assign field of the applicable license, and click Assign Software.

      2. In the Software currently assigned to Host section, enter the quantity to be unassigned in the Qty to Unassign field of the applicable license, and click Unassign Software.

   5. Click the Download License Keys button to download the licenses.

6. To obtain the license for an existing physical or a virtual appliance for which you are unsure of license entitlements or want to obtain a new listing of your license keys:

   1. Click the Hosts tab.

   2. In the search box, enter criteria to search for your appliance.

   3. In the Manage column of your appliance, select Download License Keys from the drop-down list.

   4. Additionally, you may assign or unassign licenses and download them from the Manage Software for Host <host name> page as explained in step 5.

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• To download the license information for an individual appliance, click Download License Keys that is available on the My Products tab -> Hosts tab -> drop-down list, or on the Manage Software for Host <host name> page.

• To download the DDI license information for all your appliances at a time, click Download All DDI License Keys that is available on the My Products tab -> Hosts tab.

In the Download License Keys dialog that opens, complete the following steps:

1. Select between TXT or CSV format.

2. Click Download.
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3. In the Save as dialog, choose the location where you want to save the file.

4. Click Save.

Managing Dynamic Licenses

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When you purchase licenses for specific features and services, you may deploy the licenses as dynamic licenses. License information is stored in a license file with the following information for each license: LSN-P (License Serial Number - Proxy), LK-P (License Key Proxy, LSN (License Serial Number) and LK (License Key). License keys are generated based on the LPC_UID (License Pool Container Unique ID) of the Grid Master. You must first obtain the LPC_UID of the Grid, also called the Grid license UID from the Grid Master and then contact Infoblox Technical Support to obtain dynamic licenses.
Infoblox stores information related to dynamic licenses in a license file. When you install dynamic licenses, you must upload the entire license file to the Grid Master, as described in the AddingPermanentorSubscriptionLicenses section.
To obtain dynamic licenses:

1. Log in to Grid Manager and obtain the LPC_UID from the Grid Master:

   1. From the Grid tab, select the Licenses tab -> Pool tab, and then click Export All Licenses in the Toolbar.

   2. Save the CSV file.

   3. Open the CSV file. The LPC_UID is displayed in the SIGNATURE row. Copy this ID. You will need this ID when contacting Infoblox Technical Support.
      Note that you can also use the show license_pool_container CLI command to display the LPC_UID.

2. Contact Infoblox Technical Support or your Infoblox representative to obtain the dynamic licenses.

Manually Allocating Dynamic Licenses

To allocate a particular feature license to a NIOS member:

1. From the Grid tab, select the Licenses tab -> Pool tab.

2. Select the feature license and click the Action icon Image Modified next to the license, and then select Allocate from the list.

3. In the Allocate Pool Licenses dialog, click Select Member Node.

4. From the Member Selector, click the FQDN of the NIOS member on which you want to install the feature license. The appliance displays the member in the To this member: field.

5. Click Allocate to install this license on the selected member or click Cancel to cancel this action.
   NIOS allocates the license and adjusts the numbers in the Assigned and Available fields in the Pool tab.

Manually Deallocating Dynamic Licenses

To deallocate a particular feature license from a NIOS member:

1. From the Grid tab, select the Licenses tab -> Member tab.

2. Select the license and click the Action icon next to the checkbox, and then select Deallocate from the list.

3. In the Deallocate Pool Licenses dialog, select the licenses you want to deallocate from the Pool Licenses table.

4. Click Deallocate to remove the license(s) from the member(s) or click Cancel to cancel this action.
   NIOS deallocates the license from the respective members and adjusts the numbers in the Assigned and Available fields on the Pool tab.

Manually Revoking Dynamic Licenses

To remove a particular feature license from the pool:

1. From the Grid tab, select the Licenses tab -> Pool tab.

2. Select the feature license and click the Action icon next to the checkbox, and then select Revoke from the list.

3. In the Remove Licenses dialog, click the Number field and enter the number of licenses you want to remove for the selected license type.

4. Click Remove Licenses to remove the license(s) or click Cancel to cancel this action.
   NIOS removes the license(s) and adjusts the numbers in the Assigned and Available fields on the Pool tab.

Managing Grid-wide Licenses

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• Grid (enterprise)

• Unbound

• DNS Cache Acceleration

• DNS

• DHCP

• DNS Traffic Control

• Response Policy Zone

• Software ADP

• Threat Protection Update

• DNSFW

• NXDOMAIN Redirect

• FireEye

• Threat Analytics

• Security Ecosystem

• Captive Portal

• Microsoft Management

• Cloud Network Automation (only if IB-FLEX is used as a Grid Master).

For more information, see About IB-FLEX. After you install the Flex Grid Activation license, you can view it on the Grid tab -> Licenses tab -> Grid Wide tab of Grid Manager.

You can install the Flex Grid Activation license on a Grid Master even if IB-FLEX is not a part of the Grid, but this license is effective only for an IB-Flex member. The Infoblox License Portal allows you to acquire any number of Flex Grid Activation license keys for each individual Grid. To install a temporary license, use the set temp_license CLI command.

About the Flex Grid Activation for Managed Services License

Flex Grid Activation for Managed Services is a combination of all existing Infoblox licenses that you can implement as a NIOS Grid-wide license. If you install this license, you do not need to install each license separately. The Flex Grid Activation for Managed Services license comprises the following licenses: 

• Grid

• Unbound

• DNS Cache Acceleration

• DNS

• DHCP

• DNS Traffic Control

• Response Policy Zone

• NXDOMAIN Redirection

• Dual Engine DNS  (only for recursive DNS)

• Software Threat Protection

• Threat Protection Update

• Threat Analytics

• Security Ecosystem

• Microsoft Management

• Cloud Network Automation (applies only to the IB-FLEX Grid Master)

You can install the Flex Grid Activation for Managed Services license only on a Grid Master or a standalone appliance. To install a temporary license, use the set temp_license CLI command.

Obtaining Grid-wide Licenses

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To obtain Grid-wide licenses:

1. Log in to Grid Manager and obtain the license UID of the Grid Master as follows:

   1. From the Grid tab, select the Licenses tab -> Grid Wide tab, and then click Export All Licenses from the Toolbar.

   2. Save the CSV file.

   3. Open the CSV file. The UID is displayed in the SIGNATURE row. Copy this ID. You will need this ID when contacting Infoblox Technical Support.
      Note that to obtain the UID of the Grid, you can use the show license_uid command on the Grid Master. For more information, refer to the Infoblox CLI Guide.

2. Contact Infoblox Technical Support or your Infoblox representatives to obtain the Grid-wide licenses.

Adding Permanent or Subscription Licenses

To add permanent or subscription licenses:

1. From the Grid tab, select the Licenses tab -> Member tab or Pool tab or Grid Wide tab and click the Add icon.

2. Do one of the following:

   • Upload License File: Use this method to upload static, dynamic, and Grid-wide license files. Click Select File, navigate to the license file, and click Open.

   • Paste License(s): Paste the license key in this text field. You must paste the entire string in CSV format: serial number, hardware ID, license type, end date (in the mm/dd/yyyy format), and license string. If you are pasting multiple licenses, start each string on a new line. For example, 564daaa3ef07e648a563434a2b412834,564daaa3ef07e648a563434a2b412834,DNS,12/05/2018,EwAAADU+PZEOjFsMAXxw4nlfHyZ6tdw

3. Click Save License(s).
   The appliance validates the license and adds it to the table. Close the browser window and log in to Grid Manager. If you are activating licenses for an HA pair, you must follow this procedure for both nodes.

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Use the set temp_license command to generate and install temporary licenses. This can provide licensed features and functionality for the interim, while you wait for your permanent license to arrive.
To generate a temporary license:

1. Log in to the NIOS appliance through a remote console window.
   For more information on how to open a remote console window, refer to the Infoblox CLI Guide.

2. At the Infoblox command prompt, enter set temp_license.
   The appliance lists the available licenses, and you select those you need.

3. Enter the number of licenses you want to install.

4. Confirm the selection when prompted, and the following message appears:
   Temporary license is installed.

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To view the information about active licenses, including static and dynamic licenses that are currently assigned or allocated to NIOS and vNIOS appliances:

1. Log in to Grid Manager on the Grid Master or System Manager on an independent appliance.

2. Select the Grid or System tab -> Licenses tab -> Member tab. The appliance displays the following information:

   • Type of License: The license category. This can be Static, Dynamic, Grid Wide, or Paid NIOS. Static licenses are individual licenses you obtain and are currently assigned to specific appliances. These licenses are tied to specific hardware IDs and you cannot deallocate them. Dynamic licenses are pooled licenses that support the Elastic Scaling feature, which enables central tracking, granting, and management of NIOS feature licenses for vNIOS entities in the Grid. You can manually allocate and deallocate dynamic licenses. When installed, Grid-wide licenses are replicated to all members in the Grid. The currently supported Grid-wide licenses are Security Ecosystem, Reporting Subscription, RPZ, Flex Grid Activation, and FireEye. Paid NIOS represents the pay-as-you-go licensing model for vNIOS virtual appliances. In the AWS Marketplace, when you use the Paid NIOS model to launch the vNIOS for AWS virtual appliance, the virtual appliance comes pre-installed with the following permanent licenses: vNIOS, Grid, DNS, and CNA (Cloud Network Automation). As long as the virtual appliance is up and running, you can use the NIOS features that these licenses provide. You cannot add, delete, import, or export Paid NIOS licenses. For information about the Paid NIOS in AWS Marketplace, refer to the Installation Guide for vNIOS for AWS.

   • Feature: Indicates the features for which the license was installed. For example, if the license was installed for DNS service, this shows DNS.

   • Name: The FQDN of the appliance.

   • HA: Indicates whether the appliance is an HA pair.

   • IPv4 Address: The IPv4 address of the appliance, if applicable.

   • IPv6 Address: The IPv6 address of the appliance, if applicable.

   • Hardware ID: The unique hardware ID of the appliance. The ID is highlighted in red if the license on the appliance was removed.

   • Serial Number: The serial number of the appliance.

   • Type Context: Depending on the license type, this field displays the attribute (such as Model) that the license controls. This field is blank if the license does not control any attribute type. This field can display one of the following:

     • Leases: Indicates that this DHCP license supports a specific number of DHCP leases. The number of leases supported is displayed in the Type Details field.

     • Model: Indicates that this vNIOS license supports a specific vNIOS virtual appliance model. The model supported is displayed in the Type Details field.

     • Tier: Indicates various levels of performance limits on the DNS cache acceleration license of the Infoblox-4030 appliance. This is only applicable to the Infoblox-4030 appliance.

   • Type Details: Information about the attribute type that the license monitors. This field can display the following information for each attribute:

     • Leases: The number of DHCP leases that the DHCP license supports.

     • Model: The model of the NIOS virtual appliance, such as IB-V1410 or IB-V2215.

     • Tier: The performance limit value of an Infoblox-4030 appliance with DNS Cache Acceleration, such as Tier-1 for full capacity (up to 1M qps), Tier-2 for high (up to 600K qps), Tier-3 for base (up to 300K qps) performance limits, and Tier-4 (up to 150K qps). This is only applicable to the Infoblox-4030 appliance.

   • Expiration: The expiration date of the license.

   • Replaced Hardware ID: The hardware ID of the appliance whose license was removed.

Viewing Dynamic Licenses

You can install dynamic licenses on the Grid Master for future vNIOS appliance deployments. When you install dynamic licenses, the Grid Master stores them in a license pool. You can view these licenses and evaluate license usage for vNIOS virtual appliances.
For a particular feature, such as DNS or DHCP, Grid Manager displays dynamic licenses in sub pools so that you can view the number of permanent licenses, the number of licenses that are expiring on a particular date, and those that are expired. NIOS highlights the licenses that are going to expire soon using a yellow background. Licenses that are approaching expiry are highlighted with a pink background.

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To view dynamic licenses in the pool and their usage information:

1. Log in to Grid Manager on the Grid Master.

2. Select the Grid tab -> Licenses tab -> Pool tab. The appliance displays the following information:

   • Feature: The feature for which you have obtained the license.

   • Installed: The number of licenses that have been installed for the specified feature.

   • Assigned: The number of licenses currently allocated to vNIOS virtual appliances.

   • Available: The number of licenses that are currently available for the specified feature.

   • License Model: For vNIOS license only. Indicates the model type of the vNIOS virtual appliance. Note that the vNIOS license you install on the vNIOS appliance must match the appliance model. You can use vNIOS license that has a higher capacity on a vNIOS appliance that has a smaller capacity, but not vice versa. For example, you can install a CP-V1400 license on a CP-V800 or CP-V1400 appliance, but not on a CP-V2200.

   • Limit Context: Depending on the license type, this field displays the attribute (such as Model) that the license controls. This field is blank if the license does not control any attribute type. This field can display one of the following:

     • Leases: Indicates that this DHCP license supports a specific number of DHCP leases. The number of leases supported is displayed in the Type Details field.

     • Model: Indicates that this vNIOS license supports a specific vNIOS virtual appliance model. The model supported is displayed in the Type Details field.

     • Tier: Indicates various levels of performance limits on the DNS cache acceleration license of the Infoblox-4030 appliance. This is only applicable to the Infoblox-4030 appliance.

   • Limit Value: Information about the attribute type that the license monitors. This field can display the following information for each attribute:

     • Leases: The number of DHCP leases that the DHCP license supports.

     • Model: The model of the vNIOS virtual appliance, such as IB-V410 or IB-V2215.

     • Tier: The performance limit value of an Infoblox-4030 appliance with DNS Cache Acceleration, such as Tier-1 for full capacity (up to 1M qps), Tier-2 for high (up to 600K qps), and Tier-3 for base (up to 300K qps) performance limits. This is only applicable to the Infoblox-4030 appliance.

   • Expiration: The expiration date and time of the license. It displays Permanent for permanent licenses and Expired for licenses that expired.

3. Click the arrow mark next to the checkbox of a specific feature to view the list of licenses and their respective expiration dates.

Viewing Grid-wide Licenses

Grid Manager displays the licenses that are configured for the respective Grid. To view Grid-wide licenses:

1. Log in to Grid Manager on the Grid Master.

2. Select the Grid tab -> Licenses tab -> Grid Wide tab. The appliance displays the following information:

   • Feature: The feature for which you have obtained the license.

   • Limit Context: Depending on the license type, this field displays the attribute (such as Model) that the license controls. This field is blank if the license does not control any attribute type. This field can display one of the following:

     • Leases: Indicates that this DHCP license supports a specific number of DHCP leases. The number of leases supported is displayed in the Type Details field.

     • Model: Indicates that this vNIOS license supports a specific vNIOS virtual appliance model. The model supported is displayed in the Type Details field.

     • Tier: Indicates various levels of performance limits on the DNS cache acceleration license of the Infoblox-4030 appliance. This is only applicable to the Infoblox-4030 appliance.

   • Limit Value: Information about the attribute type that the license monitors. This field can display the following information for each attribute:

     • Leases: The number of DHCP leases that the DHCP license supports.

     • Model: The model of the vNIOS virtual appliance, such as IB-V1410 or IB-V2215.

     • Tier: The performance limit value of an Infoblox-4030 appliance with DNS Cache Acceleration, such as Tier-1 for full capacity (up to 1M qps), Tier-2 for high (up to 600K qps), and Tier-3 for base (up to 300K qps) performance limits. This is only applicable to the Infoblox-4030 appliance.

   • Expiration: The expiration date and time of the license. It displays Permanent for permanent licenses.

You can do the following:

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When you back up the licenses, Grid Manager creates a CSV file that lists the following information for each license: serial number, hardware ID, license type, end date, and license string.
To back up licenses:

1. From the Grid tab, select the Licenses tab.

2. Click Export All Licenses in the toolbar. Grid Manager generates a CSV file that contains all the licenses. Depending on the browser you use, you can then open the file or save it to a specified location.

Removing Licenses

You can remove licenses and reset a NIOS appliance to its factory default settings. For example, if you have a NIOS appliance running the DNSone package with the Grid upgrade, but you want to use it as an independent appliance, you can remove the Grid license. Infoblox recommends that you back up licenses before removing them, in case you decide to re-install them at a future time.
When you remove a Grid-wide license, the licensed feature is deactivated on all the members that is affected by the license. On the other hand, when you remove a Grid member from the Grid, the member no longer has the ability to run the feature associated with the Grid-wide license now that is it not part of the Grid.

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To remove an active license:

1. From the Grid tab, select the Licenses tab -> Member tab or Grid Widetab.

2. Select the license and click the Delete icon.
   Check the license that you are about to remove. Note that removing the wrong license can render an appliance unusable.

3. Click Yes when the confirmation dialog appears.

4. Close the browser window and log in to the Infoblox GUI.

NIOS Licenses

The following table lists NIOS licenses and the behavior when the subscription licenses expire:

Licenses that are bundled with multiple licenses:

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