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Overview

ZStack ZSphere License is used to authorize users to operate platform resources. You can understand the license comprehensively from the following dimensions:

Licensing Methods

ZStack ZSphere offers two licensing methods: USB Key licensing and Request Key licensing.
  • USB Key licensing is implemented by preloading the license onto hardware. The licensing process is as follows:
    1. Obtain the USB Key hardware that has the license preloaded.
    2. In a dual management nodes environment, insert the USB Key into any management node to complete the licensing. In a single-node environment, insert it into that management node.
  • Request Key licensing is implemented by uploading a software file. The licensing process is as follows:
    1. Obtain the compressed package file containing the relevant license.
    2. Upload the license file to any management node of ZStack ZSphere to complete the licensing. In a single-node environment, upload it to that management node.

Licensing Agreements

ZStack ZSphere offers three licensing agreements: Basic Edition - Trial, Basic Edition - Paid, and Advanced Edition - Paid. Specific descriptions of the licensing agreements are as follows:
  • Basic Edition - Trial: Allows you to add 1 host for free to trial basic computing virtualization, storage virtualization, and network virtualization functions, with a trial period of 30 days. Official after-sales technical support services are not provided during the trial period. This edition can be used for deploying a testing environment.
  • Basic Edition - Paid: Allows for paid licensing based on physical CPUs or the number of hosts, providing basic computing virtualization, storage virtualization, and network virtualization functions. Official after-sales technical support services are available during the after-sales service period. This edition can be used for deploying a production environment.
  • Advanced Edition - Paid: Allows for paid licensing based on physical CPUs or the number of hosts, providing complete computing virtualization, storage virtualization, and network virtualization functions. Official after-sales technical support services are available during the after-sales service period. This edition can be used for deploying a production environment.
Note: For details on the functional differences provided by different licensing agreements, please consult official sales personnel.

Contact Information for Licensing

  • For purchasing inquiries, email us directly at sales@zstack.io.
  • For license upgrades, updates, or other operational inquiries, contact our technical support at 400-962-2212.

Use License

If you have purchased the required license, you can refer to the following content for using the license, including USB Key licensing and Request Key licensing:

USB Key Licensing

You can refer to the following steps to understand the complete usage process of USB Key license:
  1. Install License
  2. Update License
  3. View Licensing Records

Install License

To install the USB Key license for the first time:
  1. Obtain the USB Key hardware that has the license preloaded.
  2. Insert the USB Key into the management node. In a dual management nodes environment, it can be inserted into either management node.
  3. In the upper left corner of the ZStack ZSphere navigation menu, click System Management > License Management > License to enter the License interface. Check the status of the USB Key to ensure it is Normal.
  4. Click the Synchronize button on the left side of Upload License.
  5. Check the license status to ensure it is Valid, which indicates that the installation is complete.
Note: In environments using USB Key licensing, there will be approximately 2 seconds of information reading time each time you enter the License Management interface, after which the USB Key related information will appear.

Update License

To expand or add licenses:
  1. Insert the USB Key into the management node.
  2. In the upper left corner of the ZStack ZSphere navigation menu, click System Management > License Management > License to enter the License interface. Check the status of the USB Key to ensure it is Normal.
  3. Click Copy USB Key ID, use that ID to apply for the license, and obtain the license file.
  4. Return to the License Management interface, click Upload License, and upload the license file.
  5. Check the license information to ensure all details are correct and that the license status is Valid, indicating that the update is complete.

View Licensing Records

If you have completed the installation or update of the license, you can click the Licensing Record tab on this page to view detailed authorization history, including: upload time, management type, authorization method, authorized item, authorized quota, status, license issuance time, and the expiration time of the license.

Request Key Licensing

You can refer to the following steps to understand the complete usage process of Request Key license:
  1. Install License
  2. Update License
  3. View Licensing Records

Install License

To install the Request Key license for the first time:
  1. Obtain the compressed package file containing the relevant license.
  2. Upload the License file to the management node where the ZStack ZSphere virtual IP is located to complete the authorization. In a single-node deployment, upload it to that management node.
  3. Check the license status to ensure it is Valid, indicating that the installation is complete.

Update License

To expand or add licenses:
  1. In the upper left corner of the ZStack ZSphere navigation menu, click System Management > License Management > License to enter the License interface. Click Download.
  2. Use the request code to apply for and obtain the compressed package file containing the relevant authorization License.
  3. Upload the License file to any management node of the ZStack ZSphere to complete the authorization. In a single-node deployment, upload it to that management node.
  4. Check the license status to ensure it is Valid, indicating that the installation is complete.

View Licensing Records

If you have completed the installation or update of the license, you can click the Licensing Record tab on this page to view detailed authorization history, including: upload time, management type, authorization method, authorized item, authorized quota, status, license issuance time, and the expiration time of the license.

License Status Descriptions

During the use of licenses, different license states may occur. You can learn about them through these chapters:

USB Key Status and Abnormality

The USB Key has the following statuses.
Status Description
Normal (Ready) The USB Key status is displayed as normal when there is only one USB Key inserted into the management node and it is functioning properly.
Removed (Missing) After the USB Key is removed, the status of the USB Key is displayed as removed. At this point, the platform will check whether the current License has expired.
  • If it has expired: The status remains expired after removing the USB Key.
  • If it has not expired, a temporary License will be generated, and the buffer duration will vary based on the removal situation:
    • If it is the first removal, the buffer License duration is 30 days.
    • If it is not the first removal: If the time since the last removal is less than 60 days, it will inherit the expiration time of the previous buffer License; if it is 60 days or more, the buffer License will be updated to 60 days.
    • After removing the USB Key and inserting a new USB Key, the display will reflect the License information of the new USB Key, and the old USB Key's buffer License will become invalid.
Abnormal (Abnormal) In a dual management node environment, if one management node has one USB Key inserted and the other management node has one or more USB Keys inserted, it will lead to an abnormal state. The abnormal status of the USB Key does not affect the authorized usage.
Fault (Fault)

In a dual management node environment, if one management node has multiple USB Keys inserted while the other management node has no USB Key or has multiple USB Keys inserted, it will lead to a USB Key failure.

In a single management node environment, if that management node has multiple USB Keys inserted, it will also lead to a USB Key failure.

Note: When the USB Key status is failed and the buffer License has expired, the authorization cannot be used.

License Status and Alerts

A license has the following statuses.
Status Description
Valid An active platform license is added, and the corresponding position will indicate "Valid".
Expired If the platform license has expired, the corresponding position will indicate "Expired" and the functionality will be unavailable.
If an exception occurs to your license, the platform will remind you accordingly. The details are listed as follows.
Abnormality Details
License to Expire When the remaining validity of the license is less than 15 days or the 7x24 hour after-sales service is within 30 days of expiration, a banner will appear after logging into the platform indicating that it is about to expire.
License Expired When the platform license has expired, logging into the platform will automatically redirect to the License Management interface to remind that it has expired.
Note: If your existing services on the platform are still running normally, do not perform any operations (such as reconnecting hosts/image storage/data storage) to avoid affecting service operation.
Insufficient License Quota When updating the license authorization, if the actual resource usage exceeds the authorized quota, most platform features will be restricted. The specific restriction policies are as follows:
  • You can log into the platform, and you can obtain, refresh, and view resource status.
  • Operations related to reducing quotas are supported, such as deleting hosts, deleting clusters, modifying host status, and deleting virtual machines.
  • Operations related to license management are supported, such as downloading request key, uploading licenses, and deleting licenses.
  • All other operations are restricted.
Note:
  • License authorization includes three methods: CPU sockets, CPU cores, and hosts. Either method leading to actual resource usage exceeding the authorized quota will restrict platform usage.
  • Once the management node is shut down, it cannot be restarted. You can only log into the management node console and update the license via the command-line mode.
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