Novell Licensing Services (NLS)---Software components and technology that provide a balance between your company's need to manage and access license units and a software manufacturer's need for enforcement of licensing requirements.
NLS consists of the following components:
- License Service Providers (LSPs)
- NLS clients
- eDirectory objects (License Service Provider objects, License Certificate objects, and License Container objects)
License Service Provider (LSP)---Licensing software that you install and run on NetWare® servers. This software is contained in the NLSLSP.NLM program running on a NetWare 4.11 or later server.
An license service provider provides the actual licensing service. It handles requests from NLS clients and maintains the license certificates, which are stored within eDirectory.
When you install NetWare and licensing certificates, NLS
- Installs the license service provider software on the server
- Creates an License Service Provider object (NLS_LSP_servername) in the eDirectory tree
You can also use NetWare Deployment Manager to accomplish these two tasks.
IMPORTANT: You must have an license service provider running on a server with a writable replica of each partition. This requirement applies to partitions that contain---or will contain---License Certificate objects. If a partition does not---or will not---contain a license certificate, that partition does not require a server running an license service provider.
The replica can be a master or read/write replica. You can run license service providers on other servers without replicas as long as they can communicate with the license service provider that has a writable replica. The server with the writable replica can make changes to the eDirectory database on the other server's behalf.
NLS_LSP_servername---An object in eDirectory.
This object's existence in the tree is one indication that NLS is configured to run on a server and that a server is a license service provider.
Both the NetWare server installation software and NetWare Deployment Manager install the license service provider software on the server and create a corresponding License Service Provider object (NLS_LSP_servername) in the eDirectory tree.
License service provider objects are created in the same context as the server running the license service provider software (NLSLSP.NLM). The License Service Provider object stores configuration information about an license service provider running on the server: a transaction database name, information about how to search for a license certificate (whether to search to the partition root or to the root of the tree), notifications concerning unlicensed access and service problems, and other associated data.
NLS adds an attribute on the NCP Server object. This attribute points to the license service provider so that NLS has a link between the NCPTM Server object and the license service provider.
NLS client---Software that requests licensing services from license service providers.
An NLS client runs on client workstations and on NetWare servers. (The client can run on either a workstation or a server or on both the workstation and the server.) This software supports 32-bit Windows* and NetWare Loadable ModuleTM (NLMTM) platforms. When you install NLS on a server, all of the files that enable an application to use NLS are copied to the SYS:\PUBLIC and SYS:\SYSTEM directories on the server.
Other than the client software, no additional files need to be installed on client workstations. Applications written to use NLS load client libraries that communicate with NLS components running on a NetWare server.
If a 32-bit Windows NLS client has an existing connection to a NetWare server running an license service provider, the client communicates directly with the license service provider. If the client does not already have a connection to a server running an license service provider, the client searches from the server's context upward in the eDirectory tree for an license service provider.
An NLM client does not search. It simply examines the current connection.
See Examples of NLS Clients for more information.
License unit---A component of a license certificate.
When you purchase a product, you purchase one or more license units for it. For example, a 100 Additive User License for Novell BorderManagerTM Firewall Services 3 contains 100 license units, allowing 100 users to access BorderManager services.
NLS supports digital license units that are available from installed License Certificate objects. NLS also supports metered license certificates that are managed through ZENworksTM functionality.
License certificates are installed from files. Typical filename extensions are
- .NLF (for NetWare, BorderManager, and other Novell products)
- .CLS (for NetWare for Small Business)
- .KEY (activation keys)
IMPORTANT: A license unit or a license certificate is not the license itself. Licenses are specified in your license agreement. Although NLS helps you stay in compliance with the license agreement, you are bound by the terms and conditions of your software agreement.
License Certificate object---An object in eDirectory; represents a license certificate.
License certificates correspond to the printed license statement that is typically included in the packaging for software products. The icon for a License Certificate object looks like a single sheet of paper representing a license certificate. When you view the object in iManage, the object typically displays the serial number or certificate name, as shown below:
Certificates can be secure or unsecure:
- A license certificate is a digital license that is secured by secrets. For additional security, NetWare license certificates are digitally signed. They cannot be modified. License certificates usually come from a software vendor.
- A metered certificate does not have secrets; it is an unsecure license certificate. ZENworks functions as the NLS client and requests license units on behalf of applications. Metered certificates are usually created by network administrators.
NLS creates a License Certificate object when you install license certificates for NLS-enabled applications or when you create metered certificates.
When you install or create a license certificate, you choose the context (location in an eDirectory tree) for this object.
License certificates contain policies and are managed by a policy manager.
Activation Key---A sequence of numbers and letters; allows you to complete the installation of a license certificate for a product you purchased.
All license certificates require an activation key. Software vendors usually include the activation key in a .KEY file along with the certificate. This combination enables the Activation Key to be installed automatically during installation. However, if the installation program can't locate an Activation Key, a prompt allows you to enter it.
Envelope---An .NLF file that contains one or more license certificates; a convenient way of packaging multiple license certificates to be distributed as a single file.
Because multiple license certificates can exist in an envelope, envelopes allow you to install several license certificates at the same time. Envelopes can contain an embedded activation key for license certificates.
A sample envelope file is 4234171D.NLF.
License Container object---An object in eDirectory; contains one or more License Certificate objects.
A License Container object is a special container object in eDirectory. (Other container objects include [Root] or Tree, Country, Organization, and Organizational Unit.)
License Container objects are named using publisher, product, and version. For example, Corel* WordPerfect* version 9 could appear as follows in a tree:
When you install a license certificate or create a metered certificate, NLS creates a License Container object and a License Certificate object. (If a license container already exists, NLS places the additional license certificate in that existing container.)
Using iManage, you can view License Container objects as they appear in the eDirectory tree.
Licensing model---The way a vendor allows its customers to use its licensed products.
NLS can support many models of licensing. For example:
- Nonconcurrent connections in BorderManager
- Server Connection Licensing (SCL) in NetWare 4 and NetWare 5
- User Access Licensing (UAL) for Novell Cluster ServicesTM and NetWare 6
For information about the licensing model for the product that you use, refer to the product-specific documentation.
Policy---An electronic representation of a term or condition in your license agreement. Policies are contained in license certificates. For example, a certificate for a company could include the following tags for policies:
- Each license unit is consumable.
- Each license unit allows nodal reuse. (A user can use it multiple times from different workstations.)
- The certificate does not require an license service provider assignment.
- Duplicate certificates can be installed (an important tag for Master License Agreement accounts).
- The certificate is an evaluation license certificate.
- The certificate has a soft stop. (The policy allows users to use the service even though a license unit is not available. However, a network administrator receives notification that the company is out of compliance.)
- The certificate uses secrets.
- The certificate is digitally signed.
A policy is tied to a license certificate and a policy manager, not to the licensing service. A policy can be flexible, simply by changing (or replacing) a license certificate.
Policy Manager (Gatekeeper)---Code that makes decisions based on requests from a licensing service.
A policy manager
- Is part of the application
- Makes the application NLS-enabled
- Requests licenses from NLS
- Receives responses from NLS regarding availability of license units
- Decides whether to grant access to certain program functionality
- Informs the license service provider when a license unit is no longer being used
- Contains mechanisms (policy) for handling errors concerning failed requests for license units
Each NLS-enabled product has its own policy manager. The policy manager for NetWare differs from the policy manager for BorderManager. Both of these policy managers differ from the policy manager for a third-party software manufacture's application.
Because each application or service supports a different policy, you might have many policy managers running on a network.
Notification---A message that informs you about the licensing service or a problem concerning your compliance with the terms and conditions licensing agreement.
System Alert notifications inform a designated person that one of the following has occurred:
- An eDirectory communication error related to the licensing service
- An eDirectory schema error related to the licensing service
- A transaction logging error
Out of Compliance notifications inform a designated person that your company is out of compliance with the terms and conditions of your licensing agreement.
By default, the designated person is whoever installs the license certificate. You can modify (change, delete, add) objects that receive notifications. Multiple network users or groups can receive notifications.
Notifications are sent through the NetWare Broadcast utility and (optionally) SNMP.
Unlicensed access---An allowance beyond the number of license units purchased.
Software manufacturers can allow unlicensed access (a grace condition) on their license certificates. This functionality allows users to continue using the product while you purchase and install more license certificates.
NOTE: Unlicensed access does not grant licenses. The terms and conditions of your license agreement specify how the product is to be used.
To see how a product handles unlicensed access, refer to the product-specific documentation.
Stop---A policy in a License Certificate object.
- A hard stop policy informs users that they are out of compliance with the terms and conditions of the license agreement. A hard stop prevents users from accessing a license unit. The hard stop could result from all available license units already being in use.
NOTE: NLS is a service. The terms and conditions of your license agreement determine how the product is to be used.
- A soft stop policy informs users that they are out of compliance but allows them to continue using license units under certain conditions.
- A no stop policy ignores situations in which no license units are available. NLS keeps track of the overage by logging the noncompliance, but does not inform or warn the user.