Technical data

124 FastIron Ethernet Switch Administration Guide
53-1002637-02
Licensing rules
4
Licensing rules for FCX and ICX 6610 devices
The following licensing rules apply to FCX and ICX 6610 devices for software-based licensing. To
describe the behavior for running software-based licensing in an FCX traditional stack, the
FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license is used as an example.
NOTE
For FCX and ICX 6610 devices, the behavior for running software-based licensing with different
licenses (Premium, Advance, or Upgrade licenses) is the same. One license allows multiple protocols
to run in a stack. All units must have a separate license to run the same licensed feature in a stack.
If all units do not have the same license, the Active controller cannot enable the licensed feature on
the stack. If a member unit without a license joins a stack, the Active controller must make sure that
no protocols are enabled in a stack before putting a member unit into full operational state.
• Each stack unit in an FCX traditional stack must have a separate software license for the same
licensed feature. For example, if there are eight units in a traditional stack, eight separate
licenses must be purchased to run the licensed features in the stack. If there is any unit in a
stack without the FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license, the Active controller cannot run the licensed
features on the stack.
• For example, to run BGP on the stack, the router bgp command must enabled through the CLI
on the Active controller. If the Active controller does not have the FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license, the
user cannot configure the router bgp command at the CLI level.
• If the Active controller has the FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license, and the router bgp command is
enabled at the CLI level, the system checks all operational units to verify that each unit has the
FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license. Only if all the operational units have the FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license will
the licensed feature run in the stack.
• If any unit does not have the FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license, the router bgp command is rejected and
the licensed feature cannot run in the stack. For example, the following error message is
displayed on the console.
Brocade(config)#router bgp
Error! cannot run BGP because unit 2 has no FCX-ADV license
• If the Active controller is running BGP (and all other licensed features if enabled), and a unit
without the FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license joins the stack, the unit is put into a non-operational state.
If a user copies the FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license to a non-operational unit, it takes effect
immediately and the unit becomes operational. If the operational unit has a higher priority
than the current Standby controller, the unit replaces the existing Standby controller and
becomes the new Standby controller. This behavior applies to all cases in which a
non-operational unit becomes operational.
• If a user disables BGP from the stack, the Active controller puts all non-operational units in the
operational state. The Active controller and the Standby controller must have the same
non-operational units. When the Standby controller receives the runtime configuration from
the Active controller, the Standby controller must update the state of every unit (operational or
non-operational state).
• If a user deletes the FCX-ADV-LIC-SW license in any stack unit, the Active controller does not
change the unit to the non-operational state regardless of running BGP or not. Even if a new
election algorithm change occurs, an operational unit is not changed to a non-operational unit.
The stack continues its BGP running state. The stack cannot run BGP again after the user
disables BGP, or after a reload.