The default trialware NetBackup license shipped with NetBackup Flex Scale 3.1 has expired on 25th April 2024.

Problem

The default trialware NBU license shipped with NBFS 3.1 has expired on 25th April 2024. Any customers running with the default trialware NBU license will be affected.  

Who is affected: 

1. All customers who are running NBFS 3.1 with default trialware NBU license, with no other valid NBU license key installed. 

2. Any customers trying to configure NBFS 3.1 with default trialware NBU license. 

3. Any customers trying to upgrade to NBFS 3.2 with default trialware NBU license. 

4. Any customers on NBFS 3.0, NBFS 3.0.0.1 with default trialware NBU license. 

Who is not affected: 

NBFS Media server only deployments are not affected by this as the NBU primary is external to the cluster.  

Error Message

Cause

Till NBFS 3.1 (NBU 10.1.1), the NBU license is a string-based license. NBFS used to bundle with a trialware license of that type, which has a validity of one year. Unfortunately, that license ticker starts from the day license is created (not from the day when the license is installed). We used to create a license as close as the release date, so that the license is valid for a maximum period. For NBFS 3.1, that license expired on 25th April 2024. Thus, if the customer has not installed an additional valid NBU license on top of the default license, they will start facing service unavailability.  Please note in NBU 10.1.1, NBU doesn’t raise any alerts if license is going to expire, or it has expired. NBU Web UI also doesn’t provide any information about license, neither does it provide an interface to add a license. 

NBFS provides a mechanism through which user can provide NBU license key. In case user hasn’t provided any then only trialware license is used. Following are the kind of problems that may be faced: 

1. Cluster configuration with NBFS 3.1

• If there is no valid license during initial configuration, initial configuration fails at a pretty late stage, and we need to factory reset (possible from GUI itself) the nodes before attempting re-configuration. Unless a valid license key is provided, configuration will keep on failing.

2.  Already configured NBFS 3.1 setup: 

• If the cluster is already configured, then when the license expires, NBU primary server services will be impacted. This may cause jobs to fail and NBU primary server to stop running. If we try to restart primary server when there is no valid license, that server won’t start.  

• To add a new license, use the same procedure listed in Solution: 2.b below. 

3. Upgrade to NBFS 3.2: 

• We do have pre-checks in upgrade to validate existing license key. Hence, upgrade can not be performed unless valid license key is added. 

• To add a new license, use the same procedure listed in Solution: 2.b below. 

4. Already configured NBFS 3.0/NBFS 3.0.0.1 setups: 

• The trialware license shipped with these older versions of the product have also expired. Thus, any customer running with that license will face unavailability of NetBackup primary service. They need to install the new valid license using the same method mentioned in Solution: 2.b below

Solution

1. Cluster configuration: 

a. Use the “license_key” field in YAML to provide the new valid license key. 

b. If you are using the UI to configure cluster, use the “NetBackup licenses” field in “Licenses” tab to enter the new valid license key. 

2. Already configured cluster: 

     a. If NBU web UI is accessible, use the Cluster Management > Cluster Settings > License Management > NetBackup Licenses > Add license option to add license. 

b. Alternatively, if a setup is in such state that NBU web UI and NBU JAVA UI is not accessible, follow these steps to install a new license: 

• ssh to NBU primary server’s IP/FQDN. 

• use the command line to install the new valid license.  

• NBU services will need a restart after new license has been added. This can be done executing ‘service start NetBackup’.