Obtain and Install StorNext Licenses without a GUI

For File System installations, or in instances where there is no available StorNext GUI, StorNext license keys for the system can be installed manually.

In order to receive a license file (license.dat) to enable StorNext features or capacity, you will need the following:

Example: ECF4BCEECC0E linux 0 xcellis13

The table below provides information regarding which configurations require one cvfsid string or two cvfsid strings.

Configurations Requiring One cvfsid String Configurations Requiring Two cvfsid Strings
  • Customer-configured MDC without an HA license
  • Xcellis Workflow Extender
  • G300
  • Xcellis Workflow Director (single-node systems only)
  • Artico (single-node systems only)
  • Xcellis Foundation (single-node systems only)
  • aiWARE for Xcellis Standard and High Performance
  • Customer-configured MDC with an HA license
  • Xcellis Workflow Director (dual-node systems only)
  • Xcellis Foundation (dual-node systems only)
  • Artico (dual-node systems only)
  • aiWARE for Xcellis Embedded
  • Pro Solutions
  • M660
  • M440
  • M330
  1. Visit the Quantum License Key Management page at https://www.quantum.com/licensekeys. If you cannot access the web page or need additional help, contact Quantum Support at https://www.quantum.com/ServiceandSupport.
  2. Enter your serial number in the Serial Number field.
  3. Click Submit. The license(s) associated with the serial number you entered in Step 2 are displayed in the License Details section.

Note: If you have not previously entered a cvfsid for the serial number, enter the strings in the CVFSID 1 or CVFSID 2 fields and then click Set CVFSID. See How to Generate a cvfsid for Linux and Unix Configurations and Quantum Appliances, Generate a cvfsid for Windows configurations, or Generate a cvfsid for Xsan configurations, depending on your configuration. The CVFSIDs sub-section under License Details is updated with the cvfsid value(s) for the serial number.

Caution: Ensure your cvfsid value(s) are correct. Once entered and submitted, they cannot be changed.

Note: At any time after you have submitted your serial number, you may enter another serial number by clicking Choose Another.

  1. Click Generate License Key File once the cvfsid value(s) have been entered.

Note: There may be some cases where the Quantum License Key Management site will not be able to generate a license file. In this case, you are re-directed to an alternate web page to continue the process.

  1. Save the license.dat file to a temporary location on your computer. You will upload this file on the Licenses page of the StorNext GUI. To install the licenses in the license.dat file, use the Install a StorNext License from the GUI for non-HA Installations procedure if you have a single-node StorNext MDC, or use the Install/Update Licenses from the GUI for HA Installations procedure if you have a High Availability (HA) StorNext MDC pair.

Using the IP address assigned to the server on the StorNext management/public network.

  1. Log in to the command line using the following credentials:
    • User name: stornext
    • Password: <stornext user account password>

      Note: "password" is the default password for the stornext user account. If the password has been changed, use the current password. Beginning with StorNext 7.0.2, you must change the default password for the stornext user account. As of StorNext 7.0.2, the first time you log in, you will be prompted to change the password to a different one.

  2. Enter sudo rootsh to gain root user access.
  3. Enter the password for the stornext user account again.
  1. Enter the cvfsid command.

    2. The system returns the following information:

    <server_MAC_address> <server_OS> <server_name>

    Example:

    ECF4BCDECC0E linux 0 xcellis13

  2. Close the SSH session for the node. Repeat for the other node.
  3. (Optional) If your system is configured for HA, repeat for the other node.

Follow the procedure below to generate the cvfsid on the command line of the MDC node:

  1. On the Start menu, click Programs, click StorNext File System, and then click License Identifier.
  2. The cvfsid string appears in a popup.

Follow the procedure below to generate the cvfsid on the command line of the MDC node:

  1. Navigate to /Library/Filesystems/Xsan/bin.
  2. Execute the command sudo cvfsid.
and G300 Systems

Use these steps to install perpetual license (license.dat file containing individual product feature license keys) on a single-node Xcellis Workflow Extender and G300 gateway systems:

  1. When you receive the new license.dat file from Quantum, copy the file to the service laptop you will use to remotely access the server.
  2. Initiate an SSH session to the command line of the server.
  3. Stop StorNext services:

    4. systemctl stop cvfs

  4. Copy the license file from the service laptop to the following directory on the system:

    5. /usr/cvfs/config/

    If you don’t know how to do this, open the following section. (You will be unable to apply the license.dat file if it has not first been transferred to the system.):

An scp client must be installed on the system you plan to use for remote access and configured the software for binary scp file transfers.

Examples:

  • WinSCP – see Transfer the license.dat file to the system with an SCP client
  • PuTTY pscp.exe (Secure Copy client) – see Transfer the license.dat file to the system with the PuTTY SCP client

For this example, we are using a Windows SCP client. The procedures may vary from the client you will use.

  1. Open an SCP session to the server, using the server IP on the metadata network or by connecting to the service port and using its IP address, if you are directly connected to the server.
  2. Login with the default stornext credentials:

User name: stornext

password: password

  1. Drag and drop the license.dat file from the directory on the service laptop where you moved the file after downloading to the /home/stornext directory on the server.

For this example, we are using the Windows command-line PuTTY SCP client (client software must be installed before doing the procedure). These procedures will vary from the client you will use.

  1. Open a command prompt (from the Windows Start Menu, type cmd in the search field and click Enter).
  2. Enter the following (the default installation location for PuTTY pscp.exe is used in the first argument):
    3. "C:\<path to pscp.exe>\pscp.exe" C:\<local directory to copy>\license.dat stornext@host server>:/home/stornext

    Example:

    "C:\Program Files (x86)\PuTTY\pscp.exe" C:\<local directory to copy>\license.dat stornext@host server>:/home/stornext
  3. When prompted, enter stornext for the user account.
  4. When prompted, enter the password for the stornext user account on the system.
  5. The license.dat file is transferred to the system.

The /usr/cvfs/config directory on the system, which is used by the Service Menu to apply the license.

  1. Open an SSH connection to the system using IP address 10.17.21.1 StorNext public (management), Metadata or LAN client network. Use the IP address assigned if different from the default used here
  2. Login with the default stornext credentials:

User name: stornext

password: password

  1. At the command prompt enter the following to gain root user access:
    2. sudo rootsh
  2. Enter the password for the stornext user account again when prompted.
  3. Copy the license.dat file from /home/stornext to /usr/cvfs/config.

    4. Example:

    cp /home/stornext/license.dat /usr/cvfs/config/
  4. Verify the license.dat file is located in the installation directory:
    5. ls /usr/cvfs/config
  5. Output should display a license.dat file:

    6. Example:

    deviceparams fsnameservers pseudodevs sngateway_configfilelist license.dat qustat.conf
  1. Start StorNext services:
    2. systemctl start cvfs
  2. The system will restart the services and use the new license file.
  3. Close your SSH session and disconnect from the server.