Printer FriendlyEmail Article Link

Spirent TestCenter: Why is a backup License Server not listing all the installed licenses, and instead shows "No License Pools currently available" ?

Environment/Versions

Spirent Virtual Controller – VM (USB Dongle or UUID versions) Quick Start Guide (DOC10586) on page 52 explains how to configure Hot Standby feature to set up redundancy for a Spirent Virtual Controller, in this configuration, a pair of virtual controllers act as a primary and backup. If a backup controller detects that a primary is unable to issue licenses, the backup will bring itself online and take over the role of the primary.

However, after following steps described on the Quick Start Guide (Page 52 - 57), issuing the   status  command on the Backup server, shows:

No License Pools currently available.




The Spirent Virtual Contoller Quick Start Guide  (DOC10586) on Page 55, shows this same behavior, however it is not clear enough whether if that screenshot has been taken BEFORE or AFTER the licenses have been installed either using Samba, SCP or SFTP. So, at this point it is NOT clear enough what is, or what should be the normal / expected Backup License Server (a.k.a. Backup Virtual Controller).

On this KB we will try to explain/demonstrate what that expected behavior should be on Primary and Backup License Server depending on the state of each one.
 
Answer

We did some test in house to validate/demonstrate normal Primary / Backup License Server behavior on each situation:
enlightenedNOTE: Be aware that a special license is needed to allow the backup virtual controller to run in backup mode. (Refer to FAQ19172)
 
  1. When everything is in place, so Port and Feature licenses are installed on both licenses servers (Primary and Backup License Server), the Primary License Server lists all the licenses as expected, however, the backup license server does NOT, instead, the backup shows "No Licenses pool currently available", and issuing a  "server status" command on the Backup License Server throws an error saying that Can not find licenses file.

 
enlightenedAt this point, looks like the error message is appearing just because there is NO licenses listed on the backup. The licenses are installed as requested, however, looks like the backup normal behavior is to be on this state (Not listing the licenses) until the Primary License Server is unable to issue licenses, see next section.

 
  1. We did a "Server stop" on the Primary License Server (to simulate that the Primary Lab Server is down), hence after the time out (timeout = 15s), the Primary License Server (down) now shows message "The license server is not running" for both commands: status / server status... And the Backup License Server now lists all the licenses.
 
 
​
  1. We used the GUI to validate that with the behavior explained above, when the Primary License Server is down, the Backup tooks over and licenses on backup are working since we can bring the ports up.
 

Product : STC Virtual,Spirent TestCenter,License Issues