Name

lmf − License Management Facility (LMF)

Syntax

/etc/lmf [ −d dir ] [ command [ argument...  ] ]

Description

You can use the lmf utility to maintain a file of registered software licenses. The file is called the License Database (LDB) and is derived from Product Authorization Key (PAK) information. You maintain the LDB by using the commands provided by the lmf utility (these are described in the LMF Commands section).

You can also use the lmf utility to keep the kernel cache updated. The kernel cache contains the active license information which is read by license checking functions in products that provide full LMF support. The license checking functions ensure that a product has a valid license before making the product available for use on the system.

For more information about the LMF, see the Guide to Software Licensing. 

When you use the LMF commands you can type them on a single line, for example:

# lmf register

or you can enter the lmf utility and type the commands after the prompt, for example:

# lmf
lmf> register

You can abbreviate the commands, but you must ensure that the abbreviation is not ambiguous.  For example, you could abbreviate lmf register to lmf reg but not lmf re.

If you need to use the product, producer or authorization arguments, they must be specified exactly as they are on the PAK.  Use these arguments if the LDB contains more than one record for a given product name. 

Options

−d dir
Defines the directory containing the LDB file and the history file. If you do not use the −d option, the default LMF directory ( /usr/var/adm/lmf) is used. The −d option allows you to have more than one LDB on your system. 

LMF Commands

There are three types of lmf commands:

•Information commands, which you use to monitor your licensing actions, and the status of the LDB and kernel cache

•LDB maintenance commands, which you use to modify the contents of the License Database

•Service commands, which you use to communicate with the kernel cache and may have an immediate effect on users’ access to licensed software

Information Commands

help [ command ]

Prints the syntax of the command specified in the argument list.  If no command is specified, lmf help prints a list of all the recognized commands.

exit

Exits from the lmf utility. You can also press CTRL/D to leave the utility.

list [ full ] [ source ] [ for product [ producer ] ]

Displays details of the registered products on the system.  If you do not supply any arguments, lmf list displays a one line summary of the PAK data for each product in the LDB.

The full argument displays the complete license details for each product. The source argument determines the source of the license information.  There are three choices for source:

ldb	Displays a summary for each product in the LDB.
cache	Displays a summary for each product in the kernel cache.  The kernel cache contains the license data used by the license checking functions.
all	Displays a combined summary for each product in the LDB, and for each product in the kernel cache.

history [ length ] [ from date ] [ for product [ producer ] ]

Lists data from the license management history file.  The history file is maintained by the lmf utility and is a record of the LDB Maintenance Commands ( register, disable, enable, issue, cancel, delete, modify and amend). The creation of a new LDB is also recorded in the history file. The history data is output with the most recent operations first. The data for each lmf command recorded comprises the product identity, the date and time the command was issued, and the fields that were changed on the license.

There are two choices for length:

short	Displays a one-line summary of the history data for each command issued.
full	Displays the history data for each command issued, and the license as it appeared before the command was issued.

The from date argument displays history data for commands issued after the date specified.  The date argument can be specified in most common formats but the order must be: day, month, year.  You do not need to use a separator between the day and month, or the month and the year.  For example, 1st July 1989 could be specified as: 1-jul-1989, 1/7/89, 010789, or 1.july.89. 

LDB Maintenance Commands

register [ input ]

Registers data from a PAK into the LDB.  If you do not specify any arguments, the command displays a template which includes the fields that occur on the PAK.  An editor is invoked so that you can add the license data to the appropriate fields.  The editor used is defined by the EDITOR environment variable, but if this is not set, /usr/ucb/vi is used. When you leave the editor, the LMF scans the completed template to ensure that all the license data has been entered correctly. If it has not, an appropriate error message is displayed and you are given an opportunity to re-enter the editor and correct any mistakes.

When you have successfully registered a license you should store the PAK in a safe place; the PAK is a valuable proof of purchase and represents your license from Digital Equipment Corporation to use a software product. 

There are two choices for input:

filename	Displays a copy of the file specified and invokes an editor so you can fill in any additional license details before registering the license data in the LDB.
−	Registers license data direct from standard input to the LDB.

Use the lmf register filename command to register license data from a file on your system that contains a partially complete PAK.  When you have finished editing the license data, the LMF scans the file and gives you the opportunity to correct any mistakes. 

Use the lmf register − command to register license data direct from standard input.  You can also register a PAK from a file that already has valid license data, for example:

# lmf register − < filename

The command shown in the previous example does not display the contents of the file, neither does the command allow you to edit the file. However, the LMF does scan the file to ensure format and data is correct. If the license data is valid, the license is registered in the LDB, if not, the appropriate error message is displayed.

disable product [ producer [ authorization ] ]

Disables a license from use on the system.  Licenses which have been disabled remain in the LDB, but do not get copied into the kernel cache.  The lmf disable command does not have an immediate affect on the kernel cache. To remove a license from the kernel cache straight away, use the lmf unload command.

enable product [ producer [ authorization ] ]

Enables a license for use on the system.  Licenses are automatically enabled when they are registered. 

The lmf enable command does not have an immediate affect on the kernel cache. To load the license details into the kernel cache straight away, use the lmf load command.

issue file product [ producer [ authorization ] ]

Issues a reconstructed PAK for the product and removes the license from the LDB.  The reconstructed PAK is output to the file given in the command.  If the PAK is issued without errors, the license is automatically removed from the kernel cache.  The format of the reconstructed PAK is suitable for registering using the lmf register − < filename command.  You can use lmf issue to transfer a license from one system to another. The license is revoked on the executing system and a PAK is produced which can be registered on another system.

cancel date product [ producer [ authorization ] ]

Cancels the license on the date given.  This allows you to stop use of the product earlier than the date shown by the Key Termination Date field on the PAK.  You can change the cancellation date more than once; by reissuing the lmf cancel command with a different date argument. 

The date argument can be specified in most common formats but the order must be: day, month, year.  You do not need to use a separator between the day and month, or the month and the year. 

The lmf cancel command does not have an immediate affect on the kernel cache. To update the license details for the product in the kernel cache straight away, use the lmf load command.

delete product [ producer [ authorization ] ]

Deletes a license from the LDB and the kernel cache. 

Before you do this you should ensure that you have a record of the license in your files. 

modify product [ producer [ authorization ] ]

Modifies the unprotected fields on a license.  You can only modify the Comments field and, if the license has the MOD_UNITS Key Option, the Number of Units field.  These fields have a colon (:) after the field name, and changes to fields other than Comments and Number of Units are ignored.  The editor used is the same as for lmf register.

The command does not have an immediate effect on the kernel cache, so you should use the lmf load command to update the license for the product in the kernel cache.

amend product [ producer [ authorization ] ]

Amends the protected fields on a license.  You must only use this command when you need to register the license data from a Product Authorization Amendment (PAAM).  The fields you can change have a colon (:) after the field name.  You must make all the changes shown on the PAAM, including entering a new Checksum.  Changes made to fields without colons after the field name are ignored.  The editor used is the same as for lmf register.

The command does not have an immediate effect on the kernel cache, so you should use the lmf load command to update the license for the product in the kernel cache.

Service Commands

reset [ cpus [ n ] ]

Rescans the LDB so that any changes that have been made are copied to the kernel cache.  If you do not supply any arguments, lmf reset copies the license details for all products from the LDB to the kernel cache.

Use the lmf reset cpus command to copy license details from the LDB to the kernel cache, and to determine the System Marketing Model (SMM) by using the number of active CPUs. The SMM is the model name of a computer system, as used in marketing and pricing and is read by the LMF when the system is rebooted. The SMM is used by some products to define the number of license units needed in the kernel cache before access to the product is granted.

Use the lmf reset cpus n command to copy license details from the LDB to the kernel cache, and to determine the SMM by using n as the number of active CPUs. 

load users product [ producer [ authorization ] ]

Loads enough license units into the kernel cache to enable use of the product by the number of users specified.  The number of license units required for the specified number of users is calculated by the LMF.  An appropriate number of units must be registered in the LDB before issuing the load command.

If you specify zero (0) as the users argument, all the license units for the product are loaded into the kernel cache.  If the product is Availability Licensed, you must always specify zero (0) as the users argument. 

unload users product [ producer ]

Unloads enough license units from the kernel cache to reduce the use of the product by the number of users specified.  The number of license units required for the specified number of users is calculated by the LMF.  After you have issued the command any existing users of the product are allowed to finish using it before the new limit is imposed. 

If you specify zero (0) as the users argument, all the license units for the product are removed from the kernel cache.  If the product is Availability Licensed, you must always specify zero (0) as the users argument. 

See Also

lmfsetup(8)
Guide to Software Licensing