License keys include two license expiration dates, one for the product and one for service.

An activated product license is required for full functionality of the product. If the product license has expired or has not been activated then Avance will block creating new VMs, starting stopped VMs, and restarting running VMs in the event of a node failure.

A valid service license is required for upgrades of Avance systems. Upgrade will be blocked in the event that the service has expired.

The Avance Foundation License, available only on servers based on the Intel S12000KP (Kenosha Pass) server board, limits Avance configurations to a maximum of 2 running Virtual Machines with up to a total of 8 VCPUs and 16 GB memory. Servers with additional memory or CPUs will run but the resources will not be used by Avance.

License Activation on Install

Avance polls the Stratus license server via an internet connection to alas.stratus.com (port 443, https) on initial install to activate a new license and to determine the license and service end dates. License activation can also be performed manually in the event that a connection to the internet is not available from the Avance unit. The License page of the Avance Management Console Help contains detailed instructions on how to manually activate a license.

Periodic License Polling

Avance polls the Stratus license server, alas.stratus.com, via port 443, https to validate service every 24 hours. The license poll can also be initiated manually using a button on the license page. A successful poll is only needed if the service contract has been extended or the license has not yet been activated. A filed poll will maintain the current service expiration date.

A minor alert will appear in the dashboard in the event that the unit cannot communicate with the Stratus license server. This alert can be hidden so that it no longer appears in the main dashboard or on the alerts pane of the Avance Management Console.

Intel Modular Server Licensing

Avance enables users to achieve High Availability on a blade basis between multiple IMS chassis. Avance will support 1 blade per license, with each additional blade in the chassis requiring an additional license. IMS require a 1:1 blade mapping between chassis.