Date: January 24, 2025
Assure QuickEDD
Announcement
Starting the week of January 27, 2025, Precisely will begin issuing License Manager based license keys by default for new orders of Assure QuickEDD. QSL (old) based product keys will only be sent out upon request.
About License Manager:
License Manager is a Precisely developed software platform that facilitates software version, license key, and Product Level Security management. License Manager is used in many Precisely products (Assure MIMIX-iTERA- iOptimize, OMS/ODS, Assure Security and Connect CDC) that run on IBM i.
Click here for License Manager Product Manual in English and French.
About License Manager based product keys for Assure QuickEDD:
License Manager support in Assure QuickEDD delivers:
- License key functionality consistent with Assure MIMIX and Assure iTERA, which use the same license model.
- LPAR specific and agnostic keys
- CPU Usage checking at the LPAR and System level, including usage reporting capability.
- Live Partition Mobility support
- Virtual Serial Number support
- Better support for Shared Processor Pools
- Better support for Power Enterprise Pools
The Working with License Keys section of the manual provides general information about License Manager based product keys.
Click here for the instructions to apply the Assure QuickEDD License Key Package: Instructions (English) or Instructions (French)
Video Demonstration of how to apply the License Manager Keys
*NOTE! Assure QuickEDD does not support license key self-service at this time.
The customer will receive a License Key Package (LKP) file and a decrypted text file useful for understanding the contents of the LKP file. The decrypted file contains the command strings allowing the product keys to be applied through a command line.
Prerequisite Information:
Assure QuickEDD must be at release 24.06.18 or higher to get License Manager.
To determine necessary system information to send to Precisely, there are two methods:
1. If Assure QuickEDD is installed at 24.07.16 or later:
-
- Run the command LAKEVIEW/DSPSYSINF
2. If Assure QuickEDD is not at 24.07.16:
-
- Run these commands:
CALL QCMD
CHGJOB LOG(4 00 *SECLVL) LOGCLPGM(*YES)
CALL PGM(QLZARCAPI)
*NOTE! The PMSYSCOD command will provide incomplete information for License Manager and should no longer be used.
Fulfillment Procedures for New Sales Orders
Net New License and License upgrade (amendment) orders:
Precisely Fulfillment will issue License Manager based keys by default, following a similar Welcome Letter process as for Assure MIMIX and iTERA. For those customers who request the old-style keys, the Fulfillment team will ask what version of Assure QuickEDD they are running and issue QSL based keys for any version older than 24.07.16.
Fulfillment Procedures for Renewal Orders
Customers running QSL style keys:
- Maintenance Renewal Orders: Since the customer is already running QSL PERMANENT keys, no new license keys will be sent out.
- Subscription Renewal Orders: Because the customer is running QSL keys that will expire, Precisely Fulfillment will follow the same procedures as if it was a new sales order (issuing License Manager Based Keys).
Customers running License Manager style keys:
- Subscription and Maintenance Renewal Orders: Because the customer will need keys with refreshed expiration dates, Precisely Fulfillment will follow the same procedures as if it was a new sales order (issuing License Manager Based Keys).
Customer Self-Service license key options may be available in the future.
Q&A:
Q1: Can a customer download their own license keys?
A1: Not at this time. If a customer needs keys, they should open a Fulfillment Case.
Q2: Can the customer get temp keys for migrations?
A2: Migration software should be quoted and ordered, and license keys will be issued like any other order. Temp keys should not be used for migration orders as a matter of practice.
Q3: If the PMSYSCOD interface is locked due to incorrect input, will the License Manager based key activate the software?
A3: Yes. Use the LAKEVIEW/APYLICKEY to apply the LKP file.
Q4: Why do License Manager keys use an LKP file and not a text-based key like the old QSL keys?
A4: The LKP file functionality allows for a complete set of keys to be included in one package. This allows a user to work with just one file for all their systems. This is especially helpful to MSPs and users who are performing Live Partition Mobility.
Q5: I cannot upload stream files to the IFS. How can I apply License Manager keys?
A5: Use the decrypted LKP file and copy/paste the command strings to apply the license keys on a command line. To properly activate software, ALL commands on each respective serial number and LPAR must be run!
Q6: Why are we moving away from the QSL based keys?
A6: The QSL based product keys are not consistent with Assure MIMIX and iTERA, or the Precisely IBM i HA license model. There are also supportability issues with QSL key platform preventing enhancement. As a result, the QSL keys fall short when supporting the virtualized IBM i ecosystem.
Q7: Will Assure QuickEDD now be checking CPU usage?
A7: Yes. A message will be written to QSYSOPR when the CPU usage exceeds the usage limit of the license key.
Any questions relating to this announcement should be directed to Dan Simms, Product Management Director, IBM i HA at dan.simms@precisely.com.