VE License Server - Prerequisites

The use of a Charon VE License Server has a number of prerequisites:

The VE license server itself
1. VE license server package
2. A suitable Linux instance to be used as the VE license server. This instance must run
  1. in a supported cloud environment,
  2. in a supported VMware environment, or
  3. on a supported physical server.
Correct firewall settings
The VE-capable Charon emulator software
1. For general VE mode: must run on a Charon host with appropriate network access to the VE license server (see restrictions for VMware environments in the section Charon VE-Capable Emulator and Management Software below).
2. For AutoVE mode: a Charon instance launched from a compatible Automatic Licensing marketplace image. AutoVE server and clients must be in the same cloud environment. Please note that the AutoVE definitions must be added before the first launch of such an instance.

These requirements are described in more detail below.

VE License Server Package

The Charon VE License Server package is delivered as an RPM package. Stromasys or your Stromasys VAR will provide you with the software or a download link. If an instance is created based on a Stromasys-provided emulator marketplace images, the installation kit is in the /charon/storage directory.

The packaging is different based on the VE license server version:

VE license server version 2.2.3 and older: license-server-<version>.rpm
RPM package for installation on a supported Linux system.
VE license server version 2.2.4 and higher: license-server-<version>.rpm.sh
Self-extracting archive containing the end-user license agreement (EULA) and the RPM package.
VE license server version 2.4.9 and higher: charon-license-server-<version>.rpm.sh
Self-extracting archive containing the end-user license agreement (EULA) and the RPM package.

In all cases <version> indicates the version of the software, for example, 2.4.9

Linux Instance for the License Server

The license server package must be installed on a supported Linux instance. This instance can run in a supported cloud, in a supported VMware environment, or on a physical host. It is recommended to run the VE license server on a dedicated system to avoid license invalidation caused by changes to the system which are more likely to occur on a system used for other purposes as well, for example, to run a Charon emulator. It is also recommended to install a backup license server to ensure continued operation in case of a failure or invalidation of the primary license.

Currently Supported Cloud Providers

At the time of writing, the following cloud providers are supported by the VE license server:

Amazon AWS
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
IBM cloud
Nutanix AHV

Please refer to your cloud provider's documentation for configuring and launching an appropriate instance. A description of the basic steps of launching a cloud instance can be found in Additional Information and the cloud-specific Getting Started guides on the Charon-SSP documentation pages.

Depending on the cloud environment, Stromasys may offer prepackaged Charon VE images on selected cloud marketplaces. Such images include the Charon VE-enabled emulator software (already installed) and the VE License Server RPM package (can be installed optionally). An instance launched from a prepackaged image can also be used as a VE license server. Newer versions of Charon-SSP AL marketplace images also contain the VE License Server RPM that can be installed optionally.

Currently Supported VMware Platforms and Requirements

Below are the VMware Platforms supported by the VE license server at the time of writing, and the associated requirements:

Requirements for direct ESXi host binding

The VE license server must run in one of the VMs on the ESXi server.
Any Charon emulator using the VE license server must run either on the same VM as the VE license server or on a VM running on the same ESXi host.
ESXi/vSphere version 6.5 and above.
Valid license that supports the vSphere API feature (the free license does not support this feature). Otherwise the license server fails to start with one of the following messages
- Older license server versions: Failed to detect ESXi/vCenter Server
- Newer license server versions: Current license or ESXi version prohibits execution of the requested operation
Ports 443 (TCP) and 902 (TCP, UDP) on the ESXi system must be accessible to the VE license server host.
100 MB of free disk space on the ESXi server to be used by the VE license server host.
User and password on the ESXi/vSphere host used for the binding between license server and ESXi/vSphere host.

The user used in the esxi_bind command must have at least the following permissions that are assigned via a custom role definition (please note that the permission paths/names can be slightly different depending on the vSphere version). The permissions must not be limited to a specific VM - they must be global:

Datastore > Allocate Space
VirtualMachine > Config > AddNewDisk
VirtualMachine > Config > RemoveDisk

Requirements for vCenter Server binding

The VE license server must run in a VM on one of the ESXi systems managed by the vCenter Server.
Any Charon emulator using the VE license server must run either on the same VM as the VE license server or on a VM on an ESXi host managed by the same vCenter Server.
vCenter Server version 6.5 and above.
Valid license that supports the vSphere API feature. Otherwise the license server fails to start with the message
Failed to detect ESXi/vCenter Server.
Ports 443 (TCP) and 902 (TCP, UDP) on the vCenter system must be accessible to the VE license server host.
100 MB of free disk space on the vCenter Server to be used by the VE license server host.
User and password on the vCenter Server used for the binding between license server and vCenter Server.