VERITAS File System DEMO license expiring on June 2007

[Carlos Zoller]

Hello, I have a messaging solution implemented on four HP 9000/800/L3000-7x. I got an email from my product line about some HP Symantec licenses that will expire on June 2007.

In my case vxlicrep command shows this:

VERITAS License Manager vxlicrep utility version 3.00.007
Copyright (C) VERITAS Software Corp 2002. All Rights reserved.

Creating a report on all VERITAS products installed on this system

-----------------***********************-----------------

License Key = 907749864228766544621479
Product Name = VERITAS File System
Key = Valid
License Type = DEMO
Demo End Date = Sun Jun 24 05:00:00 2007
Site License = YES

Features :=
HP_OnlineJFS = Enabled

This is the only product with this issue, so I have basically two issues:

1. MUST we renew this license? Base-VXVM is not under any license on my OS, it seems it came bundled with the OS. Will it affect any functionality of my system if I leave it the way it is now?

2. Has this new license to be purchased, or it will be delivered by HP for free? How does it work.?

I am not looking only for HP answers, if anyone else on this forum has already experienced this it will be highly appreciated.

Thanks.

Carlos.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

See This:
http://www.hp.com/softwarereleases/releases-media2/notices/0606symantec.pdf

[Carlos Zoller]

Hi Clay,

Thanks for the document, but actually I'd already seen it :o)

As you see from my vxlicrep output, in my case I "should" have to renew the license of Product "Veritas File System" with the HP_OnlineJFS. I am not an "expert" but from I've read this OnlineJFS is used only when you want to perform online activities over your Volume Groups, Logical Volumes,etc. But what I don't know, is if the expiricy of this product will affect any other of my funcionality.

Additionally, the document says you have to install these product from the CDs or DVDs after June or December 2005, my CDs and DVDs are older than that (I think from 2004). So in case that I NEED to install this, where should I get it, and will it have any charge?

Hope anyone has the answers.

Thanks.

Carlos.

[A. Clay Stephenson · Accepted solution]

You are confusing the VxVM (Veritas Volume Manager) with OnlineJFS which is also a Veritas product. Vxfs filesystems can be housed on VxVM volumes or LVM volumes or even whole disks so the products have little to do with each other.

If you are on support, you should have received the updated media along with CODEWORDS. If not then contact HP because that will be your only legal source of updates. Note that the existing vxfs filesystems will not crease to function but will revert to base vxfs filesystems. e.g. You will not be able to extend the filesystems "on the file" but will still be able to extend them if unmounted.

[Novonil Choudhuri]

Hi Carlos.. I suggest you to log a case with HP Lpcal response center as they are the only persons who can help you in the licenses prospective.

[Carlos Zoller]

Thanks Clay, now things are getting clearer to me.

I've been doing some further investigation. There are some things about this system that I don't know, since I wasn't here when it was installed. Now I understand that working on HP-UX you can choose to use HP LVM, or Veritas VXFS.

I am attaching the output of my vgdisplay, it is quite simple configuration. My guess is that only LVM is being used and Veritas VXFS is not. Would you confirm my suspicious? or if I am mistaken how can I confirm what is being used for file system administration.?

Thanks again. I think your next answer will close this thread.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

No, you still haven't quite gotten the concept. Vxfs is a filesystem type just as hfs, ufs, s5, cfs, cdfs, ... are all filesystem types. Vxfs filesystems are a type of Journaled File System (hence JFS) so that vxfs and JFS are used interchangeably.

On almost all HP-UX boxes, all of the filesystems except /stand are vxfs filesystems. You always have base vxfs features and you will not lose them but you currently have OnlineJFS installed and licensed which extends the features of a base vxfs filesystem. You will lose the ability to change the size of the filesystem while mounted and you will also find that some of the mount options you may be using no longer are available. You will also lose the ability to snapshot a filesystem. The good news is that there are no structural differences between the base and OnlineJFS filesystems so you will not lose access to any data.


Do a mount -p and it will display any vxfs filesystems and display all your current mount options. Do a man mount_vxfs and you will see if any of the mount options are only available with OnlineJFS.

Now the other Veritas thingy is VxVM and it can manage the "boxes" that house the filesystem. You are currently using LVM as your "box" manager and will continue to do so without any problems.

Now having said all of this, OnlineJFS is something that no HP-UX box should be without and if I were you you, I would contact my HP Rep and purchase the product but your box will continue to function just fine as long as you don't need the OnlineJFS features. Most production servers cannot be shutdown to do routine things like expand the size of filesystems and that feature is definitely going to be lost.

[Carlos Zoller]

Ok, now I got it completely. That is the answer I was looking for.

Thanks a lot Clay, now I'll close this thread.

[Carlos Zoller]

Last received answer fullfiled my expectations.