Add and activate a volume or utility license pool on a BIG-IQ not connected to the internet \(manual method\)

You must have a base registration key before you can add and activate a licensed pool. You get your from F5 Networks, typically in the form of an email If you do not have a base registration key, contact the F5 Networks sales group (f5.com).

You add and activate a pool license to make it available for assignment to BIG-IP devices in your network. If the BIG-IQ Centralized Management that you’re activating a license on is not connected to the public internet, you can activate the registration key using this manual procedure, rather than automatically contacting the F5 license server.

Volume and utility pool licenses contain offerings. Offerings are specific to the services based on F5 Networks’ Good, Better, Best licensing structure. If you are manually contacting the F5 Networks license server to activate those registration keys, you must activate each associated offering individually.

1. At the top of the screen, click Devices.

2. On the left, click LICENSE MANAGEMENT > Licenses.

3. Click the Add License button.

4. In the License Name field, type a name to identify this license.

5. In the Base Registration Key field, type or paste the registration key, and into the Add-on Keys field, type or paste any associated add-on keys.

6. For Activation Method, select Manual and click the Get Dossier button.

   The BIG-IQ system refreshes and displays the dossier in the Device Dossier field.

7. Select and copy the text displayed in Device Dossier.

8. Click the Access F5 manual activation web portal link.

   The F5 Product Licensing site opens.

9. Click the Activate License link.

10. Paste the dossier into the Enter Your Dossier box and click the Next button.

11. Review the EULA, and if you agree with the terms, click the Accept button at the bottom of the screen.

12. Select the license and copy and paste it into the License Text box.

13. Click the Activate button at the bottom of the screen.

    The license displays in the list as Pending.

14. Click the name of the license, then the name of a pending offering.

15. Copy the contents of the Device Dossier box.

16. Paste the dossier into the Enter Your Dossier box and click the Next button.

17. Select the license and copy and paste it into the License Text box.

18. Click the Activate button at the bottom of the screen.

19. Repeat steps 14-18 for each pending offering.

If a license or offering fails to activate, the license displays with a yellow triangle next to it in the list. You’ll need to reactivate that license and its offerings. For individual offerings, you can add an optional description for identification after activation.