What is a licence pool?
A licence pool is where you manage the day-to-day usage of your licences by encoders. We create one for you (Default Pool), but for more complex licence management, you can create your own and divide your licences into different pools based on your specific use case.
The Pools homepage
When you first enter the pools section of CLS, you will see a list of your licensing pools (which by default only contains the Default Pool).
The Default Pool
When your estate is created, it will have one initial pool called Default Pool - this is where all new licences will appear automatically when your licence purchase is added to the Central Licensing Server (CLS).
The Default Pool will show a summary of:
How many One-In-One-Out and Four-In-Four-Out licenses you have in total, and how many are allocated.
If you have the entitlement to use Legacy Android Encoders
That you have the entitlement to use Legacy hardware encoders (always on)
If you click on the pool, it will take you to the details view for this pool.
Custom Pools
There are some use cases where you might want to split your licences up and allocate them to a specific use:
Each purchase order of licences relates to a specific department or customer, and no one else should be able to use those licences.
You want to allocate a specific number of licences to an individual server/domain.
In this instance you can create a custom pool, and then move one or more licences from your Default Pool to the new pool. You can then authenticate your servers/domains to the custom pool, where they will be limited to the licences you moved to the new pool.
More info: Creating and managing custom pools
Managing a pool
When you enter the page for a specific pool, you will be presented with a summary of your pool's licences and attached servers:
The top section again shows how many licences are allocated to this pool, and how many are already in use. The bottom section lists the servers/domains that are already using this pool (if any), the last time they checked in to CLS, and how many licences each is using.
As part of setting up a new server, you will authenticate the server using an authentication code from your licensing pool - this will link the two together, and attached encoders will be able to request a licence from your pool.
Registering a server/domain with CLS
If you have installed a new EdgeVis Server, have upgraded from an earlier server version, or are setting up per-domain licensing, you will need to authenticate your server against CLS to allow access to your v9 licences.
On the pool management page, click the Actions ... button, and select Add new server. This will ask you to provide a name for your server. This name is only shown in CLS and will not be visible to EdgeVis Server users:
After entering a name, you will be presented with an 8-digit authentication code (6-digit codes are provided for v9.1 servers):
You must enter this code within 24 hours into your EdgeVis Server (so it can be created in advance of server installation).
You can enter this code (as a System Administrator) by logging into EdgeVis Server -> select All server settings -> Licensing server connection -> Change licensing authentication code and entering the new code:
More info: How do I authenticate an EdgeVis Server
Managing an individual server
If you click on an individual server from your list of servers, you will be able to manage licence usage on an individual encoder basis. You will be shown a list of connected encoders that are currently using a licence from your pool:
(Legacy devices are not listed as they are granted locally by the server)
Each encoder name listed should match the name of the encoder account used in EdgeVis Server. Each entry shows how many licences are being used, and the last time the encoder checked in - this can be useful to determine 'dead' encoders that are unnecessarily using licences. You can use the Trash button to remove the encoder from the list and free up the licence back to your pool; however:
To make this permanent, you must also turn off your encoder OR remove the corresponding encoder account within EdgeVis Server. This is because your encoder will check in daily and automatically renew any licences it needs to remain operational.
If the encoder is marked as 'Newly Added', then it is within its revocation period and can't be freed.
Delete your server/domain from CLS
If you are deleting a server, then use the Kick button to delete this server and free up all licences back to you pool.
If you are deleting a domain, using the Kick button performs some additional checks:
It will firstly attempt to delete all encoders from the list that are not marked as Newly Added and within the revocation period.
If there are no encoders left, the domain will be removed from CLS
If some of your encoder licences are marked as Newly Added, those will not be removed from the domain, and you will be unable to delete the domain.
Other than EdgeVis Legacy licences all of your encoders that were deleted from the list will lose their licence within 24 hours of kicking your server/domain.
Edit name - change your server's name
This will allow you to rename the server in your pool. This name is only visible within CLS, and has no operational impact if changed.