Installing a WebLogic Server License

 

Your WebLogic Server distribution requires a valid product license to run. The following sections explain how to acquire, install, and update a WebLogic Server license:

• About the WebLogic Server License

• Acquiring a WebLogic Server License

• Updating Your license.bea File

• Upgrading Licenses from WebLogic Server 6.0

• Upgrading Licenses from a Pre-6.0 Version of WebLogic Server

 

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About the WebLogic Server License

WebLogic Server 6.0 and 6.1 use an XML-format license called license.bea. This license file, stored in the BEA Home directory, is used for the BEA WebLogic products installed on the target system. For details about the BEA Home directory, see BEA Home Directory.

The first time you download and install a BEA WebLogic product that uses the BEA Home directory convention, the installer program installs a license.bea file in the BEA Home directory that you created during installation and populates the file with an evaluation product license. Subsequently, when you download and install additional BEA products that contain a license.bea file as part of the distribution, the installer program automatically adds the new evaluation product licenses to the license.bea file.

Evaluation Licenses

An evaluation copy of WebLogic Server comes with a 30-day evaluation license so that you can start using WebLogic Server immediately. To use WebLogic Server beyond the 30-day evaluation period, contact your salesperson about about purchasing a non-expiring license. Development or production licenses are available.

All WebLogic Server evaluation products are licensed for use on a single server machine and allow up to five connections to the server.

Non-Expiring Licenses

If you purchase WebLogic Server on CD-ROM, you will receive a development or production product license through e-mail. After installing the WebLogic Server software and receiving the product license, you must update the existing license.bea file with the license file you received.

 

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Acquiring a WebLogic Server License

You acquire a WebLogic Server license from BEA in one of two ways: from the BEA Web site when you download an evaluation copy of the WebLogic Server product, or through e-mail when you purchase the WebLogic Server on CD-ROM. When you download WebLogic Server from the BEA Web site (at http://commerce.beasys.com), an evaluation license is included with the distribution.

Secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption software is available with two levels of encryption: 56-bit and 128-bit. Licenses come with 56-bit encryption enabled by default. Licenses with 128-bit encryption enabled are available but require a separate authorization procedure.

A 30-day evaluation license comes only with 56-bit encryption enabled, whereas a non-expiring license may be purchased with either 56-bit or 128-bit encryption enabled. For information about purchasing licenses, contact BEA Sales at http://www.bea.com/contact/sales1.shtml.

 

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Updating Your license.bea File

You must update your license.bea file if at least one of the following is true:

• You applied for and received an extension to your 30-day evaluation period of WebLogic Server 6.1.

• You installed WebLogic Server 6.1 from the CD-ROM.

• You purchased additional BEA WebLogic software.

• You obtained a new distribution that includes new products.

• You possess a license_wls60.bea file, which is the non-expiring license file for WebLogic Server 6.0, and you want to upgrade to a WebLogic Server 6.1 license after downloading WebLogic Server 6.1 from the BEA Web site. You must convert the license_wls60.bea file to a license_wls61.bea file. To do so, see Upgrading Licenses from WebLogic Server 6.0.

• You possess either a WebLogicLicense.XML file or a WebLogicLicense.class file, which are license files used in pre-6.0 versions (5.1 or earlier) of WebLogic Server. You must convert these license files to a license_wls61.bea file. To do so, see Upgrading Licenses from a Pre-6.0 Version of WebLogic Server.

In each case, you receive a license update file in an e-mail attachment. You then update your license.bea file by performing the procedures given in Updating Your license.bea File on a Windows System or Updating Your license.bea File on a UNIX System.

Note: Enabling 128-bit encryption requires that the 128-bit encryption license be present in the license.bea file before you install the WebLogic Server software. For details, see Enabling 128-Bit Encryption.

Updating Your license.bea File on a Windows System

To update your existing license.bea file on a Windows system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Windows system.

2. Save the license update file that you received through e-mail with a name other than license.bea in the target BEA Home directory.

3. Open a command shell window.

4. Go to the target BEA Home directory.

5. Include the path to the JDK 1.3 (or higher) software at the front of your PATH by entering the following command:

   set PATH=.\jdk131\bin;%PATH%

6. Merge the license update file into your existing license by entering the following command:

   UpdateLicense license_update_file

   license_update_file is the name to which you saved the license update file that you received through e-mail. Running this command updates your license.bea file.

7. Save a copy of your license.bea file in a safe place outside the WebLogic Server product directory. Although no one else can use your license file, you should save this information in a place protected from either malicious or innocent tampering by others.

Updating Your license.bea File on a UNIX System

To update your existing license.bea file on a UNIX system, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the UNIX system.

2. Open a command shell window.

3. Save the license update file that you received through e-mail with a name other than license.bea in the target BEA Home directory.

4. Go to the target BEA Home directory.

5. Include the path to the JDK 1.3 (or higher) software at the front of your PATH by entering the following commands:

   PATH=./jdk131/bin:$PATH
   export PATH

6. Merge the license update file into your existing license by entering the following command:

   sh UpdateLicense.sh license_update_file

   license_update_file is the name to which you saved the license update file that you received through e-mail. Running this command updates your license.bea file.

7. Save a copy of your license.bea file in a safe place outside the WebLogic Server distribution. Although no one else can use your license file, you should save this information in a place protected from either malicious or innocent tampering by others.

 

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Upgrading Licenses from WebLogic Server 6.0

To convert a license_wls60.bea file to a license_wls61.bea file, complete the following steps. Be sure the license_wls60.bea license file is available on the machine on which you perform this procedure.

1. Log in to the BEA Customer Support Web site at http://support.bea.com.

   Note: You need a BEA eSupport account to log in to this Web site. If you do not have a BEA eSupport account, you can register for an account on the Customer Support site.

2. Click the link to update a WebLogic Server license.

3. Browse and select the pathname for the directory containing the license file to be converted, or enter the pathname in the box provided. Then click Submit License.

4. You will receive the converted license_wls61.bea file through e-mail. To update the license.bea file on your system, see Updating Your license.bea File.

 

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Upgrading Licenses from a Pre-6.0 Version of WebLogic Server

The XML-format license file (WebLogicLicense.XML) and the Java-format license file (WebLogicLicense.class) used in pre-6.0 versions (5.1 or earlier) of WebLogic Server are no longer supported.

Converting a WebLogicLicense.class License

If a WebLogicLicense.class license file is used in your existing WebLogic Server installation, perform the following tasks before you install WebLogic Server 6.1:

1. Convert the WebLogicLicense.class license file to a WebLogicLicense.XML file using the licenseConverter utility.

2. Convert the WebLogicLicense.XML file as described in Converting a WebLogicLicense.class License.

Converting a WebLogicLicense.XML License

To convert a WebLogicLicense.XML file to a license_wls61.bea file, complete the following steps. Be sure the WebLogicLicense.XML license file is available on the machine on which you perform this procedure.

1. Log in to the BEA eLicense Web site at http://elicense.bea.com.

   Note: You need a BEA eLicense account to log in to this Web site. If you do not have a BEA eLicense, you can register for one on the eLicense site.

2. In the left navigation area of the Web page, click Upgrade/Downgrade and follow the instructions on the page. If the license you want to convert is not listed, click the Add a Missing License link in the left navigation area. The BEA Licensing team will research the missing license for you.

3. You will receive the converted license file through e-mail. To update the license.bea file on your system, see Updating Your license.bea File.