How Backup Enforces Client Licensing

When a backup begins, a Backup client passes its attributes to the Backup server. The Backup server uses this information to verify that the client is allowed to back up. The following read-only attributes in the Clients resource are used for client licensing enforcement:

• Client OS type

• CPUs

• Backup client software version

• Enabler in use

When you enable a Backup server, its enabler allows a specific number of clients for its platform. For example, a Backup server on Solaris is licensed for a specific number of Solaris or SunOS clients. If you want to connect clients of other platforms to the Backup server, you must purchase a ClientPak enabler for those platforms.

You can define more clients than the number of clients allowed by all enabler codes stored in the server. The Backup server enforces the number and type of clients at backup time when it verifies that the number of connected clients is less than or equal to the number of clients allowed by its enabler codes, and the clients are of the types allowed by its enabler codes.

There are two types of client licenses: server and workstation. The type of client license a machine uses when it backs up is determined by its operating system. Machines of the following platforms must back up with a server client license:

• Any version of UNIX that Backup supports

• Windows NT Server

• NetWare

Machines of other platforms, for example, Windows 95, Windows NT Workstation, OS/2, and Macintosh, can back up with workstation client licenses. If machines that can back up with workstation licenses are waiting to back up and only a server license is available, the backup can proceed because a machine with a workstation license can borrow a server license. But a machine that requires a server license cannot borrow a workstation license. Table 5-2 lists client types supported by Backup.

Table 5-2 Client Types Supported by Backup Enablers

Enabler	Client Types
Solaris server	Solaris and SunOS
NetWare server	NetWare, Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, and OS/2
UNIX ClientPak	Unlimited clients for all UNIX platforms
ClientPak for PC Desktops	Unlimited clients for Windows NT Workstations, Windows 3.1x, OS/2, and Windows 95
ClientPak for Windows NT	Unlimited clients for Windows NT Server and Windows NT Workstation
ClientPak for Macintosh	Unlimited clients for Macintosh
ClientPak for HP-MPE	Unlimited clients for HP-MPE
ClientPak for NetWare	Unlimited clients for NetWare

In the following cases, backups are rejected because of licensing enforcement:

• If the client requires a server license and there are no more available server licenses allowed by the enablers, the backup is rejected with the following error:

  RAP error, Too many clients. Maximum is 2

• If the client type is not allowed by the enabler code and a ClientPak enabler is not present, the backup is rejected. An example is a server with a Solaris server enabler and the client is an HP-UX client, as in the following error message:

  RAP error, ClientPak for UNIX does not exist in the system.

• If no more licenses are available for that type of client and no server licenses are available to borrow, the backup is rejected and you receive the following error:

  RAP error, Too many clients. Maximum is 2

Backup clients released before Backup 5.0 for UNIX identify themselves to the Backup server at backup time. The Backup server uses a workstation license to back up these clients.

Enablers of Backup products released before Backup 5.0 for UNIX are considered server licenses.