A license is required for the controller. In addition, SDN applications can require licenses that are separate from the license for the controller. Typically, you must have both a license for the controller and a license for each application. For Hewlett Packard Enterprise SDN applications, you register the license, obtain the license key, and activate the license on the controller using the same methods you use to register and activate controller licenses. For information about obtaining license keys for an application, see the Administrator Guide for the application.

For information on the different types of licenses and how to maintain license registration and activation after a controller software update, see License types, usage, and expiration.

Overview of the license registration and activation process

After you have downloaded and installed the controller software, as described in the HPE VAN SDN Controller Installation Guide, you can begin the license registration and activation process.

	NOTE: Evaluation licenses are available, for details see Using Evaluation Licenses .

The basic steps are:

1. Preparing for license registration:

   1. Prerequisites for license registration

   2. Identifying the Install ID displayed in the controller UI

2. Registering and activating a license

   1. Registering your license and obtaining a license key using the My Networking portal

   2. Activating a license on the controller

3. Managing licenses

   Transferring licenses

   1. Uninstalling licenses to prepare for transfer

   2. Transferring licenses to a new platform

   3. Use new license keys to activate the licenses on the target controller.