Endpoint Protection

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SEP 12.1 License Concept

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Jan 27, 2012 10:04 AM

Chetan Savade

Updated on 1st Feb'15

SEP 11.x licensing is basically just a "paper" license product. However, with SEP 12.1 the licensing is a "software" license product and uses a license file. It is important to become familiar with this license concept.

Depending upon the license vendor, you receive either a product license serial number or a Symantec License file. License files are either sent to you in email or downloaded from a secure Web site. The license file uses the file extension .SLF (Symantec license file ). When the license file is sent by email, it is attached to the email as a .ZIP file. You must extract the .SLF file from the .ZIP file.

Save the license file to a computer that can be accessed from the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager console. Many users save the license on the computer that hosts the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager and also save a copy of the license to a different computer or removable storage media for safekeeping.

Note: In some cases, End user have a license serial number only . This serial number can be used to activate your Symantec product license and to download the product software.

A Symantec Endpoint Protection license applies to the Symantec Endpoint Protection clients. For instance, in a network with 50 endpoints, the license must provide for a minimum of 50 seats. Instances of the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager do not require a license.

Implementing licensing in Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 has several functions:

Dictating compliance
Determining product type
Obtaining a Client Authentication Token (CAT) from Symantec

Types of enforcement

When the license goes out of compliance the Symantec Endpoint Protection product goes into enforcement mode. There are two types of enforcement

1) Hard Enforcement: Applies to SEP 12.1 Small Business Edition

2) Soft Enforcement: Applies to SEP 12.1 Enterprise Edition

Types of licenses

Several types of licenses are used in Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1. The license types are:

Trial License
Upgrade License
Over Deployed License
Never Expiring License
Paid License

Licenses also use the concept of “Grace Values.”

Grace Period: Additional validity beyond expiration date.

Grace Seats: Additional seats beyond number of seats they have purchased

Trial License

A trial license allows the customer to evaluate the product.

Applicable to both Enterprise and Small Business Edition

Enterprise Edition is 60 days validity with no grace days

Small Business Edition is 30 days validity with 30 days grace.

Provides hard enforcement for both Enterprise and Small Business Edition versions

This is the only license that provides hard enforcement on Enterprise.

Unlimited node license.

Included in SEPM Server DVD layout, activated during server configuration on server machine.

Upgrade license

Allows the customer to use the product for a period when they migrate from any previous version of SEP to SEP 12.1 Enterprise.

Applicable to only Enterprise Edition.

Has 90 days of validity.

Is a soft enforcement license.

Unlimited node license.

Over deployed license

Applicable to both Small Business Edition and Enterprise Edition.

• In Small Business Edition, is given to clients deployed beyond entitled seats plus the grace count.

• In Enterprise Edition, is given to clients in case of error situations when no regular license exists.

• Included in Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager Server DVD layout. No activation required.

Never expiring license

Intent of this license is to provide licensing to unmanaged clients.

• Applicable to both Small Business Edition and Enterprise Edition.

• Unmanaged clients always work with the never expiring license.

• Has no expiration date.

Paid license

Paid licenses are created by the licensing portal for customers.

Imported into the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager through the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager Console.

Can be sent as slf files or downloaded through IPL.

Virtual Machines

Under sections of the SEP 12.1 EULA 17.3 and 17.4, this construes two installations of SEP client and requires two licenses per piece of hardware configured in this manner.

Each running instance (physical and/or virtual) must be licensed.

The license file is located at C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\tomcat\etc\license\SEP_XX.slf.

New feature in SEP 12.1 for adding new licenses into Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager

Advocated as primary mode for license import

slf is files are secondary, as back up

Users enter license serial number into Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.

Multiple serial numbers can be entered in one session

Each SN should have Company Info and Technical Contact Info associated with that SN

After the information is received by the licensing server the license is sent back

Double-byte Character Set (DBCS) characters are not supported in this input

License administration

License administration is done from Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager Console > Admin> Licenses tab.

Administrators can

Activate a license
Import a license
Renew a license
Delete a license
Recover a license

Deleted licenses stay in system in ‘deleted’ mode for one year. This way licenses can be recovered from the local database when necessary.

The licenses needed to start the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager server are now part of the Recovery.zip file created at the end of the configuration or upgrade process

Backup license files like any other file.

Copy the .slf license files from the directory where the files were saved to another computer.

If you lose the license file, or it becomes irreparably damaged, you can download the file from the Symantec Licensing Portal Web site and use the file in the same manner as you used original license file.

Public Knowledge Base Articles:

Licensing Symantec Endpoint Protection

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO55056

Purchasing licenses

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO55072

Where to buy a Symantec product license

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO55298

Product license requirements

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO55074

Maintaining your license

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO55300

Activating your new or renewed Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 product license