Configure a license manager

A license manager is a central license repository for Splunk Enterprise licenses. Once the license manager is configured, you can direct other Splunk Enterprise instances to communicate with the license manager to provide them access to the license features, and allocate license volume. The remote instances become license peers

If you only have a single Splunk Enterprise instance, you do not need to configure it as a license manager.

Choose the instance to serve as the license manager

The license manager role is not typically run on a dedicated Splunk Enterprise instance. Instead, you can colocate it on an instance that is also performing other tasks:

• A monitoring console. See Which instance should host the console? in Monitoring Splunk Enterprise for a description of the circumstances under which a monitoring console and a license manager can colocate.
• A deployment server. See Deployment server and other roles in Updating Splunk Enterprise Instances for a description of the circumstances under which a deployment server and a license manager can colocate.
• An indexer cluster manager node. See Additional roles for the manager node in Managing Indexers and Clusters of Indexers for a description of the circumstances under which an indexer cluster manager node and a license manager can colocate.
• A search head cluster deployer. See Deployer requirements in Distributed Search.
• A search head.
• An indexer. If a license manager is located on an indexer, it will become the indexer's license manager.

For a general discussion of management component colocation, see Components that help to manage your deployment in the Distributed Deployment Manual.

Configure the license manager

To configure the license manager:

1. Install your Enterprise licenses onto the license manager. See Install a license.
2. Configure the license peers to communicate with the license manager. See Configure a license peer.
3. Review the license allocation on the license manager, and create pools to allocate license volume. See Create or edit a license pool.
4. Verify the license capacity usage and indexing volume the next day. See About the Splunk Enterprise license usage report view.

License manager and peer version compatibility

A license manager must be on the same or later version than its license peers. For example, an 8.2.x license manager is compatible with 7.3, 8.0, and 8.1 peers.

Compatibility is significant at the major/minor release level, but not at the maintenance level. For example, a 7.2 license manager is not compatible with a 7.3 license peer, because the 7.2 is a lower minor release level than 7.3. However, a 7.3.1 license manager is compatible with a 7.3.3 license peer, despite the lower maintenance release level.