Software

Supermicro software license keys are designed to regulate the use of paid functions for BMC and software tools. When users want to unlock licensed features in BMC, they are required to activate the software license keys in the BMC firmware. Each key is unique to a motherboard, as a key is tied to a specific BMC MAC address. All Supermicro software license keys are perpetual, remaining valid for the life span of the hardware (motherboard).

Software License Key Format

The software license key from Supermicro is stored in a text file and presented as follows:

<License_Key>

The method to activate your software license keys is different from software to software. You may need to edit the license key file.

Depending on the type of system you use, you might need to access either the old or the new BMC Web to activate your software license keys. Note that SFT-OOB-LIC is the only type of license key that you can activate on the old BMC Web. To activate SFT-DCMS-SINGLE for Gen 10 and 11 motherboards, please use SAA, SUM, SSM or Redfish API.

Old BMC Web

1. Go to the BMC Web, and log in with your credentials.
2. Click Miscellaneous on the top menu bar.
3. Click Activate License on the left menu, enter the 24-character SFT-OOB-LIC key obtained from Supermicro, and click the Activate button.
4. The Node Product Key status will change from "Not activated" to "Activated."

New BMC Web

1. Open the software license key file (.txt) obtained from Supermicro. Note that no spaces are allowed in the text file.
2. Go to the BMC Web, and log in with your credentials.
3. Click Maintenance on the left menu, and select License Activation.
4. Click the Select File button, choose the text file with the license key from Supermicro, and click the Upload button.
5. If activation is successful, a message "Success" appears and you will also find the license key SKU name in the Node Product Key Status field.

If you get a format error, please check the text file and see if there are any blank spaces or if a MAC address is not deleted.

This version of SAA is only intended for use on Generation 12 and later systems. For details on installation and usage, refer to The SAA User’s Guide.

Single Node

To activate the license key of a single node, you can choose to do it in-band or out-of-band.

1. In-Band Activation (executed on localhost OS):

   Open a Command Prompt and execute the command:

   # saa -c ActivateProductKey --key <License_Key> Example: C:\ saa_1.5.0_Win_x86_64> saa.exe -c ActivateProductKey –-key AAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGSw1zjcokBJrE1va2uIhi1umjMFAUZVqBuP06oZmZkT4y1pOvSYXDuMbJ8S27SyrA8A3S7XgblZeEYbrUF+JzAg6SSAgN6TxAwc8QZS5rIqi7oDARAjJkxMJJKHwYcHiCW1/pSeclAMquDl/g0mTWNxYeG01mGsrtclIKIm3tvN8i6/zpEeV6jfE7AUOAAunFOVWt/OMcD+iTiY7pN3HhQ39cS3t7dBYoWv/a1sPjtlCelA0iLjoXi8TCbqVCxpVv4QQRI7Qv2wH4hNcl5dwndiMkamCYDwU4P7DlN/v+++bAgQ1N0hE/zwLqnxchD+iw==

2. Out-of-Band Activation:

   Open a Command Prompt and execute the command:

   # saa -i <BMC_IP_address> -u <Username> -p <Password> -c ActivateProductKey --key <License_Key> Example: C:\ saa_1.5.0_Win_x86_64> saa.exe -i 172.16.104.224 -u ADMIN -p ADMIN -c ActivateProductKey –-key AAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGSw1zjcokBJrE1va2uIhi1umjMFAUZVqBuP06oZmZkT4y1pOvSYXDuMbJ8S27SyrA8A3S7XgblZeEYbrUF+JzAg6SSAgN6TxAwc8QZS5rIqi7oDARAjJkxMJJKHwYcHiCW1/pSeclAMquDl/g0mTWNxYeG01mGsrtclIKIm3tvN8i6/zpEeV6jfE7AUOAAunFOVWt/OMcD+iTiY7pN3HhQ39cS3t7dBYoWv/a1sPjtlCelA0iLjoXi8TCbqVCxpVv4QQRI7Qv2wH4hNcl5dwndiMkamCYDwU4P7DlN/v+++bAgQ1N0hE/zwLqnxchD+iw==

Note: When the software license key you purchase and receive from Supermicro is in JSON format, add two single quotation marks before and after the key for activation. See the example below.

# ./saa -c ActivateProductKey --key '{"ProductKey":{"Node":{"LicenseID":"1","LicenseName":"SFT-OOB-LIC","CreateDate":"20200409"},"Signature":"eTFoW1COvxznAnJtet+XeOceIdOjPPhNhOxjIJ03tqCXRZoqxFo73BShTI/yEW5Ljp7Q7NHBbSdFpDGxx89NoWm1NoFIGGfcuqf7ir0w4HXMarcG2WfXS6reLlL3KlQxpy2Djuej3oTQczKV4uW3CVzWYT+bjgMfyk/JV3lTF2CIVxsr4Eqytg0PUC4TR7J20AZOLyA++cyijRN2PbFacybngsfi/SvAha77XWvbTE4HA8IWSmh74IBX56dKu4CbuBmnRGnKOGVVfe8vX1glVFA5ovFuzMc1ENAewFn8qJ/abVLsp1lbvh9XAQTky0J8g2VRfZOK+BfIvWaABE6eVw=="}}'

Multiple Nodes

Activating the license keys of multiple nodes can only be performed using out-of-band activation.

To activate multiple nodes, prepare two text files and then execute a single SAA command.

1. Create the Credential File
   Create a text file (for example, List.txt) that contains the connection information for each target BMC. Each line must include the BMC IP address, username, and password, separated by single spaces in the following order:
   
   <BMC_IP_address> <BMC_username> <BMC_password>
   
   Example (List.txt):
2. Prepare the License Key File
   Prepare the license key file (for example, License.txt) obtained from Supermicro. Each line must contain on entry, separated by a semicolon and space, in the following format:
   
   <BMC_MAC_address>; <License_Key>
   
   Example (License.txt):
3. Execute the Activation Command
   Open a Command Prompt and run the following command: #saa -l <Credential_File> -c ActivateProductKey --key_file <License_File> Example: C:\ saa_1.5.0_Win_x86_64> saa.exe -l List.txt -c ActivateProductKey –-key_file License.txt

   After the command completes, SAA will display a summary report showing the execution status for each node. A status of Success indicates that the license key was activated successfully on that node.

   

Note:

Place both the credential file and the license file in the same directory as the SAA executable, or provide the full path to each file in the command.

The entries in both files must correspond to the same nodes (in matching order).

When the license key is provided in JSON format, use it directly in the license file (no additional quotation marks are required).

This version of SUM is designed for Generation 13 and earlier systems. Systems that are Generation 14 and newer are not supported. For details on installation and usage, refer to The SUM User’s Guide.

Single Node

To activate the license key of a single node, you can choose to do it in-band or out-of-band.

1. In-Band Activation (executed on localhost OS):

   Open a Command Prompt and execute the command:

   # sum -c ActivateProductKey --key <License_Key> Example: C:\ sum_2.7.0_Win_x86_64> sum.exe -c ActivateProductKey –-key AAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGSw1zjcokBJrE1va2uIhi1umjMFAUZVqBuP06oZmZkT4y1pOvSYXDuMbJ8S27SyrA8A3S7XgblZeEYbrUF+JzAg6SSAgN6TxAwc8QZS5rIqi7oDARAjJkxMJJKHwYcHiCW1/pSeclAMquDl/g0mTWNxYeG01mGsrtclIKIm3tvN8i6/zpEeV6jfE7AUOAAunFOVWt/OMcD+iTiY7pN3HhQ39cS3t7dBYoWv/a1sPjtlCelA0iLjoXi8TCbqVCxpVv4QQRI7Qv2wH4hNcl5dwndiMkamCYDwU4P7DlN/v+++bAgQ1N0hE/zwLqnxchD+iw==

2. Out-of-Band Activation:

   Open a Command Prompt and execute the command:

   # sum -i <BMC_IP_address> -u <Username> -p <Password> -c ActivateProductKey --key <License_Key> Example: C:\ sum_2.7.0_Win_x86_64> sum.exe -i 172.16.104.224 -u ADMIN -p ADMIN -c ActivateProductKey –-key AAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGSw1zjcokBJrE1va2uIhi1umjMFAUZVqBuP06oZmZkT4y1pOvSYXDuMbJ8S27SyrA8A3S7XgblZeEYbrUF+JzAg6SSAgN6TxAwc8QZS5rIqi7oDARAjJkxMJJKHwYcHiCW1/pSeclAMquDl/g0mTWNxYeG01mGsrtclIKIm3tvN8i6/zpEeV6jfE7AUOAAunFOVWt/OMcD+iTiY7pN3HhQ39cS3t7dBYoWv/a1sPjtlCelA0iLjoXi8TCbqVCxpVv4QQRI7Qv2wH4hNcl5dwndiMkamCYDwU4P7DlN/v+++bAgQ1N0hE/zwLqnxchD+iw==

Note: When the software license key you purchase and receive from Supermicro is in JSON format, add two single quotation marks before and after the key for activation. See the example below.

# ./sum -c ActivateProductKey --key '{"ProductKey":{"Node":{"LicenseID":"1","LicenseName":"SFT-OOB-LIC","CreateDate":"20200409"},"Signature":"eTFoW1COvxznAnJtet+XeOceIdOjPPhNhOxjIJ03tqCXRZoqxFo73BShTI/yEW5Ljp7Q7NHBbSdFpDGxx89NoWm1NoFIGGfcuqf7ir0w4HXMarcG2WfXS6reLlL3KlQxpy2Djuej3oTQczKV4uW3CVzWYT+bjgMfyk/JV3lTF2CIVxsr4Eqytg0PUC4TR7J20AZOLyA++cyijRN2PbFacybngsfi/SvAha77XWvbTE4HA8IWSmh74IBX56dKu4CbuBmnRGnKOGVVfe8vX1glVFA5ovFuzMc1ENAewFn8qJ/abVLsp1lbvh9XAQTky0J8g2VRfZOK+BfIvWaABE6eVw=="}}'

Multiple Nodes

Activating the license keys of multiple nodes can only be performed using out-of-band activation.

To activate multiple nodes, prepare two text files and then execute a single SUM command.

1. Create the Credential File
   Create a text file (for example, List.txt) that contains the connection information for each target BMC. Each line must include the BMC IP address, username, and password, separated by single spaces in the following order:
   
   <BMC_IP_address> <BMC_username> <BMC_password>
   
   Example (List.txt):
2. Prepare the License Key File
   Prepare the license key file (for example, License.txt) obtained from Supermicro. Each line must contain on entry, separated by a semicolon and space, in the following format:
   
   <BMC_MAC_address>; <License_Key>
   
   Example (License.txt):
3. Execute the Activation Command
   Open a Command Prompt and run the following command: #sum -l <Credential_File> -c ActivateProductKey --key_file <License_File> Example: C:\ sum_2.7.0_Win_x86_64> sum.exe -l List.txt -c ActivateProductKey –-key_file License.txt

   After the command completes, SUM will display a summary report showing the execution status for each node. A status of Success indicates that the license key was activated successfully on that node.

   

Note:

Place both the credential file and the license file in the same directory as the SUM executable, or provide the full path to each file in the command.

The entries in both files must correspond to the same nodes (in matching order).

When the license key is provided in JSON format, use it directly in the license file (no additional quotation marks are required).

After installation, please connect to the SSM Web. For details on installation and usage, refer to The SSM User’s Guide.

1. Create a text file to include the following information on the nodes: the BMC MAC addresses, BMC IP addresses and license keys. You should type them in order and separate them by semicolons: <BMC_MAC_Address>;<BMC_IP_Address>;<License_Key>
2. Click Administration on the left menu bar.
3. Expand the Monitoring Setup menu and select Node PK Activation.
4. Click Choose File to upload the text file, enter the BMC username and password, and click the Activate button.
5. The Node PK Activation window appears. Click Run.
6. If successful, the status will display "Success" along with a green check mark.

The 12th generation and later platforms support software license activation through the Redfish interface. The Redfish API for license management has evolved across firmware versions and fully supports DMTF compliance.

Prerequisites

1. License Key: Convert the complete JSON string to Based64
2. Remote Access: Access to the Redfish API of the BMC IP via HTTPS
3. Tool: REST Client, such as Postman, curl, etc.

Usage and Example

1. Activate a Software License

   Method: POST

   URL: https://<BMC_IP>/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/

   Body (raw -> JSON):

    {
  “LicenseString”:“<Base64-encoded JSON string>”
 } Postman Example

   Successful Response Example (Status: 201 Created)

   curl Command-Line Example curl -X POST \
  https://<BMC_IP>/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/ \
  -u ADMIN:ADMIN \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "LicenseString": "<Base64-encoded JSON string>"
  }'

   * To bypass self-signed certificate checks, use "--insecure" parameter. curl -X POST –-insecure ...

2. Query / List All Activated Licenses

   Method: GET

   URL: https://<BMC_IP>/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/

   Postman Example

   Successful Response Example (Status: 200 OK)

   curl Command-Line Example curl -X GET \
  https://<BMC_IP>/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/ \
  -u ADMIN:ADMIN

3. View Detail of a Specific License

   Method: GET

   URL: https://<BMC_IP>/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/SFT-DCMS-SINGLE

   (Replace SFT-DCMS-SINGLE with the actual License ID shown in the LicenseCollection)

   Postman Example

   Successful Response Example (Status: 200 OK)

   curl Command-Line Example curl -X GET \
  https://<BMC_IP>/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/SFT-DCMS-SINGLE \
  -u ADMIN:ADMIN

License Management API Evolution and Compatibility

Operation	HTTP Method	Current URI (RF Ver. 1.21 and later)	Legacy URI (Before RF Ver. 1.21)	Notes
Activate a License	POST	/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/	/redfish/v1/Managers/1/LicenseManager/Actions/LicenseManager.ActivateLicense /redfish/v1/Managers/1/LicenseManager/ActivateLicense (Removed since RF Ver. 1.11)	New API requires the Supermicro-provided JSON string to be converted to Base64 and placed in the LicenseString field.
Query / List All Activated Licenses	GET	/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/	/redfish/v1/Managers/1/LicenseManager/QueryLicense	Returns the License Collection in the New URI.
View Detail of a Specific License	GET	/redfish/v1/LicenseService/Licenses/{LicenseId}	No direct equivalent	{LicenseId} Example: SFT-DCMSSINGLE

* Legacy Activation Method (for Older BMC Firmware Only – Not Recommended)

If your BMC firmware does not yet support the LicenseService endpoint, use the legacy endpoint /redfish/v1/Managers/1/LicenseManager/Actions/LicenseManager.ActivateLicense with the original Product Key with JSON format. However, upgrading the BMC firmware to use the new LicenseService API is highly recommended.