A10 Thunder software licensing depends on the form factor on which ACOS runs. A10’s terms of use fix a different Limit for each: a single instance with a unique identifier on a single hypervisor for virtual machine Software, a single specified hardware Appliance for Appliance Software, and a single Intel x86 based server or other specified hardware for BareMetal Software.[1] The data sheets for Thunder ADC, CFW and CGN then list the licence tiers available for each form factor.[2][3][4]
vThunder on hypervisors
vThunder ADC runs on VMware ESXi and KVM (and, per the FlexPool page, Microsoft Hyper-V). Its licence options are a 30-day trial licence, bandwidth licences and a FlexPool licence; the bandwidth tiers listed are Lab, 25 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 3 Gbps, 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps, with higher tiers needing SR-IOV or PCI passthrough, and bandwidth licences are available as perpetual or term-based.[2][5] The CFW-ADC model has the same tier ladder; the CFW-CGN model lists Lab, 200 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 4 Gbps, 8 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, 50 Gbps and 100 Gbps.[3] Thunder CGN vThunder lists the same CGN ladder.[4]
The installation guide states that vThunder requires a licence: without one it cannot run production traffic and bandwidth is only sufficient for testing connectivity.[6] It lists the licence models as trial (created in the ACOS GUI), perpetual (based on bandwidth, obtained as an activation key licence and installed manually), PAYG and Capacity Pool (FlexPool).[6] The unit of count is the instance: an instance with a unique identifier on one hypervisor, so cloning a vThunder image without a new licence exceeds the Limit.[1]
Cloud marketplace images
The Thunder ADC data sheet lists marketplace products for AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud with up to 10 Gbps throughput (up to 24 Gbps for the Oracle Cloud image), a 30-day trial licence, pre-installed bandwidth licences of 20 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 5 Gbps and 10 Gbps, a BYOL bandwidth licence and a FlexPool licence; the Oracle Cloud image is licensed by OCPU from 1 to 24.[2] The Azure installation guide explains the two marketplace image types: for BYOL images the customer must contact A10 Sales for the licence, while fixed throughput images have the licence preinstalled.[6]
Two pay-as-you-go models exist for service providers. The Rental Billing Model (RBM) bills a fixed amount of bandwidth plus surcharges for extra bandwidth; the Utility Billing Model (UBM) bills actual data usage in bytes, with unlimited instances and no bandwidth settings. Both need internet access to an A10 licence server.[6] The terms of use add that where a Rate Plan specifies a Limit without overage coverage, data above the Limit is dropped, and where it specifies overage coverage the customer is charged automatically for overage until the overage allowance is exhausted; A10 may reduce throughput when usage exceeds a Limit in a billing cycle.[1]
Bare metal
Thunder ADC for Bare Metal runs on reference servers such as Dell PowerEdge R760 and Supermicro X13. Bandwidth licences of 10 Gbps (4 cores), 20 Gbps (8 cores), 40 Gbps (14 cores) and 60 Gbps (24 cores) are listed, tied to the maximum number of CPU cores that can be allocated to ACOS, and FlexPool is available up to 60 Gbps per Thunder ADC.[2] Thunder CGN for Bare Metal lists the same ladder extended to 100 Gbps with 40 cores and FlexPool up to 100 Gbps per instance.[4] Under the terms of use the bare metal licence covers one instance on Permitted Bare Metal Hardware, so moving the software to a different server needs A10’s agreement to the hardware specified.[1]
Hardware appliances and modular licences
On Thunder hardware the licence runs on a single specified Appliance. Newer platforms use modular licensing: the CGN data sheet describes “pay-as-you-grow” modular licensing for Thunder hardware, and the ACOS 7.0.3 document says the Thunder 7465 is available with both Modular Perpetual and Modular Subscription licensing models.[4][7] The data sheets show the maximum throughput of each appliance depending on the modular licence associated, for example a platform with a modular licence of 100, 150, 200 or 250 Gbps.[2] If a customer sells, leases or otherwise passes an Appliance to a third party, it must erase the Software from it, and licences are non-transferable unless A10 agrees to an assignment in writing.[1][8]
Container
The container image (Open Container Initiative format, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.16 in the data sheets) requires a minimum of 4 vCPU and 16 GB of memory, and is licensed by BYOL bandwidth licence or FlexPool licence with a 90-day software warranty.[2][3]
Feature and add-on licences
Some features need their own licence:
- Hardware accelerated blocking: a standalone HW_ACCELERATED_BLOCKING licence is needed to offload selective filtering entries to hardware; without it, entries are enforced in software by the CPU.[7]
- AI firewall: built into the ADC or CFW licence and enabled during licence acquisition through GLM.[7]
- Ngen Low Latency for Thunder 1060S: a separate licence acquired from GLM that enables low-latency mode.[7]
- Disk Encryption: requires a valid Disk Encryption licence.[7]
- CGN and CFW: all CGN products are also available under the CFW licence, but the CFW-CGN product line is required for firewall and hierarchical traffic control use cases.[4]
Trials and expiry
Trials are limited to a non-production environment and a Trial Term not exceeding 90 days unless otherwise agreed, and trial products may contain a disabling device.[1] When a vThunder licence expires, functionality continues with reduced bandwidth; the Usage Term of a subscription renews automatically for one year unless 60 days’ written notice is given.[6][1]
Out of scope
This article does not list individual Thunder hardware models or their throughput, which A10 publishes in its data sheets, nor does it cover the sign-in-only GLM guides.