Overview
System Frontier operates on a per node licensing model. This means that any node, whether virtual or physical, that is managed directly or indirectly, requires a license. Server class nodes necessitate a server license, while all other nodes require a non-server (or endpoint) license. Below are examples of various node classes and the corresponding licenses needed.
|
Node Class |
Examples |
License needed |
|
Server |
Windows Server (2025/2022), RHEL, Ubuntu Server, ESXi, Hyper-V, BSD |
Server |
|
Workstation |
Windows Client (Windows 11/10), Ubuntu Desktop, Mac OS |
Endpoint |
|
Network device |
Router, switch, firewall |
Endpoint |
|
Printer |
Network printer, MFP |
Endpoint |
|
User |
Active Directory user, Azure AD user, OpenLDAP user, 3rd party app user |
Endpoint |
|
Other |
Any object that doesn’t meet the criteria for being a server. |
Endpoint |
Delegated users
Users who log into System Frontier or connect via API or other means to perform tasks, referred to as delegated users, don’t require a license. Only user accounts targeted by tools in System Frontier need a license. For instance, if you manage an Active Directory user account, a Microsoft 365 user account, and a user account in a 3rd party application, you only need one license for that user across all environments.
Example licensing scenarios
Scenario 1
You have a custom tool that the Help Desk uses to create new Active Directory user accounts. This tool:
- Provisions new accounts
- Adds them to groups based on job titles
- Sets up access to your ticketing system
The tool uses PowerShell to connect to a domain controller using the AD cmdlets, then connects to a 3rd party ticketing system via its REST API, and finally provisions access to Microsoft 365 applications.
Licensing Requirement: One non-server license is required per user account created. If you will create 500 users during your license period, you need 500 non-server licenses. A server license is not required for the domain controller since it is not the object being managed.
Scenario 2
You have a custom tool that allows an application owner to restart their application in System Frontier. This tool:
- Connects to the vCenter API
- Restarts 4 virtual Windows servers and 3 physical Linux servers
- Updates a change ticket in the ticketing system after the process
Licensing Requirement: Seven server licenses are needed for the 4 virtual servers and 3 physical servers. Even if the VMs reside on a single host, they are the objects being managed.
Scenario 3
A development team uses tools to spin up temporary VMs on a 3-node ESX cluster. In an average month, they manage:
- 50 server VMs
- 5 Windows 10 VMs
- Occasionally reboot the host if issues arise
Licensing Requirement: A total of 53 server node licenses and 5 non-server node licenses are required. Hosts need licenses as well as the VMs running on them since they can be managed using System Frontier.
Summary
In short, you only need licenses for the nodes that are managed in some way with System Frontier. There are usage limitations and different support options depending on the edition chosen.
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