VM-Series Firewall Licensing
Table of Contents
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- VM-Series Deployments
- VM-Series in High Availability
- Enable Jumbo Frames on the VM-Series Firewall
- Hypervisor Assigned MAC Addresses
- Custom PAN-OS Metrics Published for Monitoring
- Interface Used for Accessing External Services on the VM-Series Firewall
- PacketMMAP and DPDK Driver Support
- Enable NUMA Performance Optimization on the VM-Series
- Enable ZRAM on the VM-Series Firewall
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- VM-Series Firewall Licensing
- Create a Support Account
- Serial Number and CPU ID Format for the VM-Series Firewall
- Use Panorama-Based Software Firewall License Management
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- Maximum Limits Based on Memory
- Activate Credits
- Create a Deployment Profile
- Manage a Deployment Profile
- Register the VM-Series Firewall (Software NGFW Credits)
- Provision Panorama
- Migrate Panorama to a Software NGFW License
- Transfer Credits
- Renew Your Software NGFW Credits
- Amend and Extend a Credit Pool
- Deactivate License (Software NGFW Credits)
- Delicense Ungracefully Terminated Firewalls
- Set the Number of Licensed vCPUs
- Create and Apply a Subscription-Only Auth Code
- Customize Dataplane Cores
- Migrate a Firewall to a Flexible VM-Series License
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- Generate Your OAuth Client Credentials
- Manage Deployment Profiles Using the Licensing API
- Create a Deployment Profile Using the Licensing API
- Update a Deployment Profile Using the Licensing API
- Get Serial Numbers Associated with an Authcode Using the API
- Deactivate a VM-Series Firewall Using the API
- What Happens When Licenses Expire?
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- Supported Deployments on VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi)
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- Plan the Interfaces for the VM-Series for ESXi
- Provision the VM-Series Firewall on an ESXi Server
- Perform Initial Configuration on the VM-Series on ESXi
- Add Additional Disk Space to the VM-Series Firewall
- Use VMware Tools on the VM-Series Firewall on ESXi and vCloud Air
- Use vMotion to Move the VM-Series Firewall Between Hosts
- Use the VM-Series CLI to Swap the Management Interface on ESXi
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- Supported Deployments of the VM-Series Firewall on VMware NSX-T (North-South)
- Components of the VM-Series Firewall on NSX-T (North-South)
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- Install the Panorama Plugin for VMware NSX
- Enable Communication Between NSX-T Manager and Panorama
- Create Template Stacks and Device Groups on Panorama
- Configure the Service Definition on Panorama
- Deploy the VM-Series Firewall
- Direct Traffic to the VM-Series Firewall
- Apply Security Policy to the VM-Series Firewall on NSX-T
- Use vMotion to Move the VM-Series Firewall Between Hosts
- Extend Security Policy from NSX-V to NSX-T
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- Components of the VM-Series Firewall on NSX-T (East-West)
- VM-Series Firewall on NSX-T (East-West) Integration
- Supported Deployments of the VM-Series Firewall on VMware NSX-T (East-West)
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- Install the Panorama Plugin for VMware NSX
- Enable Communication Between NSX-T Manager and Panorama
- Create Template Stacks and Device Groups on Panorama
- Configure the Service Definition on Panorama
- Launch the VM-Series Firewall on NSX-T (East-West)
- Add a Service Chain
- Direct Traffic to the VM-Series Firewall
- Apply Security Policies to the VM-Series Firewall on NSX-T (East-West)
- Use vMotion to Move the VM-Series Firewall Between Hosts
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- Install the Panorama Plugin for VMware NSX
- Enable Communication Between NSX-T Manager and Panorama
- Create Template Stacks and Device Groups on Panorama
- Configure the Service Definition on Panorama
- Launch the VM-Series Firewall on NSX-T (East-West)
- Create Dynamic Address Groups
- Create Dynamic Address Group Membership Criteria
- Generate Steering Policy
- Generate Steering Rules
- Delete a Service Definition from Panorama
- Migrate from VM-Series on NSX-T Operation to Security Centric Deployment
- Extend Security Policy from NSX-V to NSX-T
- Use In-Place Migration to Move Your VM-Series from NSX-V to NSX-T
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- Deployments Supported on AWS
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- Planning Worksheet for the VM-Series in the AWS VPC
- Launch the VM-Series Firewall on AWS
- Launch the VM-Series Firewall on AWS Outpost
- Create a Custom Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
- Encrypt EBS Volume for the VM-Series Firewall on AWS
- Use the VM-Series Firewall CLI to Swap the Management Interface
- Enable CloudWatch Monitoring on the VM-Series Firewall
- VM-Series Firewall Startup and Health Logs on AWS
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- Use Case: Secure the EC2 Instances in the AWS Cloud
- Use Case: Use Dynamic Address Groups to Secure New EC2 Instances within the VPC
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- What Components Does the VM-Series Auto Scaling Template for AWS (v2.0) Leverage?
- How Does the VM-Series Auto Scaling Template for AWS (v2.0 and v2.1) Enable Dynamic Scaling?
- Plan the VM-Series Auto Scaling Template for AWS (v2.0 and v2.1)
- Customize the Firewall Template Before Launch (v2.0 and v2.1)
- Launch the VM-Series Auto Scaling Template for AWS (v2.0)
- SQS Messaging Between the Application Template and Firewall Template
- Stack Update with VM-Series Auto Scaling Template for AWS (v2.0)
- Modify Administrative Account and Update Stack (v2.0)
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- Launch the Firewall Template (v2.1)
- Launch the Application Template (v2.1)
- Create a Custom Amazon Machine Image (v2.1)
- VM-Series Auto Scaling Template Cleanup (v2.1)
- SQS Messaging Between the Application Template and Firewall Template (v2.1)
- Stack Update with VM-Series Auto Scaling Template for AWS (v2.1)
- Modify Administrative Account (v2.1)
- Change Scaling Parameters and CloudWatch Metrics (v2.1)
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- Intelligent Traffic Offload
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- Deployments Supported on Azure
- Deploy the VM-Series Firewall from the Azure Marketplace (Solution Template)
- Deploy the VM-Series Firewall from the Azure China Marketplace (Solution Template)
- Deploy the VM-Series with the Azure Gateway Load Balancer
- Create a Custom VM-Series Image for Azure
- Deploy the VM-Series Firewall on Azure Stack
- Deploy the VM-Series Firewall on Azure Stack HCI
- Enable Azure Application Insights on the VM-Series Firewall
- Set up Active/Passive HA on Azure
- Use the ARM Template to Deploy the VM-Series Firewall
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- About the VM-Series Firewall on Google Cloud Platform
- Supported Deployments on Google Cloud Platform
- Prepare to Set Up VM-Series Firewalls on Google Public Cloud
- Create a Custom VM-Series Firewall Image for Google Cloud Platform
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- Deploy the VM-Series Firewall from Google Cloud Platform Marketplace
- Management Interface Swap for Google Cloud Platform Load Balancing
- Use the VM-Series Firewall CLI to Swap the Management Interface
- Enable Google Stackdriver Monitoring on the VM Series Firewall
- Enable VM Monitoring to Track VM Changes on Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
- Use Dynamic Address Groups to Secure Instances Within the VPC
- Use Custom Templates or the gcloud CLI to Deploy the VM-Series Firewall
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- Prepare Your ACI Environment for Integration
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- Create a Virtual Router and Security Zone
- Configure the Network Interfaces
- Configure a Static Default Route
- Create Address Objects for the EPGs
- Create Security Policy Rules
- Create a VLAN Pool and Domain
- Configure an Interface Policy for LLDP and LACP for East-West Traffic
- Establish the Connection Between the Firewall and ACI Fabric
- Create a VRF and Bridge Domain
- Create an L4-L7 Device
- Create a Policy-Based Redirect
- Create and Apply a Service Graph Template
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- Create a VLAN Pool and External Routed Domain
- Configure an Interface Policy for LLDP and LACP for North-South Traffic
- Create an External Routed Network
- Configure Subnets to Advertise to the External Firewall
- Create an Outbound Contract
- Create an Inbound Web Contract
- Apply Outbound and Inbound Contracts to the EPGs
- Create a Virtual Router and Security Zone for North-South Traffic
- Configure the Network Interfaces
- Configure Route Redistribution and OSPF
- Configure NAT for External Connections
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- Choose a Bootstrap Method
- VM-Series Firewall Bootstrap Workflow
- Bootstrap Package
- Bootstrap Configuration Files
- Generate the VM Auth Key on Panorama
- Create the bootstrap.xml File
- Prepare the Licenses for Bootstrapping
- Prepare the Bootstrap Package
- Bootstrap the VM-Series Firewall on AWS
- Bootstrap the VM-Series Firewall on Azure
- Bootstrap the VM-Series Firewall on Azure Stack HCI
- Bootstrap the VM-Series Firewall on Google Cloud Platform
- Bootstrap the VM-Series Firewall on OCI
- Verify Bootstrap Completion
- Bootstrap Errors
VM-Series Firewall Licensing
Learn about licensing for flexible vCPU and fixed model
licenses.
This chapter compares the following license information:
- License Types: BYOL versus PayGo
- Flexible vCPUs and Fixed Model Licensing: Flexible vCPUs versus fixed models)
- Flexible vCPUs and Fixed Model Deployment: Summary of deployment steps for flexible and fixed models.
License Types
New capacity licenses (non-Software NGFW Credits)
are no longer available for purchase. However, you one (1) year
renewals for capacity (perpetual and term-based) licenses are available.
Palo Alto Networks currently supports two license types: Bring
Your Own License (BYOL) and PAYG (Pay-As-You-Go, also called PayGo).
Type | Description |
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BYOL | Software NGFW Credits—Available
on VM-Series firewalls running all PAN-OS releases. VM-Series firewalls
running PAN-OS versions 10.0.4 and later offer advanced features and
more flexibility. The flexible license cost is based on the number
of vCPUs, the security services you have enabled, and whether you
choose to provision Panorama to manage the firewall or act as a
log collector. See Software NGFW Credits for a detailed
explanation. |
BYOL | VM-Series Model licenses—Available
for use with all PAN-OS releases. The number of vCPUs is fixed according
to your chosen VM-Series model. Flexible vCPUs, available
with PAN-OS 10.0.4 and later, support advanced features and more
vCPUs. The capacity license cost is based on the VM-Series
model, the device memory, storage costs, and the support entitlement.
Security services and a Panorama deployment to manage your firewalls
are additional costs. The capacity license types are:
|
PayGo | Purchased from a public cloud marketplace
(such as AWS, Azure, or GCP), or a Cloud Security Service Provider
(CSSP). Available on the PAN-OS version your provider supports. On
PAN-OS versions earlier than 9.1.1, PayGo supported only the VM-Series
VM-300 model. For PAN-OS 9.1.1 and later PayGo can support fixed
Models. The traditional VM models, such as VM-100, VM-300, VM-500,
and VM-700 are supported. |
Flexible vCPUs and Fixed Model Licensing
What is the difference between flexible vCPU Software
NGFW licensing and fixed vCPU VM-Series Model licenses? They charge
for different things, and they fund them differently. The following
tables provide a quick comparison, and links to greater details.
Type | Flexible vCPUs | VM-Series Model (Fixed vCPUs) |
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Description | Cost is based on the number of vCPUs and
your chosen Security services. There is no cost for Panorama
other than the vCPUs it consumes.You purchase reusable Software
NGFW credits that expire at the end of a predetermined term. After activating your
credits you can portion them into credit pools. To use your credits,
choose a credit profile and create one or more deployment profiles.
Choose your own combination of firewall-as-a-platform components:
VM-Series vCPUs, security services, virtual Panorama for Management
or Dedicated Log Collection, and a support entitlement. All firewalls
deployed with a profile are licensed with the same auth code, and you
can manage them from the deployment profile. | Cost is based on the VM-Series model capacity
license, device memory, and storage. Panorama and Security services
are separate purchases.
|
Activation | Requires an activation email. Activation and registration occur automatically. | Requires an activation email and a separate registration step after activation. |
Security services | Threat Prevention, DNS Security, GlobalProtect,
WildFire, URL Filtering, SD-WAN, DLP, and other services as they
become available. When you create your deployment profile
you can choose any combination of security services. You can add
or remove security services from your profile at any time. | Bundle 1: Threat Prevention and premium
support entitlement. Bundle 2: Threat Prevention, DNS Security,
GlobalProtect, WildFire, URL Filtering, SD-WAN, DLP, and premium support
entitlement. |
PAN-OS version | Up to 64 flexible vCPUs and advanced service options for firewalls running 10.0.4 and later. | You can deploy a VM-Series model (fixed
vCPUs) on any PAN-OS version. |
Funding | Reusable credits that allow you to consume
firewall-as-a-platform components. After you purchase credits
you must activate them,
associating them to a particular account for your organization.
Activated credits fund a credit pool from which you can create a deployment
profile. When firewalls are deployed, credits are consumed.
When firewalls are deactivated, the credits are released and returned
to your credit pool for further use. |
|
Deployment Configuration | Flexible. A deployment profile can be changed at any time. Changes to the profile propagate to all firewalls that share the deployment profile auth code. | VM-Series model capacity does not change, but
if you have an ELA, you an can add Security services. Perpetual
and Term licenses are configured and paid for in advance and do
not change. |
Deployment | After credit activation, create a deployment
profile for a specific environment or use case (such as “Protect
my NSX Environment”) and configure firewall vCPUs, security services,
and an optional virtual Panorama. You can create any number of deployment
profiles and customize them at any point in time. You must have
the Customer Support Portal role Credit Administrator (applies to
account management only) to activate and manage Software NGFW credits. | Accept the VM-Series ELA. Deploy and configure the VM-Series firewall. Activate the model license and register the firewall. |
Panorama | When you create a deployment profile you can choose to add Panorama for management, or as a dedicated log collector for firewalls that use a deployment profile. This Panorama can manage firewalls deployed with the deployment profile’s shared auth code. | Panorama is a separate expense. A physical or virtual Panorama can be used to for firewall management or for log collection. |
Upgrade or Downgrade | If the VM-Series firewall or Panorama has
an internet connection, changes to your deployment profile are automatically
applied to the firewall. If the firewall does not have an
internet connection, manually stop the firewall. In Assets > Software
NGFW Credits change the deployment profile, then in the CSP, download
the license keys, and transfer them to the VM, obtain the profile
from the CSP, transfer it to the VM, restart the VM and apply the license. You
do not have to reboot the firewall in either case. | Change to a different model requires a license change and a reboot. |
Flexible vCPUs and Fixed Model Deployment
The following checklists compare the deployment processes
for Software NGFW credits and the VM-Series Model licensing methods.
Flexible vCPUs | Fixed vCPUs (VM-Series Model) |
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