Add flowcharts for NGINX Plus licensing and reporting (#1175)

Added flowcarts for NGINX Plus license verification and usage reporting requirements. Simplified language in Getting Started guide.

---------

Co-authored-by: Mike Jang <3287976+mjang@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: yar <y82@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: 3 people

content/includes/licensing-and-reporting/apply-jwt.md

@@ -15,10 +15,8 @@ file:
    systemctl reload nginx
    ```
 
-**If SELinux is enabled**: 
+1. If SELinux is enabled, set the correct file context so NGINX can read the license:
 
-Set the correct file context so NGINX can read the license:
-
-```shell
-chcon -t httpd_config_t /etc/nginx/license.jwt
-```
+   ```shell
+   chcon -t httpd_config_t /etc/nginx/license.jwt
+   ```

content/includes/licensing-and-reporting/configure-nginx-plus-report-to-nim.md

@@ -2,20 +2,23 @@
 docs:
 ---
 
-1. Open port `443` for NGINX Instance Manager.
+1. Allow NGINX Plus instances to connect to NGINX Instance Manager over HTTPS (TCP `443`).
 
-2. On each NGINX Plus instance, update the [`usage_report`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_mgmt_module.html#usage_report) directive in the [`mgmt`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_mgmt_module.html) block of the NGINX configuration (`/etc/nginx/nginx.conf`) to point to your NGINX Instance Manager host:
+1. On each NGINX Plus instance, set the [`usage_report`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_mgmt_module.html#usage_report) directive in the [`mgmt`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_mgmt_module.html) block of `/etc/nginx/nginx.conf` to point to your NGINX Instance Manager host:
 
     ```nginx
     mgmt {
-      usage_report endpoint=<NGINX-INSTANCE-MANAGER-FQDN>;
+     usage_report endpoint=<NGINX-INSTANCE-MANAGER-FQDN>;
     }
     ```
 
-    {{<call-out "note" "Extra steps for self-signed certificates">}}If you use self-signed certificates in your NGINX Instance Manager environment, follow the steps in [Configure SSL verification for usage reporting with self-signed certificates]({{< ref "nim/system-configuration/secure-traffic.md#configure-ssl-verify" >}}).{{</call-out>}}
-
-3. Reload NGINX:
+1. Reload NGINX:
 
     ``` bash
     systemctl reload nginx
     ```
+
+{{<call-out "note" "If you’re using self-signed certificates" >}}
+If you’re using self-signed certificates with NGINX Instance Manager,  
+see [Configure SSL verification for self-signed certificates]({{< ref "nim/system-configuration/secure-traffic.md#configure-ssl-verify" >}}) for additional steps.
+{{</call-out>}}

content/includes/licensing-and-reporting/custom-paths-jwt.md

@@ -2,15 +2,15 @@
 docs:
 ---
 
-If you plan to use a custom path for the license file, note that **custom paths won’t work until after the R33 upgrade**. You’ll need to create a placeholder file at `/etc/nginx/license.jwt` or `/usr/local/etc/nginx/license.jwt` on FreeBSD before upgrading.
+If you’re upgrading from NGINX Plus R32 or earlier to R33 or later and plan to use a custom path for the license file, note that the custom path isn’t recognized until after the upgrade. You must first create a placeholder file at `/etc/nginx/license.jwt` (or `/usr/local/etc/nginx/license.jwt` on FreeBSD).  
 
-1. **Before upgrading**: Create the placeholder file by running:
+1. **Before upgrading**: Create the placeholder file:
 
    ```bash
    touch /etc/nginx/license.jwt
    ```
 
-2. **After upgrading**: Update the [`license_token`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_mgmt_module.html#license_token) directive in the NGINX configuration [`mgmt`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_mgmt_module.html) block to point to your custom path:
+1. **After upgrading**: Update the [`license_token`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_mgmt_module.html#license_token) directive in the [`mgmt`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_mgmt_module.html) block of the configuration to point to your custom path:
 
    ```nginx
    mgmt {

content/includes/licensing-and-reporting/deploy-jwt-with-csgs.md

@@ -3,14 +3,22 @@ file:
   - content/solutions/about-subscription-licenses.md
 ---
 
-1. In the NGINX One Console, go to **Manage > Config Sync Groups**, then select your group.
-   
-   If you haven't created a Config Sync Group yet, see [Manage Config Sync Groups]({{< ref "/nginx-one/nginx-configs/config-sync-groups/manage-config-sync-groups.md" >}}) for setup instructions.
-2. Select the **Configuration** tab, then choose **Edit Configuration**.
-3. Select **Add File**, then choose **New Configuration File**.
-4. In the **File name** field, enter:
+
+{{<call-out "note" "Before you begin">}}
+Before you deploy with a Config Sync Group, you need to create one in the NGINX One Console.  
+If you haven’t created a group yet, see [Manage Config Sync Groups]({{< ref "/nginx-one/nginx-configs/config-sync-groups/manage-config-sync-groups.md" >}}) for instructions.
+{{</call-out>}} 
+
+1. In the NGINX One Console, go to **Manage > Config Sync Groups**, then select your group.  
+
+2. Open the **Configuration** tab and select **Edit Configuration**.  
+
+3. Select **Add File**, then choose **New Configuration File**.  
+
+4. In the **File name** field, enter the exact path:  
    - On Linux: `/etc/nginx/license.jwt`  
    - On FreeBSD: `/usr/local/etc/nginx/license.jwt`  
-   The name must be exact.
-5. Paste the contents of your JWT license file into the editor.
-6. Select **Next** to preview the diff, then **Save and Publish** to apply the update.
+
+5. Paste the contents of your JWT license file into the editor.  
+
+6. Select **Next** to preview the changes, then choose **Save and Publish** to apply the update.  

content/includes/licensing-and-reporting/log-location-and-monitoring.md

@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 docs:
 ---
 
-Monitor the [NGINX error log](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_core_module.html#error_log), typically located at `/var/log/nginx/error.log`, for subscription-related issues — such as failed usage reports or approaching license expirations — to catch problems early and keep your subscription compliant.
+Monitor the [NGINX error log](https://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_core_module.html#error_log), usually at `/var/log/nginx/error.log`, to identify subscription issues early. The log records problems such as failed usage reports or licenses that are about to expire. Check it regularly to avoid downtime and stay compliant.
 
-<br>
+You can also use the [license API endpoint](https://demo.nginx.com/api/9/license) to check license status programmatically. For details, see the [ngx_http_api_module docs](https://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_api_module.html#def_nginx_license_object).
 
-Examples of subscription-related log entries include:
+Examples of log entries:
 
-- **Failure to upload usage reports**:
+- **Failed usage reports:**
 
   ``` text
   [error] 36387#36387: server returned 500 for <fqdn>:<port> during usage report
@@ -17,17 +17,19 @@ Examples of subscription-related log entries include:
   [error] 38888#88: server returned 401 for <ip_address>:443 during usage report
   ```
 
-- **License approaching expiration**:
+- **License nearing expiration:**
 
   ``` text
   [warn] license will expire in 14 days
   ```
 
-- **License expiration**:
+- **License expired:**
 
   ``` text
   [alert] license expiry; grace period will end in 89 days
   [emerg] license expired
   ```
 
-  {{< call-out "important" >}}When a license expires, NGINX Plus stops processing traffic.{{< /call-out >}}
+{{< call-out "important" "Important" >}}
+NGINX Plus stops processing traffic if the license has been expired for more than 90 days.
+{{< /call-out >}}

content/includes/licensing-and-reporting/reported-usage-data.md

@@ -2,38 +2,39 @@
 docs:
 ---
 
-NGINX Plus automatically sends usage data to F5 every hour by default. This data is sent as a `POST` request and includes details like how much traffic is processed and how long the instance has been running. Here's an example of the data that's sent:
+By default, NGINX Plus sends usage data to F5 every hour in a `POST` request. The report includes information such as traffic volume, runtime, and instance activity.  
+
+Here’s an example of a usage report:
 
 ```json
 {
     "version": "<nginx_version>",
     "uuid": "<nginx_uuid>",
-    "nap": "<active/inactive>", // status of NGINX App Protect
+    "nap": "<active/inactive>", // NGINX App Protect status
     "http": {
         "client": {
             "received": 0, // bytes received
-            "sent": 0, // bytes sent
-            "requests": 0 // number of HTTP requests processed
+            "sent": 0,     // bytes sent
+            "requests": 0  // HTTP requests processed
         },
         "upstream": {
             "received": 0, // bytes received
-            "sent": 0 // bytes sent
+            "sent": 0      // bytes sent
         }
     },
     "stream": {
         "client": {
             "received": 0, // bytes received
-            "sent": 0 // bytes sent
+            "sent": 0      // bytes sent
         },
         "upstream": {
             "received": 0, // bytes received
-            "sent": 0 // bytes sent
+            "sent": 0      // bytes sent
         }
     },
-    "workers": 0, // number of worker processes running
-    "uptime": 0, // number of seconds the instance has been running
-    "reloads": 0, // number of times the instance has been reloaded
-    "start_time": "epoch", // start time of data collection for the report
-    "end_time": "epoch" // end time of data collection for the report
-}
-```
+    "workers": 0,       // number of worker processes running
+    "uptime": 0,        // seconds the instance has been running
+    "reloads": 0,       // number of reloads
+    "start_time": "epoch", // start of data collection
+    "end_time": "epoch"    // end of data collection
+}

content/solutions/_index.md

@@ -1,12 +1,29 @@
 ---
-title: Subscription Licensing & Solutions
+title: Subscription licensing & solutions
 nd-docs: null
 toc: true
 weight: 1
+nd-content-type: landing-page
+nd-landing-page: true
 ---
 
-This section provides information about managing subscription licenses for NGINX products. Learn about license requirements, how to handle common issues, and ensure compliance to keep systems running smoothly.
+## Subscription licensing
+
+{{<card-section showAsCards="true" isFeaturedSection="true">}}
+  {{<card title="Get started" titleUrl="about-subscription-licenses/getting-started/" icon="unplug" isFullSize="true">}}
+    Learn how NGINX Plus subscription licensing works, what’s required, and how to set up your environment.
+  {{</card >}}
+{{</card-section>}}
+
+{{<card-section showAsCards="true" >}}
+  {{<card title="Licensing workflows" titleUrl="about-subscription-licenses/nginx-plus-licensing-workflows/" icon="workflow" >}}
+    View flowcharts that show license validation and usage reporting checks at startup, renewal, and during operation.
+  {{</card>}}
+  {{<card title="Instructional videos" titleUrl="about-subscription-licenses/instructional-videos/" icon="youtube" >}}
+    Watch step-by-step videos on sending usage reports and installing or upgrading NGINX Plus.
+  {{</ card >}}
+{{</card-section>}}         
+
+
 
-### Topics in this section:
 
-- [About subscription licenses]({{< ref "solutions/about-subscription-licenses.md" >}})