Managing license keys

License keys are required to install, update, and renew all Ping products.

When you need a license

You must obtain a license to:

Set up a single-server instance. Once you have a valid license, you can set up multiple server instances in the same environment without needing additional licenses.
Upgrade a server to a new major version. For example, upgrading from 7.3 to 8.0 requires a new license.

The upgrade process automatically prompts you for a new license.

Obtaining a license

To obtain a license key, contact your account representative or use the Ping Identity licensing portal.

Specifying a license

Specify a license for PingAuthorize Server during or after setup. You can find instructions for specifying a license with the Policy Editor in Installing the Policy Editor non-interactively.

During setup

Specify a license when running the bin/setup tool using one of the following methods:

Provide the --licenseKeyFile <path-to-license> argument.
Copy the license file to the server’s root directory and then run the setup tool. The tool automatically discovers and applies the license file.

After setup

Specify a license after setup using one of the following methods:

In the PingAuthorize admin console, in the Topology section, click License.
- Under License Key, select a license file from your local directory.
Run the following command, providing the absolute path to the new license file and making sure to preserve the double quotes:
```
bin/dsconfig set-license-prop \
  --set "governance-license-key<{absolute-path-to-license}"
```

Viewing the license status

To view the details of a PingAuthorize Server license, including its expiration date, do one of the following:

Run the bin/status tool and scroll to the License Details section.
In the admin console sidebar, click Status.
- Click the Monitors tab and search for License.

License expiration

The PingAuthorize Server provides a notification in the admin console as the license expiration date approaches. Before a license expires, obtain a new one and install it by using dsconfig or the admin console.

License expiration affects the servers differently depending on whether they’re already running:

If the license expires while the servers are running, there’s no immediate disruption. The PingAuthorize Server and Policy Editor continue to function normally.
Attempts to start or restart the servers with an expired license fail.

Renew licenses before they expire to avoid pod restart failures.

In containerized environments such as Kubernetes, pod restarts trigger a fresh setup using the manage-profile tool. Because the tool treats this as a new installation, an expired license prevents the pod from restarting successfully.