The purpose of the "Consul License Troubleshooting" Knowledge Base (KB) is to provide comprehensive guidance and solutions for addressing common issues related to Consul licensing. This resource aims to assist users in identifying, understanding, and resolving licensing challenges that may arise during the implementation or operation of Consul.
This section addresses commonly encountered Consul license-related queries and problems, providing step-by-step troubleshooting guidance.
Scenario 1:-
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The Consul license has expired, even though there is sufficient time before the termination date.
It is better to review the information provided by the customer, including the output of the command below, which will help us identify the expiration and termination of the Consul license.
$ consul license inspect /path/license.hclic
Note: Please remember to replace /path/license.hclic with the actual name and path of your Consul license file.
For more details related to this command, you can refer to this link.
$ consul license inspect license.hclic Source: license.hclic Product: consul License ID: 6d43db62-bc7d-9d79-1a91-5da295531xxx Customer ID: 1354a45b-0975-9beb-3193-4c0339dedxxx Installation ID: * Issue Time: 2020-10-23 09:19:17.567677828 +0000 UTC Start Time: 2020-10-23 00:00:00 +0000 UTC Expiration Time: 2021-10-22 00:00:00 +0000 UTC Termination Time: 2031-10-21 00:00:00 +0000 UTC Features: Automated Backups Automated Upgrades Validation Errors: * license is expired
In the above output, it is clearly mentioned that the license has expired, but there is still enough time in the termination. The provided output of "consul license inspect" for the Consul license file indicates that Consul will continue normal operation and can be restarted after license expiration, as defined in expiration_time. As the license expiration is approached or passed, Consul will issue warnings in the system logs. Consul will only cease operation after license termination, which occurs 10 years after license expiration and is defined in termination_time.
In this case, it is best to reach out to the CSM (Customer Success Manager) for a renewed license file and then apply the same.
For guidance on Consul license management, please refer to the link provided below.
How to manage your Consul license
Scenario 2:-
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Validation Errors Updating Consul License (incorrectly formatted license)
$ consul license inspect license.hclic Source: license.hclic Validation Errors: incorrectly formatted license
It seems that the license file in question may not be valid or could have become corrupted.
Please confirm if any manual changes have been made to the file. If alterations were made, I recommend verifying the integrity of the original license file. In case you have been working with the original license file you received, and the issue persists, consider reaching out to your CSM to request a new license file.
In the meantime, could you share the exact original license file with the Support Team? This will enable Support Engineers to conduct testing in lab environment.
There are two version of Consul licenses. It is advisable to confirm the version of the license in this situation.
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License Version 1 (
v1) is for Consul <1.6 -
License Version 2 (
v2) is for Consul1.6+onwards
You can check the license version being used with the following command. The below command will read out if the license is a v1 license or a v2 license.
$ echo "License Type is: v$(cat <license_file> | cut -c2)"If the versions of the license and Consul are mismatched, you can contact the CSM/Sales channel to generate V1/V2 licenses accordingly and share them with the customer.
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The following list serves as an excellent starting point for gaining insights into the license changes introduced in Consul Enterprise 1.10.0+ent.
Conclusion:
Knowledge Base serves as a valuable resource for users navigating licensing challenges within the Consul environment. By providing comprehensive insights and effective solutions to common issues, this KB empowers users to address licensing-related concerns with confidence. Whether resolving activation hurdles, understanding licensing features, or troubleshooting errors, the guidance offered in this KB aims to enhance the overall experience of Consul users. As you conclude your exploration of this resource, we trust that the insights gained will contribute to a more seamless and efficient utilisation of Consul in your specific use case.