How to Update the Terraform Enterprise License File in an FDO Deployment

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Saumya Rai
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Terraform Enterprise (TFE) requires a valid license file to operate. This file governs access to features and the ability to pull container images from the private registry. In FDO deployments, if the license is expired and the TFE instance restarts, it will fail to pull the required images, causing service downtime.

This article provides the necessary steps to safely update the license file, check its status, and restart the services without causing disruption.

 

 

Note - If the license expires, TFE will continue to run until restarted. However, upon restart, it will not be able to pull images, and the application will fail to start.

 

What is the License File Used For?

  • The license file  is used to:

    • Enable Terraform Enterprise features.

    • Authenticate with the private image registry to pull containers used by TFE.

    • Define usage limits and support levels.

Update the License File

Step 1 - Gracefully Stop the TFE Container

tfectl node drain --all # 
docker compose down # on all the nodes

Step 2 - Back up the License File 

take the back up of the existing licence

Step 3 - Copy the New License File

you will need to modify the TFE_LICENSE or TFE_LICENSE_PATH variable in the compose file 
These variable should now have the new license data

Step 4 - Restart the TFE Container

docker compose up -d

Step 4 - Verify the NewLicense 

tfectl app license

Ensure that the new expiry date is reflected correctly .

 

 

Tips and Best Practices

  • Always renew the license ahead of expiry to avoid image pull failures.

  • Schedule license checks as part of monthly maintenance and create a monitoring alert if the license is about to expire.

References 

https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/enterprise/deploy/configuration/license

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