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id, title, sidebar_label
| id | title | sidebar_label |
|---|---|---|
| claim-free-licence | Claim a Free licence | Claim a Free licence |
A self-hosted install runs unlicensed until you give it a licence. Free is a real tier in both deployments, and you can claim one for your install from the HQ portal.
What a licence is
A signed file. It carries the instance ID it belongs to, the tier, the server allowance, feature toggles and an expiry. The control plane verifies the signature locally.
A running instance does not need HQ to be reachable.
:::info One Free per account, per deployment. The limit is enforced per account and deployment, so a Free cloud instance does not stop you claiming Free on a self-hosted install. :::
1. Find your instance ID
In the control plane, go to Settings → Licence. The instance ID is shown there.
2. Create a free license
- Sign in at Vantage HQ. If you have no account, see Accounts and signup.
- Click on the Buy A Plan button.
- Click on Self Hosted then click on the Free plan, then finally Paste the instance ID and give it a name you will recognise.
You will then see the new instance on the Overview page.
3. Downloading the free license
With the instance created go to the Overview page and expand the new instance.
Click on the View Instance Settings button. You can then click on the Download License or the Copy to clipboard button.
4. Install the licence
Download the licence from HQ and paste it in the control plane at Settings → Licence.
The instance validates the signature, checks the ID matches its own, and starts reporting the tier, allowance and expiry.
:::info Cloud instances do not require installing the license as this is done automatically. :::
Renewing
Free licences are renewable from HQ within a renewal window near expiry; outside that window you cannot renew early. See Free tier.
Moving the install to new hardware
Rebuilding produces a new instance ID, and a licence binds to a ID. Use Relink in HQ to move the licence across. The number of relinks per term is capped; the portal shows how many you have left.