Commit 5147faef authored by Suzanne Selhorn's avatar Suzanne Selhorn Committed by Fiona Neill

Moved license file to separate page

Related to: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/353131
We want to promote activate as the primary
workflow
parent 4d1a2873
......@@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@ This is needed for example in a known edge-case with
### Remove licenses
To clean up the [License History table](../../user/admin_area/license.md#view-license-details-and-history):
To clean up the [License History table](../../user/admin_area/license_file.md#view-license-details-and-history):
```ruby
TYPE = :trial?
......
......@@ -255,8 +255,8 @@ to IP address `104.18.26.123:443` (`customers.gitlab.com`).
To subscribe to GitLab through a GitLab self-managed installation:
1. Go to the [Customers Portal](https://customers.gitlab.com/) and purchase a GitLab self-managed plan.
1. After purchase, a license file is sent to the email address associated to the Customers Portal account,
which must be [add to your GitLab instance](../../user/admin_area/license.md#activate-gitlab-ee-with-a-license-file-or-key).
1. After purchase, an activation code is sent to the email address associated with the Customers Portal account.
You must [add this code to your GitLab instance](../../user/admin_area/license.md).
NOTE:
If you're purchasing a subscription for an existing **Free** GitLab self-managed
......@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ To add seats to a subscription:
The following items are emailed to you:
- A payment receipt. You can also access this information in the Customers Portal under [**View invoices**](https://customers.gitlab.com/receipts).
- A new license. [Add this license](../../user/admin_area/license.md#activate-gitlab-ee-with-an-activation-code) to your instance to use it.
- An activation code. [Add this code](../../user/admin_area/license.md) to your instance to use it.
### Renew a subscription
......@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ You can hover your mouse on the **Renew** button to see the date when it will be
1. Enter the number of [users over license](#users-over-license) in the second box for the user overage incurred in your previous subscription term.
1. Review your renewal details and complete the payment process.
1. An activation code for the renewal term is available on the [Manage Purchases](https://customers.gitlab.com/subscriptions) page on the relevant subscription card. Select **Copy activation code** to get a copy.
1. [Add your new license](../../user/admin_area/license.md#activate-gitlab-ee-with-an-activation-code) to your instance.
1. [Add the activation code](../../user/admin_area/license.md) to your instance.
An invoice is generated for the renewal and available for viewing or download on the [View invoices](https://customers.gitlab.com/receipts) page. If you have difficulty during the renewal process, contact our [support team](https://support.gitlab.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000071293) for assistance.
......@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ The following is emailed to you:
[**View invoices**](https://customers.gitlab.com/receipts).
- A new activation code for your license.
[Add the new license](../../user/admin_area/license.md#activate-gitlab-ee-with-an-activation-code) to your instance.
[Add the activation code](../../user/admin_area/license.md) to your instance.
The new tier takes effect when the new license is activated.
## Add or change the contacts for your subscription
......
......@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ The steps can be summed up to:
```
1. Now go to the GitLab admin panel of your server (`/admin/subscription`) and
[add your license](../../user/admin_area/license.md#activate-gitlab-ee-with-an-activation-code).
[add your license](../../user/admin_area/license.md).
1. After you confirm that GitLab is working as expected, you may remove the old
Community Edition repository:
......
---
stage: Growth
group: Conversion
stage: Fulfillment
group: License
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---
# Activate GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE) **(PREMIUM SELF)**
When you install a new GitLab instance without a license, it only has the Free features
enabled. To enable all features of GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE), activate
your instance with an activation code or a license file. When [the license expires](#what-happens-when-your-license-expires),
some functionality is locked.
## Verify your GitLab edition
To activate your instance, make sure you are running GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE).
When you install a new GitLab instance without a license, only Free features
are enabled. To enable more features in GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE), activate
your instance with an activation code.
To verify the edition, sign in to GitLab and select
**Help** (**{question-o}**) > **Help**. The GitLab edition and version are listed
at the top of the page.
## Activate GitLab EE
If you are running GitLab Community Edition (CE), upgrade your installation to GitLab
EE. For more details, see [Upgrading between editions](../../update/index.md#upgrading-between-editions).
If you have questions or need assistance upgrading from GitLab CE to EE,
[contact GitLab Support](https://about.gitlab.com/support/#contact-support).
In GitLab Enterprise Edition 14.1 and later, you need an activation code to activate
your instance.
## Activate GitLab EE with an activation code
Prerequisite:
In GitLab Enterprise Edition 14.1 and later, you need an activation code to activate
your instance. To get an activation code you have to [purchase a license](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/).
The activation code is a 24-character alphanumeric string you receive in a confirmation email.
You can also sign in to the [Customers Portal](https://customers.gitlab.com/customers/sign_in)
to copy the activation code to your clipboard.
- You must [purchase a subscription](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/).
- You must be running GitLab Enterprise Edition (EE).
- You must have GitLab 14.1 or later.
- Your instance must be connected to the internet.
To activate your instance with an activation code:
1. Copy the activation code, a 24-character alphanumeric string, from either:
- Your subscription confirmation email.
- The [Customers Portal](https://customers.gitlab.com/customers/sign_in), on the **Manage Purchases** page.
1. Sign in to your GitLab self-managed instance.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Admin**.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Subscription**.
1. Enter the activation code in **Activation code**.
1. Paste the activation code in **Activation code**.
1. Read and accept the terms of service.
1. Select **Add license**.
## Activate GitLab EE with a license file or key
If you receive a license file from GitLab (for example, for a trial), you can
upload it to your instance or add it during installation. The license file is
a base64-encoded ASCII text file with a `.gitlab-license` extension.
The first time you sign in to your GitLab instance, a note with a
link to the **Add license** page should be displayed.
Otherwise, to add your license:
1. Sign in to GitLab as an administrator.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Admin**.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > General**.
1. In the **License file** area, select **Add a license**.
1. Add a license:
- For a file, either:
- Select **Upload `.gitlab-license` file**, then **Choose File** and
select the license file from your local machine.
- Drag and drop the license file to the **Drag your license file here** area.
- For plain text, select **Enter license key** and paste the contents in
**License key**.
1. Select the **Terms of Service** checkbox.
1. Select **Add license**.
## Add your license during installation
You can import a license file when you install GitLab.
- **For installations from source**
- Place the `Gitlab.gitlab-license` file in the `config/` directory.
- To specify a custom location and filename for the license, set the
`GITLAB_LICENSE_FILE` environment variable with the path to the file:
```shell
export GITLAB_LICENSE_FILE="/path/to/license/file"
```
- **For Omnibus package**
- Place the `Gitlab.gitlab-license` file in the `/etc/gitlab/` directory.
- To specify a custom location and filename for the license, add this entry to `gitlab.rb`:
```ruby
gitlab_rails['initial_license_file'] = "/path/to/license/file"
```
WARNING:
These methods only add a license at the time of installation. To renew or upgrade
a license, add the license in the **Admin Area** in the web user interface.
## What happens when your license expires
Fifteen days before the license expires, a notification banner with the upcoming expiration
date displays to GitLab administrators.
When your license expires, GitLab locks features, like Git pushes
and issue creation. Your instance becomes read-only and
an expiration message displays to all administrators. You have a 14-day grace period
before this occurs.
To resume functionality, [activate a new license](#activate-gitlab-ee-with-an-activation-code).
To go back to Free features, [delete all expired licenses](#remove-a-license).
## Remove a license
To remove a license from a self-managed instance:
1. Select **Activate**.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Admin**.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Subscription**.
1. Select **Remove license**.
Repeat these steps to remove all licenses, including those applied in the past.
## View license details and history
To view your license details:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Admin**.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Subscription**.
You can add and view more than one license, but only the latest license in
the current date range is the active license.
When you add a future-dated license, it doesn't take effect until its applicable date.
You can view all active subscriptions in the **Subscription history** table.
You can also [export](../../subscriptions/self_managed/index.md) your license usage information to a CSV file.
NOTE:
In GitLab 13.6 and earlier, a banner about an expiring license may continue to display
when you add a new license. This happens when the start date of the new license
is in the future and the expiring one is still active.
The banner disappears after the new license becomes active.
## Troubleshooting
### No Subscription area in the Admin Area
You cannot add your license because there is no **Subscription** area.
This issue might occur if:
- You're running GitLab Community Edition. Before you add your license, you
must [upgrade to Enterprise Edition](../../update/index.md#community-to-enterprise-edition).
- You're using GitLab.com. You cannot add a self-managed license to GitLab.com.
To use paid features on GitLab.com, [purchase a separate subscription](../../subscriptions/gitlab_com/index.md).
The subscription is activated.
### Users exceed license limit upon renewal
GitLab displays a message prompting you to purchase
additional users. This issue occurs if you add a license that does not have enough
users to cover the number of users in your instance.
To fix this issue, purchase additional seats to cover those users.
For more information, read the [licensing FAQ](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/licensing-faq/).
In GitLab 14.2 and later, for instances that use a license file, the following
rules apply:
- If the users over license are less than or equal to 10% of the users in the license
file, the license is applied and you pay the overage in the next renewal.
- If the users over license are more than 10% of the users in the license file,
you cannot apply the license without purchasing more users.
If you have an offline or airgapped environment,
[activate GitLab EE with a license file or key](license_file.md) instead.
For example, if you purchase a license for 100 users, you can have 110 users when you add
your license. However, if you have 111 users, you must purchase more users before you can add
the license.
If you have questions or need assistance activating your instance,
[contact GitLab Support](https://about.gitlab.com/support/#contact-support).
### Cannot activate instance due to connectivity error
When [the license expires](license_file.md#what-happens-when-your-license-expires),
some functionality is locked.
In GitLab 14.1 and later, to activate your subscription with an activation code,
your GitLab instance must be connected to the internet.
## Verify your GitLab edition
If you have an offline or airgapped environment,
[activate GitLab EE with a license file or key](license.md#activate-gitlab-ee-with-a-license-file-or-key) instead.
To verify the edition, sign in to GitLab and select
**Help** (**{question-o}**) > **Help**. The GitLab edition and version are listed
at the top of the page.
If you have questions or need assistance activating your instance,
If you are running GitLab Community Edition (CE), you can upgrade your installation to GitLab
EE. For more details, see [Upgrading between editions](../../update/index.md#upgrading-between-editions).
If you have questions or need assistance upgrading from GitLab CE to EE,
[contact GitLab Support](https://about.gitlab.com/support/#contact-support).
---
stage: Fulfillment
group: License
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---
# Activate GitLab EE with a license file or key
If you receive a license file from GitLab (for example, for a trial), you can
upload it to your instance or add it during installation. The license file is
a base64-encoded ASCII text file with a `.gitlab-license` extension.
The first time you sign in to your GitLab instance, a note with a
link to the **Add license** page should be displayed.
Otherwise, to add your license:
1. Sign in to GitLab as an administrator.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Admin**.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > General**.
1. In the **License file** area, select **Add a license**.
1. Add a license by either uploading the file or pasting the key.
1. Select the **Terms of Service** checkbox.
1. Select **Add license**.
## Add your license during installation
You can import a license file when you install GitLab.
- **For installations from source**
- Place the `Gitlab.gitlab-license` file in the `config/` directory.
- To specify a custom location and filename for the license, set the
`GITLAB_LICENSE_FILE` environment variable with the path to the file:
```shell
export GITLAB_LICENSE_FILE="/path/to/license/file"
```
- **For Omnibus package**
- Place the `Gitlab.gitlab-license` file in the `/etc/gitlab/` directory.
- To specify a custom location and filename for the license, add this entry to `gitlab.rb`:
```ruby
gitlab_rails['initial_license_file'] = "/path/to/license/file"
```
WARNING:
These methods only add a license at the time of installation. To renew or upgrade
a license, add the license in the **Admin Area** in the web user interface.
## What happens when your license expires
Fifteen days before the license expires, a notification banner with the upcoming expiration
date displays to GitLab administrators.
When your license expires, GitLab locks features, like Git pushes
and issue creation. Your instance becomes read-only and
an expiration message displays to all administrators. You have a 14-day grace period
before this occurs.
To resume functionality, activate a new subscription.
To go back to Free features, [delete all expired licenses](#remove-a-license).
## Remove a license
To remove a license from a self-managed instance:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Admin**.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Subscription**.
1. Select **Remove license**.
Repeat these steps to remove all licenses, including those applied in the past.
## View license details and history
To view your license details:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Admin**.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Subscription**.
You can add and view more than one license, but only the latest license in
the current date range is the active license.
When you add a future-dated license, it doesn't take effect until its applicable date.
You can view all active subscriptions in the **Subscription history** table.
You can also [export](../../subscriptions/self_managed/index.md) your license usage information to a CSV file.
NOTE:
In GitLab 13.6 and earlier, a banner about an expiring license may continue to display
when you add a new license. This happens when the start date of the new license
is in the future and the expiring one is still active.
The banner disappears after the new license becomes active.
## Troubleshooting
### No Subscription area in the Admin Area
You cannot add your license because there is no **Subscription** area.
This issue might occur if:
- You're running GitLab Community Edition. Before you add your license, you
must [upgrade to Enterprise Edition](../../update/index.md#community-to-enterprise-edition).
- You're using GitLab.com. You cannot add a self-managed license to GitLab.com.
To use paid features on GitLab.com, [purchase a separate subscription](../../subscriptions/gitlab_com/index.md).
### Users exceed license limit upon renewal
GitLab displays a message prompting you to purchase
additional users. This issue occurs if you add a license that does not have enough
users to cover the number of users in your instance.
To fix this issue, purchase additional seats to cover those users.
For more information, read the [licensing FAQ](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/licensing-faq/).
In GitLab 14.2 and later, for instances that use a license file, the following
rules apply:
- If the users over license are less than or equal to 10% of the users in the license
file, the license is applied and you pay the overage in the next renewal.
- If the users over license are more than 10% of the users in the license file,
you cannot apply the license without purchasing more users.
For example, if you purchase a license for 100 users, you can have 110 users when you add
your license. However, if you have 111 users, you must purchase more users before you can add
the license.
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