Source
r/Veeam•
crazytr

Version 4 licensing help.

Anybody better explain the new licensing to me? I have been told by brittany at veeam that if I update to version 4 our veeam backup essentials perpetual will stop working entirely . Is that true? I either have to pay to upgrade the license or something. We also have agents expiring in April. What I got out of the conversiation is anybody upgrading to update 4 HAS to pay or everything stops working.

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If that is true that is messed up . we are a public library and don't have the funds to pay just to fix bugs. I bought the 3 years of maintenance because it was supposed to include things like this.

Posted Feb 25, 2019, 4:29 PM UTC

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EveryUserName1sTaken•

If your maintenance is current, it's supposed to cover upgrades like this. Push back on that. Ask to task to someone else. Your socket licensing should continue to work forever on newer versions, they're just switching the model around for new purchases.

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crazytrOP•

She was insistent that perpetual socket license wouldnt work at all . not sure what to do

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_j_ryan•

That is not correct. I just went through this last week and also for a non profit. If you have perpetual licenses that are under an active maintenance contract, you can upgrade to v4 and nothing will change. We didn’t even have to install new licenses if I remember correctly, it just worked. I would open a new support ticket and get someone else to assist you.

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crazytrOP•

what if you want to backup physical machines? I have agents that expire in april. I figured I would have them expire in april . do I just buy instances? do I then have to do the license upgrade?

1
Gostev•

Update 4 provides up to 6 included instances (based on your socket count). Depending on how many physical machines (servers and workstations) you're backing up and your product edition, this quantity may be enough for you - in that case yes, you can just let your agents expire. Otherwise, you will need to renew your agents.

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rubmahbelly•

You definitely need new licenses after a grace period. Check your license portal.

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[deleted]•

[removed]

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EveryUserName1sTaken•

This is either incorrect or all of my clients are totally screwed.

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crazytrOP•

Everytime I look up info on it I get a different answer. Even between veeam reps. I think different parts of veeams website even have different info.

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rubmahbelly•

You can convert your existing license into a U4 key. Just visit your customer portal.

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firegore•

i updated both of my separate Veeam Instances that use a Perpetual Backup Essentials License.

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None of them needed a new Licensefile after the Upgrade.

However it gets more complicated if you have additional Agentlicenses on Update 3.

Prior the Agentlicense was a separate Licensefile.

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With Update 4 the Licensefiles got merged into one (you cannot upload a separate Agentlicense anymore)

You get 2 Instances per Socket for free (up to 6 Instances max).

If you owned Agent Server/Workstation Licenses before and want to use them on Update 4, you need to merge your Perpetual License with the "Agent/Instance License". This can be done in the Licensingportal or via Support.

This will convert your Perpetual License to a Subscriptionlicense that will expire on the same date as the Agents would expire.

I didn't found a passage that says if you can split them up again when you don't need the Agentlicenses anymore.

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Beware tho: one Instance doesn't mean 1 License for Veeam Agent Server (1 Veeam Agent Server "License" now needs 3 Instances)

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More info is here: https://www.veeam.com/licensing-policy.html or

https://www.veeam.com/faq.html and

https://www.veeam.com/agents-faq.html

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IMHO this was handled very bad from Veeams side as the new Licensingterms weren't even online when they released Update 4.

Neither are they linked somewhere where you would find them immediately and are spread over multiple Pages.

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Gostev•

Hi, some corrections:

  1. You get 1 instance per 1 socket for free (up to 6 max).
  2. How much instances Server agent requires depends on product edition, for example with Enterprise Plus it requires only 1 instance (this is explained in the first link you posted, under 2.1.1)
  3. Merged license expires based on license that expires earliest (not necessarily Agent license).

Most important information about licensing changes was included directly in the What's New document, which is typically the first document all existing users refer to. For example, it covers expiration dates of merged licenses, and explains that you can split licenses again.

Here's a good blog post to review > https://www.veeam.com/blog/veeam-instance-licensing.html

Thanks!

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