Zimbra 10.1.X - License problems since the release of 10.1

[theZimbler]

Hello everyone,
I'm opening this topic becase since the launch of Zimbra 10.1.X I have been experiencing a lot of problems with the new license system.

I've been working with zimbra 10.1 since the launch of this version, both on sigle and multi server environments, and in many cases i have found that the license system is not working correctly for me, I had a lot of troubles with the license activations and the LDS service, like for example receiving expired or unactivated licenses from the support team, having localhost problems when activating the license from the LDS-Node or even that after updating from Zimbra 10.1.3 to 10.1.4 we lost our license activation and had to roll back (Yes, we followed all the instructions on the patch installation manual).

For example, in the environments where im running 9.0 or 10.0 we don't have any problem at all, its just on 10.1.x

I'd like to know if any other users on this forum have experienced the same kind of problems so we can discuss about it and try to find a solution.

[ghen]

Hi
Out of curiosity (we're still on 9.0 and waiting a bit for the new licensing issues to settle down),
are the problems you're experiencing only with license activation, or the LDS service - ie. problems for you as an administrator - or does it also impact your *users* (broken functionality, invalid license popups, etc) ?

[oetiker]

Hi,
I am having problems with the license daemon as well. It does not start... I contacted Zimbra support about the issue and 15 emails later, it was linked to ZBUG-4668.
That's typically where support assistance ends, along with any communication about the status of the bug...
So let's keep our fingers crossed for a quick resolution to this problem... which would really surprise me.

[theZimbler]

Hi,
I am having problems with the license daemon as well. It does not start... I contacted Zimbra support about the issue and 15 emails later, it was linked to ZBUG-4668.
That's typically where support assistance ends, along with any communication about the status of the bug...
So let's keep our fingers crossed for a quick resolution to this problem... which would really surprise me.

Same for me...
sometimes the license code provided by the support team is not valid, sometimes the code is not activated/registered so it does not work...

On many cases the license daemon just stops because it likes to... IDK but this new license system is a mess and support is not doing much to solve the problems, we have a lot of open cases with the suport team regarding license problems and it ends on "bug" or just giving us information that contradicts the official documentation...

[oetiker]

Same for me...
sometimes the license code provided by the support team is not valid, sometimes the code is not activated/registered so it does not work...

On many cases the license daemon just stops because it likes to... IDK but this new license system is a mess and support is not doing much to solve the problems, we have a lot of open cases with the suport team regarding license problems and it ends on "bug" or just giving us information that contradicts the official documentation...

Can you list the bug numbers ... sometimes this gives some information.

Zimbra people told me to open up a new case with the bug number to reactivate the support doing something. Sometimes
the bug get a higher priority.

[ghen]

But is it causing issues for your users, or just headaches for the admins when deploying new licenses? Just to understand the (end-user) impact correctly...

[rainer_d]

I thought without a license, Zimbra is pretty much dead in the water?

That would be quite a head-ache.

Also, it seems the turn-around time at least for offline NFR licenses isn't fast.

I'm asking myself if the whole offline-thing is actually feasible when it takes days to receive an activation file.
We usually update in the middle of the (European) night.
It has to be ready before the morning.

[JDunphy]

I thought without a license, Zimbra is pretty much dead in the water?

Fortunately, moving to FOSS or dealing with an expired license has been carefully considered based on my recent tests conducted in December 2024.

Regarding version 10.1.X, I can't provide much insight other than confirming that the FOSS version builds smoothly, just like versions 8.8.15, 9.0, and 10.0.X. My focus has been on testing the old licensing model and FOSS behavior on a single server.

Key Observations:

1. Expired License Behavior (Version 10.0.X):
   When I spun up a 10.0 network instance six months after the license had expired, it continued to operate, but network features were disabled. Interestingly, updates were still possible even with an expired license. This is a significant advantage, allowing binary updates for bug and security fixes throughout the version's lifecycle. However, network features were unavailable, and I assume adding users was also restricted—though I didn’t test this aspect, as my evaluation was limited to my account and observing the admin console while ignoring the license-related admin screen warnings.
2. Upgrading from Network to FOSS:
   The in-place upgrade from 9.0.0P43 Network to 10.0.X FOSS worked seamlessly. The system even felt snappier—though that might just be my perception.
   I did encounter two minor issues, which I attempted to report with suggested fixes, but support was unhelpful and essentially told me to "go away," to summarize the experience.
3. Switching from FOSS to Network:
   Transitioning back from FOSS to Network also appears to work, although I don't test this frequently, given that we've been commercial customers for over 20 years. In theory, it should function properly for tagged builds of specific versions.

We test our disaster recovery and backup strategy 1-2 times per year, or whenever we update our backup system. After completing these tests, I usually spend a few hours evaluating different scenarios like the ones mentioned above. Our approach is fairly ad-hoc, but I always perform a "lock-in test" before renewing our license each year.

Concerns About the 10.1 License:

I must admit, the new licensing model in 10.1 concerns me, as it appears to reduce flexibility in disaster recovery scenarios. Based on what I’ve read, it could present challenges, though I haven't yet had hands-on experience with it. Back in the 90s, we faced similar licensing constraints with our Sun servers, which ultimately led us to switch vendors due to recurring issues in recovery and testing environments. Hopefully, the new license server will be properly ironed out before 10.0.X reaches end-of-life.

Thanks to everyone who has been testing and reporting on the 10.1 licensing behavior. I'm particularly interested in understanding how user accounts are affected when a license fails. This is our primary concern—ensuring there's a sufficient grace period that allows administrators to resolve licensing issues without losing access to backups and other critical features needed for normal operations.

Jim

[ghen]

IIRC with an expired license on 8.x/9.0, users get pop-ups (in webmail) about the license being invalid, and you can no longer create new accounts.

What is the *user* experience with an expired or invalid license on Zimbra 10.1 ?

[rainer_d]

The reason I want to go with 10.1 (or rather: wanted) was the support for Rocky Linux 9.
I don't want to migrate to RL8, just to do it again next year (or whenever support runs out).

I am wondering if it's actually worth the hassle.

Just got the NFR license - after almost a week of waiting....