Install a MariaDB Enterprise License

Where to get a MariaDB license and how to install it, for every MariaDB product that requires one. Start here, then follow the link for your product.

Several MariaDB products check for a valid license before they start. This page is the starting point for all of them: it explains the two licensing mechanisms in use, and links to the product-specific instructions.

Downloading and licensing are separate steps. Get the software from Download MariaDB — enterprise builds under MariaDB Enterprise Platform, evaluation builds under Trials — then license it as described below.

Which products need a license

Product	What the license is	Where you install it
MariaDB MaxScale	License key	license_key in maxscale.cnf
MariaDB AI RAG	License key	MARIADB_LICENSE_KEY in config.env.secure
GridGain Control Center	GridGain license file	Uploaded in the Control Center UI, or read from disk

Products not listed here do not require a license to run. MariaDB Enterprise Server, for example, is authenticated at download time with a Customer Download Token rather than a license at runtime — see MariaDB Package Repository Setup.

License keys

MariaDB MaxScale and MariaDB AI RAG use a license key: a signed token that you paste into the product's configuration. The key is generated by you, on demand, from the MariaDB License Portal.

Get a license key

1. Navigate to the MariaDB License Portal.

2. Sign in with your MariaDB ID. If you do not have an account, you can create one using your email, Google, GitHub, or LinkedIn credentials.

3. Select the card for your product, then click Get License.

4. Click Generate License. You can then view, copy, or download the key.

5. Install the key as described in the product's documentation.

Trial license keys are valid for 30 days from the date they are issued. The duration of a subscription key is set by your subscription.

Install a license key

The key goes in a different place for each product:

MaxScale

Add license_key to the [maxscale] section of /etc/maxscale.cnf. The value is either the key itself or the absolute path to a file containing it.

[maxscale]
license_key=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCIsImtpZCI6...

Full instructions, including renewal and troubleshooting: Install a MaxScale License Key.

AI RAG

Set MARIADB_LICENSE_KEY in config.env.secure.

MARIADB_LICENSE_KEY=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCIsImtpZCI6...

Full instructions: AI RAG deployment.

What happens when a key is missing or expired

Both products validate the key at startup and will not start without a valid one. Check the product's log for the reason — a malformed key, an expired one, and a key issued for a different product each produce a distinct message.

Behavior differs once the product is already running:

• MaxScale keeps running if the license lapses while it is up. It logs a warning at its next three-hourly check rather than stopping.

• AI RAG validates only at startup, so a lapsed license takes effect the next time it restarts.

GridGain license files

GridGain products do not use the MariaDB License Portal or a license key. A GridGain license is an XML file signed by GridGain, issued to you by the sales team, carrying a license type, an expiry date, and node and CPU quotas.

There are two of them, and they are separate things:

• The Control Center product license, which licenses the Control Center installation itself.

• The cluster license, installed on the GridGain cluster, which licenses the cluster and declares which features it is entitled to.

To install one, see:

Add a LicenseManaging Licenses

Get help

If you cannot generate a key, do not see a card for a product you are subscribed to, or need a license file reissued, contact MariaDB or your account representative.

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