> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mariadb.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mariadb.com/docs/platform/enterprise-license-install.md).

# 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.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Downloading and licensing are separate steps.** Get the software from [Download MariaDB](https://mariadb.com/downloads/) — enterprise builds under **MariaDB Enterprise Platform**, evaluation builds under **Trials** — then license it as described below.
{% endhint %}

## Which products need a license

| Product                                                                                                                  | What the license is   | Where you install it                                 |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| [MariaDB MaxScale](/docs/maxscale/maxscale-management/deployment/installation-and-configuration/maxscale-license-key.md) | License key           | `license_key` in `maxscale.cnf`                      |
| [MariaDB AI RAG](/docs/tools/enterprise/mariadb-ai-rag/deployment/overview.md)                                           | License key           | `MARIADB_LICENSE_KEY` in `config.env.secure`         |
| [GridGain Control Center](/docs/tools/enterprise/control-center/getting-started/adding-license.md)                       | 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](/docs/server/server-management/install-and-upgrade-mariadb/mariadb-package-repository-setup-and-usage.md).

## 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](https://customers.mariadb.com/license/).
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.

{% hint style="info" %}
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.
{% endhint %}

### Install a license key

The key goes in a different place for each product:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="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.

```ini
[maxscale]
license_key=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCIsImtpZCI6...
```

Full instructions, including renewal and troubleshooting: [Install a MaxScale License Key](/docs/maxscale/maxscale-management/deployment/installation-and-configuration/maxscale-license-key.md).
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="AI RAG" %}
Set `MARIADB_LICENSE_KEY` in `config.env.secure`.

```bash
MARIADB_LICENSE_KEY=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCIsImtpZCI6...
```

Full instructions: [AI RAG deployment](/docs/tools/enterprise/mariadb-ai-rag/deployment/overview.md).
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### 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:

{% content-ref url="/spaces/kuTXWg0NDbRx6XUeYpGD/pages/chHFl5EnKvE8rDxyVerr" %}
[Add a License](/docs/tools/enterprise/control-center/getting-started/adding-license.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/spaces/kuTXWg0NDbRx6XUeYpGD/pages/vPKUswLA8FBVCe0O307R" %}
[Managing Licenses](/docs/tools/enterprise/control-center/admin-guide/license.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## 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](https://mariadb.com/maxscale-contact/) or your account representative.

<sub>*This page is: Copyright © 2026 MariaDB. All rights reserved.*</sub>