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License FAQ

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about how ExtraHop licenses work and what happens to your data when a license expires or is disconnected.

What type of licenses are available?

ExtraHop offers the following types of license:

Subscription: You purchase time-based access to ExtraHop firmware that is installed on a virtual machine or on purchased hardware.

With a subscription license, you must be able to connect to the ExtraHop licensing server on the extrahop.com domain. Connection to the licensing server is required for license updates and check-ins. All data transmitted to the ExtraHop licensing server is authenticated and encrypted.

How do I add a new or updated license to my ExtraHop system?

When you purchase an appliance, you will receive an email with a product key that registers the appliance with your license. Log in to the ExtraHop system with an account that has full system privileges and follow the on-screen instructions to enter your product key. If you cannot connect to the ExtraHop licensing server, see What happens if my ExtraHop system cannot connect to the ExtraHop licensing server?. If you see an error message about an invalid product key, contact your ExtraHop representative.

If you upgraded your firmware or purchased protocol modules, your updated license is automatically added to your appliance, but must still be applied. Follow the instructions to apply an updated license.

What happens if my ExtraHop system cannot connect to the ExtraHop licensing server?

If you have a subscription license, you must be able to connect to the ExtraHop licensing server for license verification and updates. If your system becomes disconnected from the ExtraHop licensing server for over a week, your license becomes disconnected and data collection stops.

For ExtraHop systems licensed and configured to connect to ExtraHop Cloud Services, registration and verification is performed through an HTTPS request to ExtraHop Cloud Services.

If your ExtraHop system is not licensed for ExtraHop Cloud Services or is not yet licensed, the system attempts to register the system through a DNS TXT request for regions.hopcloud.extrahop.com and an HTTPS request to all ExtraHop Cloud Services regions. If this request fails, the system tries to connect to the ExtraHop licensing server through DNS server port 53.

If the system cannot connect to the ExtraHop licensing server, contact your network administrator to confirm whether there were security updates to your network, such as a new firewall. Contact ExtraHop Support if you need help with diagnosing connection problems.

I don't see the protocol traffic I was expecting. Do I need a license for it?

If you don't see the protocol traffic you were expecting, such as database traffic, you might not have a module license for that protocol. For more information about which protocols require a module license, download the ExtraHop Protocol Module Datasheet.

To see a list of protocols that you have a license for, log in to the Administration settings on the ExtraHop system and click License.

How do I add protocol module licenses to my ExtraHop system?

Contact your ExtraHop sales representative to acquire additional modules. After purchasing the modules, your license information is automatically updated by the ExtraHop licensing server, but must still be applied to your system. Log in to the Administration settings on the ExtraHop system and click License. Click Apply new license and then click Update.

Why do I see a License Error message when I log in to my ExtraHop system?

If you have a subscription license, you might see this message for one of the following reasons:
  • Your subscription expired and must be renewed. After you receive the new license, update the license information from the Administration settings. Contact your ExtraHop representative for help with renewing your license.
  • Your ExtraHop system was unable to connect to the ExtraHop licensing server for over a week. Log in to the Administration settings on the ExtraHop system. Click License and then click Manage License. Click Test Connectivity to make sure that the ExtraHop system can communicate with the licensing server. If the test does not pass, contact your network administrator to confirm whether there were security updates to your network, such as an addition of a new firewall. Contact ExtraHop Support if you need help with diagnosing connection problems to the licensing server.

Why do I see a Permission Denied message when I log in to my ExtraHop system?

You might see this message for one of the following reasons:
  • Your subscription was canceled.
  • The license was entered incorrectly. Make sure you have the correct license for the correct appliance and update the license information on your ExtraHop system. Contact ExtraHop Support for help with entering the license correctly by creating a case on the Customer Portal (requires login).
  • If you have a subscription license, your license is invalid because your appliance was unable to connect with the ExtraHop licensing server for over a week. Log in to the Administration settings on the ExtraHop system. Click License and then click Manage License. Click Test Connectivity to make sure that the ExtraHop system can communicate with the licensing server. If the test does not pass, contact your network administrator to confirm whether there were security updates to your network, such as an addition of a new firewall. Contact ExtraHop Support if you need help with diagnosing connection problems to the licensing server.
  • If you have a Discover appliance connected to a Command appliance, the Command appliance acts as a licensing proxy for the Discover appliance. If your Command appliance is unable to connect to the ExtraHop licensing server for over a week, your Discover appliance license also becomes invalid.

Why don't I see detections after adding a Machine Learning Service license?

After applying or registering your license, you must connect to ExtraHop Cloud Services to activate the Machine Learning Service. For instructions, see Connect to ExtraHop Cloud Services.

Why do I see a red error label next to the license menu in the Administration settings?

A Discover, Command, Explore, or Trace appliance license is invalid or disconnected. Log in to the Administration settings on the ExtraHop system. Click License to see more details.

Why do I see a red asterisk next to the license menu in the Administration settings?

A new license is available. Log in to the Administration settings on the ExtraHop system. Click License and then click Apply new license.

How do I know when my license is expiring?

You can view the expiration date for your license in the Administration settings. Log in to the Administration settings on the ExtraHop system and click License. The expiration date is listed in the last row of the table in the System Information section.

In addition, a System Settings message displays one week before your Discover appliance license expires.
Note:You will not receive an expiration message for Explore or Trace appliances.

Does ExtraHop notify me if my license is about to expire?

You will receive a license renewal notice by email 90 and 30 days before your renewal is due. The Discover and Command appliance also provides system-level notices about expiring licenses. Log in to the ExtraHop system and click the System Settings icon at the top of the page and then click System Notices, as shown in the figure below. From the Administration settings, click Licenses. The expiration date is provided at the bottom of the System Information section.



Your system operates normally until your license expires. If your license expires, your system continues to collect data, but you cannot access the ExtraHop system until you renew your license.

Contact your ExtraHop representative to discuss options for renewing your license. Note that you can renew multiple licenses in a single renewal order.

Note:You will not receive an expiration warning for the Explore and Trace appliances. Follow the procedure for checking the status of licenses in the Explore Admin UI Guide and Trace Admin UI Guide to confirm the current state of your licenses.

What happens to my data if my license expires?

ExtraHop Discover, Command, Trace, and Explore appliances continue to collect data after your subscription expires. However, you cannot access data or perform queries in these appliances until you renew and update your license. Data collection will stop, however, if your license becomes disconnected from the licensing server for over a week. For more information, see What happens if my ExtraHop system cannot connect to the ExtraHop licensing server?.

Contact your ExtraHop representative for help with renewing your license.

What happens if the license for an Explore node in my Explore cluster expired?

All Explore nodes in an Explore cluster must have current and valid licenses to access records. If one or more Explore nodes within an Explore cluster has an expired license, you cannot access records or build queries. All Explore nodes within the Explore cluster remain connected to Discover appliances and continue to store records. However, to access data on your Explore cluster again, you must complete one of the following steps:
Note:You will not receive advanced warning about an expiring Explore node license. To learn how to confirm the current license status of your Explore appliance nodes, see the Cluster Members section.

What happens if I cancel my subscription?

You will not be able to access the ExtraHop system and ExtraHop does not store any of your data.

Last modified 2023-11-07