License Management

CompleteFTP provides both trial and production licenses. Most users start with a trial license for evaluation, then move to a production license for ongoing use. The CLI provides comprehensive license management capabilities for both license types.

Overview

License management in CompleteFTP involves:

Trial Activation - Activating a free trial license for evaluation
Production Activation - Applying a purchased license for production use
Viewing - Checking current license status and details
Release - Freeing up a production license for use on another server

License operations use the completeftp license command group, with trial-specific commands under completeftp license trial.

Viewing License Information

Before performing any license operations, check your current license status:

# Show detailed license information
completeftp license show

This displays:

License type and edition (Trial, Standard, Professional, Enterprise MFT)
Expiration date
Licensed features
Activation status
Server identification details

Trial License Activation

Most users begin with CompleteFTP's free trial license. The trial provides full functionality but limits connections to localhost only until activated. Once activated, the trial allows remote connections for the duration of the trial period.

Important: CompleteFTP for Linux currently supports offline activation only for trial licenses, requiring a second internet-connected machine.

Step 1: Generate Trial Activation Request

On the server where CompleteFTP is installed:

# Generate trial activation request
completeftp license trial offlinerequest

This command displays a URL like:

Please visit the following URL on an internet-connected machine to obtain an activation key:
https://connect.enterprisedt.com/#/activate-linux-trial/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Step 2: Request Activation Key

On an internet-connected machine, visit the URL from Step 1
Enter your email address when prompted
Submit the form to receive a trial activation key

If the trial has expired, contact EnterpriseDT support to request an extension.

Step 3: Apply Trial Activation Key

Back on the CompleteFTP server, apply the activation key:

# Apply trial activation key
completeftp license trial offlineapply <ACTIVATION_KEY>

Example:

completeftp license trial offlineapply B7JK3-D8W42-QLZ9M-ZX3F5

Successful activation displays:

Trial license activated successfully.
Your trial period will end on YYYY-MM-DD.

Trial License Limitations

Before activation:

Connections only allowed from localhost
Remote access denied until activation

After activation:

Full remote access enabled
All CompleteFTP features available during trial period
Trial expires after the specified duration

Production License Activation

Once you have purchased a CompleteFTP license, you can activate it for production use. Production licenses support both online and offline activation methods.

Online Activation

Online activation is the simplest method when the server has internet access:

# Activate using purchase reference and credentials
completeftp license activate online ABC123456 jdoe mypassword

Parameters:

purchaseRef - Your purchase reference (e.g., 'ABC123456')
userName - Your account username
password - Your account password

For special license reference types, use the -type option:

# Activate using UUID reference type
completeftp license activate online -type UUID my-uuid-reference jdoe mypassword

# Activate using AWS instance name
completeftp license activate online -type AWSInstanceName my-instance jdoe mypassword

Available reference types:

SID - System identifier (default)
UUID - Universally unique identifier
AWSInstanceName - AWS instance name

Offline Activation

When the server doesn't have internet access, use the two-step offline process:

Step 1: Request Activation Key

# Generate activation request
completeftp license activate offlinerequest ABC123456

This command outputs a URL that you must visit from an internet-connected machine to obtain your activation key.

Step 2: Apply Activation Key

Once you have the activation key from the web portal:

# Apply the activation key
completeftp license activate offlineapply XYZ789123

Replace XYZ789123 with the actual activation key provided by the web portal.

License Release

You may need to release a license to move it to another server or to free up activations.

Online Release

For servers with internet access:

# Release license online
completeftp license release online jdoe mypassword

This immediately releases the license and makes it available for activation elsewhere.

Offline Release

For servers without internet access, use the two-step offline process:

Step 1: Request Deactivation Key

# Generate deactivation request
completeftp license release offlinerequest

This outputs a URL that you must visit to obtain a deactivation key.

Step 2: Confirm Deactivation

# Apply deactivation key and get confirmation URL
completeftp license release offlineconfirm XYZ789123

This command provides a confirmation URL that you must visit to complete the license release process.

Common License Scenarios

Trial to Production Migration

When moving from trial to production license:

# 1. Check current trial status
completeftp license show

# 2. Activate production license (trial will be automatically replaced)
completeftp license activate online ABC123456 jdoe mypassword

# 3. Verify production activation was successful
completeftp license show

Initial Server Setup (Production License)

When setting up a new CompleteFTP server with a production license:

# 1. Check if any license is currently active
completeftp license show

# 2. Activate your production license (online method)
completeftp license activate online ABC123456 jdoe mypassword

# 3. Verify activation was successful
completeftp license show

Initial Server Setup (Trial License)

When evaluating CompleteFTP with a trial license:

# 1. Check current license status
completeftp license show

# 2. Generate trial activation request
completeftp license trial offlinerequest

# 3. Visit the provided URL on an internet-connected machine
# 4. Apply the received activation key
completeftp license trial offlineapply <ACTIVATION_KEY>

# 5. Verify trial activation was successful
completeftp license show

Moving Production License to New Server

When migrating a production license to a new server:

# On the old server - release the production license
completeftp license release online jdoe mypassword

# On the new server - activate the production license
completeftp license activate online ABC123456 jdoe mypassword

Note: Trial licenses cannot be transferred between servers. Each server requires its own trial activation.

Troubleshooting Activation Issues

Trial License Issues

If trial activation fails:

# 1. Verify current status
completeftp license show

# 2. Regenerate activation request if needed
completeftp license trial offlinerequest

# 3. Common issues:
# - Trial may have expired (contact support for extension)
# - Invalid activation key format
# - Network connectivity issues during web request

Production License Issues

If production license activation fails:

# 1. Verify license details
completeftp license show

# 2. Try offline activation if online fails
completeftp license activate offlinerequest ABC123456

# 3. Check for network connectivity issues
# 4. Verify credentials are correct
# 5. Ensure purchase reference is valid

License Expiration Handling

Trial License Expiration

When a trial license expires:

# Check trial status
completeftp license show

# Trial expired - options:
# 1. Contact EnterpriseDT support for trial extension
# 2. Purchase and activate a production license
# 3. Server reverts to localhost-only mode until new activation

Production License Expiration

For production licenses approaching expiration:

# Check current license status
completeftp license show

# If expired, you'll need to:
# 1. Obtain a new license/renewal
# 2. Release the old license (if required for reactivation)  
# 3. Activate the new license
completeftp license activate online NEW-LICENSE-REF jdoe mypassword

License Types and Features

CompleteFTP offers different license types to suit various needs:

Trial License

Duration: Limited time evaluation period
Functionality: Full feature access during trial
Limitations: Localhost-only access until activated
Activation: Offline-only process using web portal
Cost: Free for evaluation

Production License Editions

Free Edition

Basic FTP/FTPS/SFTP functionality
Limited user accounts
No advanced features

Standard Edition

Unlimited users
Web-based file manager
Basic authentication methods

Professional Edition

Advanced authentication (Active Directory, LDAP)
Process triggers and notifications
File sharing capabilities

Enterprise MFT Edition

Gateway folders (remote server mounting)
Advanced extensions and customization
Clustering support
Enterprise authentication (SAML)

Use completeftp license show to see which features are available with your current license.

Best Practices

License Management

Keep activation details secure - Store purchase references and credentials safely
Document license assignments - Track which servers use which licenses
Monitor expiration dates - Set up reminders for license renewals
Test activation process - Verify offline activation works before deployment

Server Migration

Release before decommissioning - Always release licenses from old servers
Verify new activation - Confirm all features work on the new server
Update documentation - Record license movements and new server details

Troubleshooting

Check network connectivity - Ensure servers can reach activation servers
Verify system time - Incorrect system time can cause activation issues
Review firewall settings - Activation may require specific ports
Contact support - Keep purchase details handy for support requests

Error Handling

Common license-related errors and solutions:

"License not found"

Verify purchase reference is correct
Check if license has been released from another server
Ensure license hasn't expired

"Network connection failed"

Check internet connectivity
Verify firewall allows outbound connections
Try offline activation method

"Invalid credentials"

Verify username and password
Check for typos in credentials
Ensure account has activation privileges

"Maximum activations reached"

Release license from unused servers
Contact support to review activation limits
Consider upgrading license if more activations needed

Quick Reference

Trial License Commands

# View current license status
completeftp license show

# Trial activation (2 steps)
completeftp license trial offlinerequest
completeftp license trial offlineapply <ACTIVATION_KEY>

Production License Commands

# View license information
completeftp license show

# Online activation
completeftp license activate online <purchaseRef> <userName> <password>

# Offline activation (2 steps)
completeftp license activate offlinerequest <purchaseRef>
completeftp license activate offlineapply <activationKey>

# Online release
completeftp license release online <userName> <password>

# Offline release (2 steps)
completeftp license release offlinerequest
completeftp license release offlineconfirm <deactivationKey>

Reference Types (Production Licenses)

SID - System identifier (default)
UUID - Universally unique identifier
AWSInstanceName - AWS instance name

Use -type option to specify non-default reference types.