Confluent Platform Licenses

This topic describes how to configure the license for manual deployments of Confluent Platform components. For information on how to configure licenses in automated deployments of Confluent Platform with Confluent Operator, see Configure licenses with Confluent Operator.

License Types

Developer License

A developer license allows full use of Confluent Platform features free of charge for an indefinite duration. However, the license is limited to a single broker configuration per cluster. The developer license gives developers the freedom to try the Confluent Platform commercial features available in a non-production setting.

The developer license also accommodates multiple single-broker clusters so that developers can try the Replicator between those instances, or develop failover applications, for example. Those multiple single-broker clusters share the same license.

Warning

Adding a broker starts a trial license that expires in 30 days. You cannot revert from a trial back to a developer license.

Trial (Evaluation) License

A trial (evaluation) license allows a free trial of commercial features in a production setting. Expires after 30 days. The trial license is governed by the Confluent evaluation licenses agreement. The software ceases to function when the license expires. For details, see Expired licenses.

Enterprise (Subscription) License

An enterprise license provides access to all Confluent commercial features for a production environment. An enterprise license is an annual paid subscription that expires after 365 days. The software ceases to function after the license expires. For details, see Expired licenses.

Configure Component Licenses

You must configure a license for each individual Confluent Platform commercial component.

Important

All components that share a license topic on the same Kafka cluster will use the license stored on that topic. For example, if you use Control Center to update the license, then all other licensed components that point to the same license topic on the same Kafka cluster will be governed by that new license, regardless of whether those components define their own license as part of their configuration or define a configuration without a license string.

Confluent Control Center

For Control Center, the license key can be entered in the Control Center License tab, or in the confluent.license parameter in the /etc/control-center/control-center.properties file.

Important

When applying an updated license in Control Center, you must also provide an updated license key in the configuration file of each individual component. The updated license is evaluated against the current license information that is present in the Control Center License Manager.

For more information, see Managing Confluent Platform Licenses.

Confluent Replicator

Configure the parameter confluent.license in various Replicator .properties files. For more information, see Configure license for Replicator.

Confluent Server

Configure the parameter confluent.license in the /etc/kafka/server.properties file. For more information, see Migrate to Confluent Server.

Confluent Schema Registry

A license is required only when using the Schema Registry Security Plugins. For more information, see Authentication Mechanisms.

Confluent Auto Data Balancer

A license is required only when using multiple broker configurations. Configure the parameter confluent.license in the Kafka server.properties file. For more information, see Configure license for rebalancer.

Confluent MQTT Proxy

Configure the parameter confluent.license in the MQTT Proxy etc/confluent-kafka-mqtt/kafka-mqtt-production.properties file. For more information, see Configure license for MQTT.

Confluent JMS Client

Configure the parameter confluent.license in the Kafka server.properties file. For more information, see Configure license for JMS Client.

Confluent REST Proxy

A license is required only when using the REST Proxy Security Plugins. For more information, see REST Proxy Authentication.

Confluent Operator

Add the license key for Operator and Confluent Platform components as described in Operator License.

Confluent Platform commercial connectors

The Confluent Platform commercial connectors can be used on an unlimited basis with the developer license for single-broker clusters. Multi-broker clusters can use these commercial connectors for a 30-day trial without an enterprise license key. After the trial period expires, Confluent Platform software ceases to function.

You must purchase an enterprise license to continue using commercial connectors in a multi-broker cluster.

Refer to the individual connector documentation for the specific license requirements.

Expired licenses

Developer licenses never expire. When a trial or enterprise license expires, the proprietary components react as follows after the next restart attempt:

Component Restart reaction after license expiration
Control Center Fails to start.
Replicator Fails to start and throws an exception.
Connectors Fails to start and throws an exception.
JMS client Fails to connect to any brokers and issues a license expiration message.
ADB Fails to calculate the rebalance plan and issues a license expiration message.
MQTT Proxy Fails to start.
Security plugins Fails to start.
Confluent Server Fails to start. Note Confluent Server is the default broker found in the enterprise confluent-<version>.tar.gz download. To migrate from Confluent Server to Kafka, see the instructions in Migrate to Confluent Server.
Operator Starts up, but only allows you to delete Confluent Platform component clusters.