License Installation

Managing more than 3 Kubernetes clusters requires importing a license file (License File). This page explains how to obtain and import a license file, and how to verify that the license has taken effect.

License Rules

Scenario	License file needed
Manage ≤ 3 clusters	No license file needed
Manage 4 clusters	1
Manage 5 clusters	2
Each additional cluster	1 more

• License files are bound to a "Kuboard Access Endpoint": the banner at the top of the list only counts valid license files matching the current access address;
• License files already obtained with Kuboard V3 can be used directly with Kuboard V4.

Obtain a License

1. Open the Kuboard License & Support page and sign in with your phone number + verification code;
2. Go to "My Orders" → "Paid Orders";
3. Click "Obtain License" and copy the complete license content.

The license file is YAML-formatted text (license content plus a digital signature). Paste the whole block as-is — no manual editing needed.

Import a License

Permission required

The "License" menu (System Management → Settings → License) requires an account with permission on the license.kuboard.cn resource group in the Kuboard scope; regular users cannot see this menu by default.

1. Sign in to Kuboard with an account that has the required permission;
2. Go to "System Management" → "Settings" → "License" to open the license list page;
3. Click "Import License" at the top, paste the license content into the dialog that pops up, and click "Save";
4. If validation passes → a message says "The license was successfully installed to this Kuboard. The page is about to refresh. The Kuboard license will take effect after the refresh." Click "OK" → the page refreshes automatically and the license takes effect;
5. If validation fails → a message says "The license file failed validation." Make sure you pasted the complete content.

Verify the License Is Active

The banner at the top of the list shows:

• "Number of valid license files matching <current access address>: N" — N is the number of valid license files matching the current address;
• "Manageable cluster count: N + 3" — valid license count + 3 (free allowance);
• The "View Details" button — opens the "License Information" dialog, where you can view the "Manageable Clusters" list and the remaining import capacity ("You can import N more clusters").

Each row in the list shows: ID, license file name, Kuboard Access Endpoint (tagged "Matched / Mis-match"), issue date, expiry date, status, and import time. Click "View" in the actions column → the "View License Information" dialog opens, showing the features, the bound access address, the license issue/expiry time, and the license status.

License Status

Status	Meaning
valid	Validation passed, and the current time is within the license period (Issue Date ~ Expiry Date)
expired	Outside the license period (earlier than the issue date or later than the expiry date)
invalid	Validation failed (content tampered with, incomplete paste, etc.)

License files tagged "Matched" count toward the banner count at the top and are included in the manageable cluster count; those tagged "Mis-match" are not counted and only take effect when Kuboard is accessed from the matched address.

Delete a License File

1. Click "Delete" in the actions column of the list;
2. Confirm in the confirmation dialog (which shows "Delete the license file [License File Name]") → the license file is removed from the list, and the banner count / manageable cluster count decrease accordingly.

FAQ

• Importing the same license file twice: Kuboard shows "License file xxx already exists. The same license file cannot be imported twice." — no need to re-import;
• No visible change after a successful import: a successful import prompts you to refresh the page; the license takes effect only after the refresh;
• Can a V3 license file be used with V4?: Yes. License files already obtained with V3 can be used directly with V4;
• Cluster count reached the limit: when you perform an operation on a cluster that exceeds the licensed capacity, Kuboard prompts "Missing License" with a one-click jump to the license file page; purchase and import more license files to unlock it.