What Are Enterprise Advanced License Keys?
A License Key is a key signed by MongoDB that you install in Ops Manager. It confirms that your account has an active Enterprise Advanced Order and shows your license status and Order end dates inside Ops Manager.
How Do Enterprise Advanced License Keys Work?
License Keys work through three pieces:
The License Key: MongoDB signs each key. Ops Manager ships with MongoDB’s public key and validates License Keys locally. No connection to a MongoDB service is needed to install or validate a key.
The Key Portal: Your License Contact generates and downloads License Keys from the Key Portal in the MongoDB Support Portal. Once you upgrade to a version that supports License Keys, add each Ops Manager installation by its Key Manager ID and download a key for it.
License status: Ops Manager shows one of five statuses and updates it as your Order dates approach and pass. Ops Manager keeps working in every status. Only users with the Ops Manager Global Owner role see license status, banners, and license alert emails. Other Ops Manager users see nothing.
Status | What it means |
Active | Your account has an active Order. |
Needs Attention | Your last Order ends soon. Plan for your renewal. |
Grace Period | Your last Order has ended, or you upgraded and have not installed a License Key yet. Ops Manager keeps working. Install a License Key within 90 days to clear the warning. |
Expired | The Grace Period has ended. Ops Manager keeps working. Install a new License Key to return to Active. |
Unlicensed | No License Key has been installed and the Grace Period has ended. Ops Manager keeps working. Install a License Key to become Active. |
Why Is MongoDB Making This Change?
License Keys bring Enterprise Advanced licensing into general alignment with the wider software market. They also give database administrators clear visibility of license status and renewal timeline inside Ops Manager.
When Does This Take Effect, and Which Versions?
This launch was originally planned for November 4, 2026, but that has now changed. Your MongoDB account team will provide the new launch date and the Ops Manager versions targeting this release once they are available. Earlier Ops Manager versions do not require a License Key. License Keys will apply to Enterprise Advanced customers when they install or upgrade to a version that includes this release. If you are only evaluating Ops Manager, see Can We Evaluate Ops Manager or Run a Proof of Concept?
How Do I Get and Install a License Key?
Follow these steps for each Ops Manager installation after upgrading it to a version that supports License Keys:
Confirm Key Portal access. Your account’s License Contact signs in to the MongoDB Support Portal and opens the Key Portal. The Key Portal link will be available after launch. If the designated License Contact cannot access it, contact your MongoDB account team to confirm or update the contact.
Find the Key Manager ID. In Ops Manager, sign in as the Global Owner role and open the License Keys page in the Admin dashboard. Copy the Key Manager ID for the installation. Note: An installation includes all Ops Manager instances that share the same Application Database; those instances share one Key Manager ID and need one key.
Register the installation. In the Key Portal, add an Ops Manager installation using the Key Manager ID you just copied from the Ops Manager License Keys page. Note: If the designated License Contact and the Ops Manager Global Owner are two different people, you will need to coordinate to exchange Key Manager IDs and generated License Keys.
Generate and download its key. Select that installation in the Key Portal and generate and download a License Key for it. Generate a separate key for every Ops Manager installation. You can generate as many keys as you need while your account has an active Order.
Install the key. In the corresponding Ops Manager, have the Global Owner upload the downloaded key through the UI (License Keys page) or the API. Do not reuse that key in a different Ops Manager installation.
Verify the result. Check for an "active" license status in Ops Manager's Admin -> License Keys page. Only users with the Ops Manager Global Owner role see license status and related warnings.
For an air-gapped or network-restricted environment, download the key on a connected device, transfer it to the environment, and install it there; no outbound connection is required for the key to take effect or stay valid.
Does Ops Manager Send Data to MongoDB?
Yes. Ops Manager sends product usage telemetry to MongoDB, and your License Key lets us match it to your Enterprise Advanced account, so we can support you better. Product usage telemetry describes how Ops Manager and your deployments are configured, such as versions, topology, provisioned CPU, memory, and storage, backup, TLS, and authentication settings, and which features are in use, along with identifiers for your Ops Manager organizations, projects, deployments, and hosts, and the names you gave your replica sets and shards. Telemetry does NOT include your data, document contents, or query information. You can download the next payload from the Ops Manager Admin page before it is sent. MongoDB’s request logs also record the public IP address your Ops Manager connects from. They are kept separately from telemetry and deleted after 390 days.
Separately, Ops Manager may contact MongoDB to manage the License Key itself, for example to confirm a key was installed or to pick up a renewed key automatically. These calls carry license information only, not your deployment topology or data. They are best-effort: if Ops Manager cannot reach MongoDB, nothing changes, the key stays valid, and you install new keys manually.
For what telemetry contains, how it is secured, and how long it is kept, see Ops Manager Telemetry Overview.
Why Does MongoDB Need Telemetry?
Telemetry lets MongoDB provide better support, understand your deployment models and environment, and identify areas for future investment in the product. Telemetry is encrypted in transit over TLS 1.2 or later and at rest, only authorized MongoDB staff can access it, and MongoDB does not sell telemetry or share it with third parties, other than service providers that host it on MongoDB’s behalf. MongoDB keeps telemetry for 90 days after it receives it. It is stored in the United States, in AWS us-east-1. Support you already have does not change. If your Ops Manager cannot send data outside your network, talk to your account team before you upgrade.
How Do I Request a Telemetry Exemption?
Telemetry is on by default, including before you install a License Key. Turning it off requires an approved telemetry exemption. To request a telemetry exemption, contact your account team before you upgrade Ops Manager. Your account team submits the request for approval. After it is approved, your License Contact generates your License Key, which carries the exemption. Once that key is installed, you can turn off product usage telemetry in the Ops Manager telemetry settings. If you installed a key before your exemption was approved, generate and install a new one. Telemetry settings on an earlier Ops Manager version do not carry over to a version that supports EA Licensing. After upgrading, review and set the telemetry setting again using a License Key that includes an approved exemption. Support you already have does not change.
What Do I Need to Do?
Confirm your License Contact with your MongoDB account team. The License Contact gets access to the Key Portal.
When you are ready, upgrade Ops Manager to a version that supports License Keys. Your account team will share the versions targeting this release once they are available. The Key Manager ID appears in Ops Manager after you upgrade.
Once you have upgraded to a version that supports License Keys, have your License Contact add each Ops Manager installation to the Key Portal by its Key Manager ID and generate a License Key for it.
Install the key through the Ops Manager UI or API.
You do not need a License Key until you upgrade to a version that supports License Keys. After you upgrade, Ops Manager starts a 90-day Grace Period and shows warnings to the Ops Manager Global Owner until you install a key. The Key Portal will open in connection with the launch. Before you upgrade, confirm your License Contact can sign in to the Key Portal so you can generate keys when needed. If you need a telemetry exemption, get it approved before you upgrade (see How Do I Request a Telemetry Exemption?). If you buy through a partner, your account team or partner will tell you whether your partner provides your key (see We Buy MongoDB through a Partner. How Do License Keys Work in That Situation?).
Why Do I Need to Update Ops Manager?
Newer versions of Ops Manager contain the latest features and bug fixes to help you self-manage MongoDB. Newer versions of MongoDB also require the latest versions of Ops Manager.
Who Can Access the Key Portal?
The License Contacts designated for your account can access the Key Portal. If you sign in to the Support Portal without Key Portal access, you see a page that names your License Contact and provides instructions for contacting your MongoDB account team. Your account team can also tell you who your License Contact is, and can change it for you. If you are not sure who is on your MongoDB account team, please contact the MongoDB sales team.
We Have Several Ops Manager Instances. What Do We Do?
Add each Ops Manager installation to the Key Portal and download a License Key for each one. Ops Manager instances that use the same Application Database share one Key Manager ID and need only one key, whether or not they sit behind a load balancer. Instances with separate Application Databases need separate keys. There is no limit on how many Ops Managers you add or how many keys you generate, including for non-production Ops Managers. Your account can have more than one License Contact. Any of them can generate the keys for every Ops Manager. Each key covers every Order on your account, so Ops Managers run by different teams or business units are all covered. If your organization buys under more than one MongoDB account, each key covers only the Orders on the account it was generated from. When you deploy a new Ops Manager, your License Contact adds it to the Key Portal and generates a key for it, with no change to your Order.
We Have More Than One Order with Different End Dates. How Does That Work?
Each License Key covers every Order on your account at the time the key is generated. Your license stays Active in Ops Manager until the last Order included in the License Key ends, even if an earlier Order ends first. While any Order in the key is active, the whole Ops Manager stays Active, not only the parts tied to that Order. The Key Portal lists each Order and when it ends. When you renew or add an Order, generate a new License Key and install it on each Ops Manager. License status applies to the whole Ops Manager, not to individual deployments or Orders.
What Is the Key Manager ID, and What Does It Contain? How Is It Different from a License Contact?
A License Contact is a person: a designated contact who can sign in to the Key Portal.
A Key Manager ID identifies an installation: the Ops Manager instances that share one Application Database. The License Contact uses each Key Manager ID to generate a License Key for that installation.
The Key Manager ID identifies an Ops Manager installation, including every instance that shares its Application Database, allowing the Key Portal to issue a License Key for it. In the Key Portal, each Ops Manager installation you add is called a Key Manager. Ops Manager generates the ID the first time it runs and stores it in its Application Database. It is not derived from hostnames, environment variables, or your data. If you rebuild Ops Manager with a new Application Database, it gets a new Key Manager ID and needs a new License Key. To find it, sign in to Ops Manager as a Global Owner and open the License Key Manager page.
How Will We Know a Renewal Is Coming Up?
Ops Manager shows Needs Attention six months before your last Order ends if your Order term is two years or longer, and four months before if it is shorter. The Ops Manager Global Owner sees a banner, alert emails, and a notice in Ops Manager. Your account team will also contact you about the renewal.
What Happens If Our Orders End Before We Renew?
Ops Manager enters a 90-day Grace Period. If no new License Key is installed by the end of the Grace Period, the license moves to Expired. Every Ops Manager capability remains available in both statuses, in the Ops Manager UI and the API. The Ops Manager Global Owner sees warnings until a new License Key is installed. Installing a valid License Key returns the license to Active.
What If Our Renewal Is Delayed?
Talk to your account team. Your license moves to the Grace Period for 90 days, and every Ops Manager capability stays available. Your account team manages your support access during the renewal the same way it does today. When your renewal closes, your License Contact generates a new License Key in the Key Portal and installs it on each Ops Manager.
Does This Affect Our Databases or Workloads?
No. The MongoDB Server does not check for a License Key. Running workloads, failover, disaster recovery, scheduled backups, restores, and security controls are not affected by license state. There is no data loss at any point.
Can We Opt Out of License Keys?
No. Enterprise Advanced customers running an Ops Manager version that includes this release must install a License Key. Your account team will provide the target versions once they are available. Earlier Ops Manager versions do not support License Keys. Evaluation and development use is covered in Can We Evaluate Ops Manager or Run a Proof of Concept?.
What If Our License Key Is Invalid or Expired?
During installation, if a License Key is invalid, Ops Manager shows an error and does not install the key:
The license key could not be validated. It may be corrupted or issued for a different Key Manager ID. Upload the correct license key to continue.
If your license has expired, the key moves to the inactive list in Ops Manager, and no active key is shown. Ops Manager keeps working in both cases.
Ask your License Contact to download the correct key from the Key Portal and install it. If that does not fix it, contact your account team during business hours. If you believe the problem is a defect in Ops Manager or the Key Portal, or it is urgent outside business hours, open a case in the MongoDB Support Portal.
How Do License Keys Work in an Air-Gapped or Network-Restricted Environment?
Ops Manager validates the License Key locally. Download the key from the Key Portal on a connected device, transfer it, and install it. No outbound connection is required for the key to take effect or stay valid. Product usage telemetry cannot leave an air-gapped environment, so ask your account team about a telemetry exemption before you upgrade (see How Do I Request a Telemetry Exemption?).
Does This Limit How Much MongoDB We Can Run?
No. License Keys confirm that your account has an active Order. They do not change how many nodes or how much capacity you can operate. Ops Manager shows your Order end dates and license status. It does not count nodes or compare your usage to what you purchased.
How Do License Keys Work for Production versus Non-Production Environments?
Install a separate License Key for each Ops Manager installation you run, whether it is designated production, staging, development, or another environment. Do not install the same key in multiple Ops Manager installations. Your License Contact can generate as many keys as needed in the Key Portal while your account has an active Order; generate a key for each installation using its Key Manager ID. License Keys do not currently distinguish production from non-production use, and they do not change what your Order covers (see We Have Several Ops Manager Instances. What Do We Do?).
Does This Affect the MongoDB Kubernetes Operator?
Deployments managed by the Kubernetes Operator run through Ops Manager, so the Ops Manager License Key covers them. The Operator does not need its own key. License status and warnings appear in Ops Manager and in alert emails to the Ops Manager Global Owner. If your team works mostly in kubectl, ensure the Global Owner receives those emails.
Does This Affect Cloud Manager?
No. Cloud Manager does not use License Keys.
We Buy MongoDB through a Partner. How Do License Keys Work in That Situation
It depends on your partner’s agreement with MongoDB. In some cases, your partner provides your License Key. In that case, send your partner the Key Manager ID shown in Ops Manager after you upgrade, and your partner generates a License Key for it. If your partner operates Ops Manager for you, the partner manages License Keys and you do not need to do anything. Otherwise, you get your License Key from the Key Portal like any other customer: your account team designates your License Contact, who generates keys for your Ops Managers. Your MongoDB account team or your partner will tell you which applies to you.
Can We Evaluate Ops Manager or Run a Proof of Concept?
Yes. For evaluation and development use in your internal environment, you can download and run Ops Manager without a License Key. Every capability works, and Ops Manager shows a notice that no License Key is installed (Grace Period for the first 90 days, then Unlicensed). You may not use the software for any other purpose, including testing, quality assurance, or production purposes without purchasing a subscription and obtaining a License Key. For a proof of concept with MongoDB, talk to your account team. Contact MongoDB sales before using Ops Manager for testing, quality assurance, or production.
Who Do We Contact with Questions?
During business hours, contact your MongoDB account team for questions about License Keys, your License Contact, or your Orders. For emergencies, open a case in the MongoDB Support Portal.