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KB-1316 How to request an Appian product license

License types and what they mean

Temporary License

A temporary license is only valid for 6 days and can be used on any server as long as the operating system matches.

This type of license should be requested in the following scenarios:

  1. A new server is being set up for the first time.
  2. A long-term license expired and you want to renew it.

To determine if you need a temporary license navigate to the following directory using the command line and run k.exe (or ./k for Linux):

<APPIAN_HOME>/server/_bin/k/<OS>/

If k3.lic is printed, then you should request a temporary license. Type \\ to exit.

Long-Term License

A long-term license is valid for an extended period of time and can only be used on the server that it was requested for.

This type of license should be requested in the following scenarios:

  1. You have already requested a temporary license to set up a new server and you are able to generate the k output.
  2. Your existing long-term license is about to expire and you want to proactively request a replacement.

Generating the k output

In order to generate the k output, navigate to <APPIAN_HOME>/server/_bin/k/<OS>/ and run k.exe (./k if Linux). Type \\ to exit.

Requesting a License

The License Management Application allows registered users on Forum to request a product license to install Appian. Perform the following to request a license:

  1. Navigate to https://forum.appian.com/suite/sites/licenses and login.
  2. Fill the form according to your requirements and submit the form.
  3. If you are your organization's primary POC (point of contact), then the Appian license administrators will review your request and provide you with the license or the next steps required to generate the long-term license. You will receive these steps in the form of a task on Forum.
  4. If you are not your organization's primary POC, then the request will first go to your organization's POC who will have to approve this request. If the POC approves the request, the Appian license administrators will review the request and provide you the license or the next steps required to generate the long-term Product license.
  5. The license will be delivered to you in the form of a task on Forum which allows you to download the license file.

Please note that generating the long-term license can take up to 4-5 business days.

Note: Please request a long-term license as soon as you receive your temporary license.

Installing a License

The steps to install a temporary license and a permanent license are the same. To install a product license, perform the following (Note: Licenses are hot-deployable, so you need not stop the Appian components to install a license):

  1. Copy the k3.lic file into one of the following directories, depending on your operating system:
    • Linux: <APPIAN_HOME>/server/_bin/k/linux64/
    • Windows: <APPIAN_HOME>\server\_bin\k\win64\
  2. Navigate to the directory the license was installed in and run k.exe (./k if Linux).
    • If a valid license cannot be found, the message k3.lic displays.
    • If a valid license is found, the details display in the banner.
  3. Type \\ to exit.

If k3.lic is printed after installing the new license and running the k script, this is because of one or more of the following:

  • The operating system this license was created for is different from the operating system the license is installed on.
  • The CPU count requested for this license is different than the CPUs of the machine the license is installed on.
  • The FQDN requested for this license is different from the FQDN of the machine the license is installed on.
  • The license was not extracted properly and installed in the correct folder.

Affected Versions

This article applies to all versions of Appian.

Last Reviewed: March 2018