How to Manage Your cPGuard License
Managing your cPGuard license is a straightforward process handled entirely through the cpgcli command-line utility. Whether you're applying a new license key, checking its current status, troubleshooting an issue, or decommissioning a server, every license operation is covered by a single command.
When You Might Need These Commands
License management commands are most commonly used when:
- Activating cPGuard for the first time on a new server
- Upgrading from a trial to a paid license
- Troubleshooting license verification or activation errors
- Moving a license to a different server after a migration or IP change
- Decommissioning a server and releasing the license
If your server's IP address changes or you want to use an existing license on a different server, you must first reissue the license from the OPSSHIELD client area before applying it again. See the Reissue License guide for details.
Adding a License
To apply a new license key to your server, use the following command, replacing LICENSE-KEY with your actual key:
cpgcli license --key LICENSE-KEY
What happens when you run this:
- The license key is sent to the OPSSHIELD billing and licensing server for verification.
- Upon successful verification, the license is saved on the server.
- The server is automatically attached to your OPSSHIELD user account and becomes visible in the App Portal.
This same command is used whether you're activating a brand-new license or applying a freshly reissued license key to a server.
Checking License Status
To view the current status of the license applied on your server:
cpgcli license --status
This is useful for quickly confirming whether the license is active, suspended, or expired especially when diagnosing issues with cPGuard features not behaving as expected.
Renewing License Data
If your license was previously suspended and has since been unsuspended, or if there was a temporary synchronisation issue between the server and the licensing system, use this command to pull the latest license data:
cpgcli license --renew
This forces a fresh license check against the OPSSHIELD licensing server and updates the local license state accordingly.
Removing a License
To fully remove the license from a server:
cpgcli license --remove
This command does more than remove the license key locally. It also removes the server and all its data from the cPGuard App Portal. Use this command only when you intend to fully decommission the server from cPGuard.
Command Summary
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
cpgcli license --key LICENSE-KEY | Apply a new license key to the server |
cpgcli license --status | Check the current license status |
cpgcli license --renew | Refresh license data after unsuspension or sync issues |
cpgcli license --remove | Remove license and detach server from App Portal |