chef · IanMadd · Jan 29, 2025
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 +++
-title = "Apply a license in Chef Infra Client"
-linkTitle = "Apply a license"
+title = "Licensing Chef Infra Client"
+linkTitle = "Licensing"
 
 [menu.licensing]
 title = "Apply a license"
@@ -9,17 +9,65 @@ parent = "licensing"
 weight = 11
 +++
 
-Chef Infra Client 19 requires a license to run. This document describes how to set a license and verify that it's accepted.
+Before running Chef Infra Client, you must accept the Chef EULA and add a license key.
+You can [request a trial license](https://www.chef.io/license-generation-free-trial) if you'd like to try out Chef Infra Client.
 
-## Add a license
+For more information on Chef licenses, see [Chef's licensing documentation](https://docs.chef.io/licensing/).
 
-Chef Infra Client 19 has three ways to set a license:
+## Accept the Chef EULA
 
-- with an environment variable
-- with a command line option
-- with the command line interactive dialog
+You must accept the [Chef End User License Agreement (EULA)](https://www.chef.io/end-user-license-agreement) before running Chef Infra Client using one of the following methods:
 
-After setting a license key, Chef Infra Client validates it with Progress Chef's licensing service.
+- [command line option](#command-line-option)
+- [environment variable](#environment-variable)
+
+If you don't set a command line argument or environment variable, Chef Infra Client requests acceptance through an interactive prompt. If the prompt can't be displayed, then the product will fail with exit code 172.
+
+If the product attempts to persist the accepted license and fails, Chef Infra Client sends a message to STDOUT and continues to run. In a future invocation, you will need to accept the license again.
+
+### Command line option
+
+Use the `--chef-license <VALUE>` argument to accept the Chef EULA.
+
+Replace `<VALUE>` with one of the following options.
+
+`accept`
+: Accept the license and attempts to persist a marker file locally. Persisting these marker files means future invocations don't require accepting the license again.
+
+`accept-silent`
+: Similar to `accept`, but no messaging is sent to STDOUT.
+
+`accept-no-persist`
+: Similar to `accept-silent`, but no marker file is persisted. Future invocation will require accepting the license again.
+
+### Environment variable
+
+Use the `CHEF_LICENSE="<VALUE>"` environment variable to accept the Chef EULA.
+
+Replace `<VALUE>` with one of the following options:
+
+`accept`
+: Accept the license and attempts to persist a marker file locally. Persisting these marker files means future invocations don't require accepting the license again.
+
+`accept-silent`
+: Similar to `accept`, but no messaging is sent to STDOUT.
+
+`accept-no-persist`
+: Similar to `accept-silent`, but no marker file is persisted. Future invocation will require accepting the license again.
+
+## License key
+
+You can add a license key to Chef Infra Client using one of three methods:
+
+- [environment variable](#environment-variable-1)
+- [command line option](#command-line-option-1)
+- [interactive license dialog](#interactive-license-dialog)
+
+{{< note >}}
+
+Existing commercial customers of Progress Chef can use an asset serial number from the [Progress support portal](https://community.progress.com/s/products/chef) as a license key.
+
+{{< /note >}}
 
 ### Environment variable
 
@@ -39,7 +87,9 @@ After setting a license key, Chef Infra Client validates it with Progress Chef's
 
 ### Interactive license dialog
 
-If you run a `chef-client` command and a license key isn't already set, Chef Infra Client starts an interactive licensing dialog.
+The easiest way to add a license key to Chef Infra Client is to run it.
+Start a Client run and it starts an interactive licensing dialog
+if a license key isn't already set and it doesn't detect an automated method of setting the license key.
 
 To set a license key with the CLI interactive dialog, follow these steps:
 
@@ -61,7 +111,20 @@ To set a license key with the CLI interactive dialog, follow these steps:
 
 1. At the first prompt, select **I already have a license ID**.
 
-    ```text
+    ```bash
+    ------------------------------------------------------------
+      License ID Validation
+
+      To continue using Chef Infra, a license ID is required.
+      (Free, Trial, or Commercial)
+
+      If you generated a license previously, you might
+      have received it in an email.
+
+      If you are a commercial user, you can also find it in the
+      https://community.progress.com/s/products/chef portal.
+    ------------------------------------------------------------
+
     Please choose one of the options below (Press ↑/↓ arrow to move and Enter to select)
     ‣ I already have a license ID
       I don't have a license ID and would like to generate a new license ID
@@ -70,9 +133,64 @@ To set a license key with the CLI interactive dialog, follow these steps:
 
 1. Enter your license key at the second prompt.
 
-    ```text
-    Please enter your license ID:  <LICENSE_KEY>
-    ✔ [Success] License validated successfully.
-    ```
+   ```bash
+   Please choose one of the options below I already have a license ID
+   Please enter your license ID:  <LICENSE_KEY>
+   ✔ [Success] License validated successfully.
+   ------------------------------------------------------------
+   License Details
+     Asset Name       : Infra
+     License ID       : <LICENSE_KEY>
+     Type             : Trial
+     Status           : Active
+     Validity         : Unlimited
+     No. Of Units     : 10 Targets
+   ------------------------------------------------------------
+   ```
+
+Chef Infra Client validates the license key, displays information about the license entitlements, and then executes the run.
+Infra Client stores license keys for future use and won't prompt you for the license key for the duration of your license.
+
+## Chef Local License Service
+
+For large or isolated (air-gapped) fleets, Chef Infra Client can retrieve a license key from a [Chef Local License Service](https://docs.chef.io/licensing/local_license_service/).
+With Chef Local License Service, Infra Client users don't need to know a license key---only the service URL.
+
+Chef Infra Client sends a request to the Local License Service for a list of license keys and then uses that response to license itself during execution.
+Infra Client won't prompt you for a license key.
+Infra Client doesn't store license keys for long-term use when they're retrieved from a Chef Local License Service.
+
+Use one of the following methods to set a Local License Service URL:
+
+- [command line option](#command-line-option-2)
+- [environment variable](#environment-variable-2)
+
+### Command line option
+
+- Use the `--chef-license-server` command line option to set a Chef Local License Service URL. For example:
+
+  ```bash
+  --chef-license-server https://license-server.example.com
+  ```
+
+### Environment variable
+
+- Use the `CHEF_LICENSE_SERVER` environment variable to set a Chef Local License Service URL. For example:
+
+  ```bash
+  export CHEF_LICENSE_SERVER=https://license-server.example.com
+  ```
+
+#### Multiple license servers
+
+You can deploy multiple Chef Local License Services, which provides resiliency and redundancy for managing licenses.
+
+- To set multiple Chef Local License Services, enter up to five URLs as a comma-separated list. For example:
+
+  ```bash
+  export CHEF_LICENSE_SERVER=https://license-server-01.example.com,https://license-server-02.example.com
+  ```
+
+  Chef Infra Client tries each URL and uses the first one that works.
 
-    After entering the license key, Chef Infra Client verifies your license and the run completes.
+This capability is basic and you must synchronize the license servers, otherwise you may get inconsistent results.