Issue Description

Users may experience a complete system outage where the VenioOne license appears invalid, even if the expiration date is in the future. Symptoms include:

- License summary shows a valid expiration date (e.g., "Your License is valid till <Date>. You have got 'n' days remaining.") but all feature counts (e.g., INGESTION, OCR, TRAINING) display as 0.
- Distributed Server (DS) machines appear offline or "greyed out" in the License Management UI.
- No license records visible under Console License or VOD License tabs.
- Attempts to process data (e.g., TIFF conversions) fail due to missing dependencies or services.
- Error messages related to license validation or service unavailability.

This issue does not occur automatically and is typically triggered by environmental changes on the customer's side.

Cause

The root cause is often a VM snapshot restore or image rollback performed on the VenioOne console or DS servers. Restoring to an older snapshot invalidates the license because:

- VenioOne licenses are bound to the machine's unique identifier (SID/fingerprint), which changes during a restore.
- The restored environment reverts to a pre-licensed state, overwriting the current license file (`.LIC`).
- Distributed services (e.g., VenioDistributed) may temporarily vanish or fail to register, causing DS nodes to go offline.

Other potential triggers:
- Cloning VMs without re-licensing.
- Hardware changes (e.g., MAC address or CPU ID alterations).
- Manual tampering with license string in SQL.

Resolution

To resolve an active outage:

1. Verify the Issue: Log into the License Management UI and check the Current License Summary. Confirm if counts are 0 and DS servers are offline.
2. Generate a New License Request: From the License Management Utility, on the newly restored VM snapshot, go to License Management → Request/Install License File and create a fresh `.REQ` file.
3. Submit to Support: Email the `.REQ` file to support@veniosystems.com (cc: tonya.mullins@veniosystems.com). Include details like your environment (e.g., DS server names) and any recent VM changes.
4. Install the New License: Once Venio Support provides the new `.LIC` file (typically within 1 business day), install it via License Management → Install.
5. Restart Services: Restart the VenioDistributed service on each DS node (or reboot the servers). Refresh the UI to confirm.
6. Repair Dependencies (if needed): If processing fails (e.g., TIFF errors), repair Adobe and Microsoft Office installations via the server control panel.
7. Test: Log in and verify all features are available, counts >0, and DS servers are online.

If the issue persists, provide screenshots of the License Management tabs and server logs to support for deeper troubleshooting.

Prevention and Best Practices

To avoid future outages during license renewals or VM maintenance:

Additional Tips:

- Set a recurring calendar reminder 45 days before expiration for buffer time.
- Avoid restoring pre-license snapshots; always re-license post-restore.
- If cloning VMs, treat each as a new install and request separate licenses.
- UI Enhancement (Planned): A warning banner will be added to the License Management screen: *"Warning: Restoring a pre-license snapshot will invalidate the license. Generate a new .REQ after restore."*

For proactive assistance, request a shared calendar invite for your next renewal or a remote session to demo the process.