How to apply a license in ADAudit Plus

How to apply a license in ADAudit Plus

Objective   

This article guides you on applying or updating a license in ManageEngine ADAudit Plus to unlock full features and avoid evaluation limits. It also clarifies edition-wise feature availability. Without a valid license, ADAudit Plus runs in evaluation mode with limited features and a time limit, eventually switching to the Free edition, which restricts log collection from domain-based devices like domain controllers.

 Prerequisites   

  • ADAudit Plus must be installed and accessible via a supported browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Opera).

  • A valid license file, typically in XML format, must be provided by the ManageEngine sales or support team and will be sent to the email address used for purchasing ADAudit Plus. If you haven’t received the email, you can request the license by contacting sales@manageengine.com or support@adauditplus.com.

  • Only admin users can upload and apply the license.

Steps to follow 

  1. Log in to ADAudit Plus using an account with admin privileges.
  2. Click License in the top-right corner of the dashboard.

  1.   Click Choose File to select your XML license file from your local drive.

  2. Click Upgrade to apply the license.

 

  1. Once uploaded, the system will show the following:

    • Registered company name

    • License type

    • Subscription expires on

    • License count for Active Directory Auditing, Cloud Directory Auditing, etc..

Edition comparison:

Feature

Free edition

Trial edition

Standard edition

Professional edition

License duration

Never expires

30 days from installation

Valid for license term

Valid for license term

Workstation auditing

25 complimentary

Up to 100

Licensed number

Licensed number

Domain controller auditing

❌

Up to 5

Licensed number

Licensed number

File server auditing

❌

Up to 2

Licensed number

Licensed number

NetApp filer auditing

❌

1

Licensed number

Licensed number

Member server auditing

❌

Up to 10

Licensed number

Licensed number

Fresh data collection

Stops after 30 days (excludes Workstations)

✅

✅

✅

Reports from collected data

✅

✅

✅

✅

Group Policy settings auditing

❌

❌

❌

✅

Old and new value tracking for AD object changes

❌

❌

❌

✅

Old and new permission change auditing

❌

❌

❌

✅

Microsoft SQL Server back-end support

❌

❌

❌

✅

Technical support

24x5

24x5

24x5

24x5

 

Note: ADAudit Plus currently offers two licensing models: a subscription license, which is renewed annually, and a perpetual license, which does not expire. The subscription license includes product updates and technical support as part of the annual fee. For perpetual license holders, product updates and technical support are available only if the Annual Maintenance and Support (AMS) is renewed each year.

Validation and confirmation   

To ensure the license is applied successfully:
  1. Click License in the top-right corner of the dashboard.

  2. Confirm the following details:

    • The license type reflects the purchased license type.

    • The count of the respective devices (i.e., purchased five with three in useunder Active Directory Auditing) is correct.

  1. Check if the expiry date is correct. If you are applying an AMS license, make sure that the AMS Expires date is correct.

 Tips 

  • If you have the license as a ZIP file, it is recommended to extract the file and apply the file directly as an XML. Also, try to move the file to a local drive or a location such as the desktop to avoid network delays or lag in applying the license.

  • Verify if your licensed numbers reflect correctly.

  • If migrating ADAudit Plus to another server, reapply the license on the new host.

  • Contact support before making major infrastructure changes to avoid license conflicts.