Hi Tushar,
Renewing the Mendix contract does not require changes to your application model or business logic. However, whether you need to perform any technical steps depends on how your application is hosted.
Running on AWS alone does not determine the licensing procedure, because Mendix Cloud also runs on AWS.
1. If your application is hosted on Mendix Cloud
Mendix Cloud manages licensing through licensed cloud nodes. If your application is already linked to the appropriate licensed node, you generally do not need to manually upload or replace runtime license keys after a contract renewal.
You should, however, verify that your application remains linked to the appropriate licensed node and that its license status is valid.
2. If your application runs on your own AWS infrastructure
For deployments that use manually managed license keys, you need to apply the renewed keys to the relevant application environments.
Step 1: Download the renewed license keys
Go to Control Center → Deployed Apps → Apps with License Keys.
After the contract renewal is processed, new license keys are automatically generated and emailed to the application's Technical Contact. They are also available for download from this page.
You can download the keys or use the option to email them to the Technical Contact. If the renewed keys are not available after the renewal is processed, contact Mendix Support.
Step 2: Apply the renewed keys to each environment
Each environment, such as Development, Test, Acceptance, and Production, requires its own license key. The exact procedure depends on your hosting setup:
Docker / Kubernetes Standalone / Cloud Foundry: Update the LICENSE_ID and LICENSE_KEY environment variables, or the corresponding configuration or secrets, with the renewed values.
Mendix on Kubernetes Connected: Update the Subscription Secret on the environment's Environment Details page.
Windows Server: Apply the renewed license key through the Mendix Service Console.
Linux / Unix-like Server: Follow the applicable Linux deployment instructions. For deployments using M2EE, use the activate_license command to activate the renewed license.
Step 3: Restart and verify
Restart the application so the Runtime reads the updated license information. Then verify that the application starts with a valid license.
Important: License expiration and the grace period
Do not leave the existing license key expired without applying the renewed one.
After the license key's end date, the application enters a 30-day grace period. During this period, it continues running normally with the expired license, although warning messages may appear in the application logs.
If the Technical Contact does not update the license key before the grace period ends, the Mendix Runtime may forcefully stop the application. Upon restart, it can enter trial mode and become subject to trial-mode limitations.
If the application has already stopped because of an expired license, contact your Mendix account contact or Mendix Support for assistance with restoring the license.
My recommendation: Once the contract renewal is confirmed, check the Apps with License Keys tab in Control Center and apply the renewed keys to all relevant environments before the existing keys expire. This helps avoid unnecessary downtime and licensing warnings.
Official documentation:
One clarification: Are you running the application on Mendix Cloud, or on your own AWS infrastructure (for example, EC2, Docker, or Kubernetes)? With that information, the exact renewal steps can be identified.
Hope this helps! If this answers your question, please consider marking it as the accepted answer.
Hi Tushar,
What you need to do depends on how your app is hosted on AWS:
1. Mendix Cloud (deployed from the Mendix Portal, which runs on AWS)
No technical action is needed. The license is tied to your licensed app node, and Mendix extends it once the contract renewal is processed. You don’t need to change any keys or redeploy. Just check in the Portal that the node still shows as licensed after the renewal.
2. Self-managed on AWS (EC2, ECS or Docker)
Mendix Support sends the new license details to your app’s Technical Contact through a Support Portal ticket. Then:
Replace the value where your license is configured: LICENSE_ID and LICENSE_KEY environment variables for Docker or ECS, the m2ee.yaml file, or the Service Console on a Windows server.
Restart the app. You don’t need to rebuild or redeploy the package.
3. Mendix on Kubernetes (for example on Amazon EKS)
Update the runtime license for the environment in its configuration, or in the Private Cloud License Manager if you use it. Then restart the environment.
Important: the expiry date
The runtime checks the license only at startup. If the license expires while the app is running, it keeps working until the next restart. After that restart it runs unlicensed: at most 6 concurrent users, and the runtime stops after 2 to 4 hours. To avoid this:
Apply the new key and restart before the old one expires.
Make sure the Technical Contact in the Portal is correct, so the renewal ticket reaches the right person.
Hope this helps! If this solution works for you, kindly mark it as the accepted answer so it can help others facing the same issue.
Sources:
Hi Tushar,
One practical check after the renewal is completed is to verify the license information in the Runtime logs after the next restart.
If you're running the application on your own AWS infrastructure (EC2, ECS, EKS, Docker, etc.), update the renewed license key and perform a planned restart during a maintenance window. After startup, review the logs to confirm that the Runtime has picked up the new license successfully and that there are no licensing warnings.
Also, make sure the Technical Contact for the application is up to date in the Mendix Portal, since renewal notifications and license-related communications are typically sent to that contact.
In summary:
Mendix Cloud: usually no technical action is required after contract renewal.
Self-managed AWS deployment: update the renewed license key, restart the application, and verify the license status in the logs.
This small verification step can help avoid unexpected licensing issues later.
Hope this helps!