HCI License Types Explained: USB Key vs Virtual Key
  

George Fady Lv1Posted 2026-May-29 09:05

Last edited by George Fady 2026-May-29 09:23.

Last edited by George Fady 2026-May-29 09:23.

One of the most common questions from new HCI engineers is about licensing — specifically the difference between the USB Key and Virtual Key, when each is used, and what happens when a USB Key is removed or broken. Here is a complete breakdown based on the official HCI 6.9.1 training material.

1. License Editions
Sangfor HCI comes in two main editions:
[td]
Feature
Standard Edition
Enterprise Edition
How to Obtain
By Default (free)
Purchase from Sangfor
Number of Nodes
3 nodes max
Depends on CPU sockets purchased
Running VMs
No limit
No limit
Max CPU Cores per VM
4 cores
No limit
Memory per VM
8 GB max
No limit (up to physical node RAM)
Virtual Switches
2
No limit
Virtual Routers
1
No limit
2. Advanced Add-On Licenses
Beyond the base edition, you can activate advanced features with separate licenses:
  • CDP — Continuous Data Protection backup per VM
  • aHM — Heterogeneous Virtualization Management (manages VMware vCenter inside HCI)
  • aSC — Stretched Cluster (disaster recovery across sites)
  • aGPU — GPU management (pass-through GPU to VMs)
  • aSEC — Deploy Sangfor EDR/endpoint security inside HCI
  • aSI — Security integration (Cyber Command, Endpoint Secure, KubeManager)



3. USB Key Licensing
For HCI versions that use USB Key licensing:
  • New installations and factory resets include a 60-day trial period.
  • Red USB Key = POC/demo customers. Gold USB Key = production/purchased.
  • If the USB Key is removed, the license remains valid for 30 days — but you cannot power on new VMs after that.
  • Running VMs are NOT affected when the key is removed.
  • The same USB Key can only be used in up to 3 different clusters. The 4th cluster will not activate.
  • In the same cluster, you can update the license unlimited times.



⚠ NOTE: If you plug the USB Key back in after removing it, the 30-day countdown does NOT reset immediately. The countdown resets only after the key has been continuously inserted for 60 days.
4. USB Key Validity Countdown Example
Here is a practical example to understand the countdown logic:
  • USB Key removed → 30 days remaining.
  • Key is away for 10 days → 20 days left.
  • Key reinserted for 50 days → counter is at 20 days remaining still.
  • Key removed again → only 20 days valid, not 30.



The countdown only resets to 30 days after the key stays inserted continuously for 60 days.
5. Virtual Key Licensing (HCI 6.1.0+)
Starting from HCI 6.1.0, Sangfor introduced Virtual Key licensing as an alternative to the physical USB Key:
  • Licensing is based on the device hardware fingerprint instead of the USB Key ID.
  • A fingerprint node is designated (shown with a key symbol in the console).
  • If the fingerprint node is removed from the cluster, you must re-apply for a new license file with the updated device information.
  • Starting from HCI 6.8.0, the structure changed: at least 2 nodes' device info is required when generating the .lic file.
  • For new HCI 6.8.0 deployments: add the node to the cluster first, then license.
  • For clusters upgraded from older versions: re-licensing is required.



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