FAQ for Cluster Registration and V2 Licenses

What is Cluster Registration, and why does Cloudera require it?

Cluster registration is a mandatory process that accompanies Version 2 (V2) license keys. It associates your running clusters with your active Cloudera software license, validates your Cloudera Manager cluster deployments against your purchased software entitlements and links your active environments directly to your Cloudera Account 360 profile for accurate license tracking.

Which releases introduce mandatory cluster registration?

Cloudera introduces mandatory cluster registration in Cloudera Manager 7.13.2 SP1 (7.13.2.10000) as part of the Cloudera Base on premises 7.3.2 SP1 release line.

When does Cluster Registration become mandatory?

Mandatory registration applies whenever you apply a V2 license key in Cloudera Manager 7.13.2 SP1 (7.13.2.10000) or higher, either during new cluster creation or when updating (or renewing) a license for existing clusters.

What happens to your existing license when you upgrade?

Cloudera Manager converts existing Version 1 (V1) licenses to Version 2 (V2) licenses upon upgrade. Applying a V2 license displays the new Cluster Registration Status section in the Web Console and requires you to register all managed clusters.

When does the 60-day grace period start?

The 60-day registration grace period begins on the exact date and time you create a cluster or apply a V2 license key inside the Cloudera Manager Admin Console. It does not begin on the date Cloudera issues or emails the license file.

What happens if Cloudera Manager places a cluster into a Locked state due to non-registration?

If you do not register a cluster within the 60-day grace period, or if you apply a V2 license to an existing cluster after its 60-day window ends, Cloudera Manager places the cluster into a Locked state. In this state, Cloudera Manager enforces the following restrictions:

You cannot start or restart any cluster, service, or role.
You cannot save or deploy configuration changes across the cluster.
Cloudera Manager locks administrative management functions in the Web Console.

Do running workloads continue processing data if a cluster enters a Locked state?

Yes. Existing running workloads (such as active YARN jobs, Hive queries, or HDFS storage operations) continue to process data normally. However, because Cloudera Manager freezes administrative control, you cannot make configuration adjustments, execute administrative tasks, or restart failed services until you complete registration.

How do I unlock a cluster that has entered the Locked state?

Completing the cluster registration process immediately unlocks Cloudera Manager and restores full administrative management functionality.

Do air-gapped clusters require an active internet connection to register?

No. Cloudera Manager supports two workflow options:

Online Registration: Cloudera Manager automatically validates and registers your clusters in a single click if the system has direct outbound internet access to Cloudera Servers.
Offline Registration: Cloudera Manager uses a secure, two-way file exchange for air-gapped environments without requiring direct outbound internet connectivity from your clusters:
1. Export a JSON registration package from your air-gapped Cloudera Manager instance.
2. Upload the JSON file to Cloudera Account 360 using an internet-connected workstation.
3. Download the signed confirmation package from Cloudera Account 360 and import it back into Cloudera Manager.

Do I need to register air-gapped clusters individually?

No. Cloudera Manager provides a Bulk Cluster Key Migration feature. You can export a single JSON package containing details for all managed clusters, upload it once to Cloudera Account 360 using an internet-connected device, and import a single confirmation package back to register all clusters simultaneously.

Does the registration JSON package contain sensitive cluster data?

No. The JSON package contains only non-sensitive entitlement identifiers (such as cluster UUIDs, host counts, and hardware specifications) required to verify software license allocations. You can open and inspect the JSON file prior to uploading it to Cloudera Account 360.

What steps do I take when applying a new or renewed license key?

Anytime you apply an updated or renewed V2 license key to Cloudera Manager, you must re-register all active clusters to associate them with the new key:

Connected Environments: Cloudera Manager automatically contacts Cloudera servers and re-registers all managed clusters.
Air-Gapped Environments: Administrators must perform a quick offline bulk registration process using Cloudera Account 360.

Why does the Cluster Deregistration page omit active clusters?

The Cluster Deregistration page lists only clusters that you have already deleted from Cloudera Manager. Active clusters do not appear on this page until you decommission and remove them.

Why must you deregister a cluster after deleting it?

Deregistering a deleted cluster notifies the Cloudera license server that the cluster is no longer active. This action releases its allocated license entitlements, making those node allocations available for future cluster deployments.

Can I deregister a cluster in an air-gapped environment?

Yes. You can perform offline deregistration by clicking the Offline Deregistration button on the Cluster Deregistration page and following the file-transfer workflow with Cloudera Account 360.

How do I remove and deregister a decommissioned cluster from my account?

Connected Environments: Deleting a cluster in Cloudera Manager automatically sends a deregistration request to Cloudera servers and frees up the resources.
Air-Gapped Environments: Select the deleted cluster on the Cluster Deregistration page, click Offline Deregistration, process the request JSON in Cloudera Account 360, and import the signed confirmation back into Cloudera Manager.