Symptoms
The following error is shown when attempting to open Plesk interface or update a license key:
PLESK_ERROR: Error: The license key is invalid. In order to use Plesk, you need to obtain and install a new valid license key.The license key is intended only for use with Plesk operating inside the following virtual environments: Virtuozzo containers, VMWare, Microsoft Hyper-V, Xen, KVM, Virtuozzo Server, LXC, Docker.
Cause
There are several possible causes:
- Plesk is installed on a not supported virtualization environment;
- Hacked BIOS on the physical machine;
- A misconfigured virtual machine is detected as physical host;
- Increased limits on a container;
- The license is being installed on a dedicated server instead of VPS.
Resolution
Plesk supports only the following virtualization solutions:
- VMware
- XEN
- Virtuozzo (former Parallels Cloud Server 6)
- OpenVZ
- Virtuozzo containers 4.6 for Linux
- Virtuozzo containers 4.6 for Windows
- Virtuozzo containers 4.7 for Linux
- LXC (Docker)
- KVM
- Hyper-V
If the virtualization environment is not supported, upload a dedicated Plesk license, not a VPS one.
Switch license type from for VPS to Dedicated server by logging into my.plesk.com and clicking upgrade button (Only if license purchased is Web Pro or Web Host)
To see how Plesk detects the environment it runs in, use either of the following methods:
For Plesk 12.0 and later
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Use the following script, both Linux and Windows. Create a file with the following code (named as
info.php):<?php
require_once('api-common/cu.php');
cu::initCLI();
$cu = new cu();
try {
$si = var_export(getServerInfo(), true);
cu::print_stdout($si);
} catch(Exception $e) {
cu::print_stderr("Error: " . $e->getMessage());
cu::cuExit(1);
}
cu::cuExit(0); -
Then execute it:
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Windows:
C:>”%plesk_bin%php.exe” info.php | findstr platform
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Linux:
# /usr/local/psa/bin/sw-engine-pleskrun info.php | grep platform
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-
On a screen you will see a result of Plesk detection:
dedicatedornonestands for physical hardware.- If
parallels-serveris shown, runsysteminfocommand to get BIOS Version:Parallels Software International Inc. 6.11.25122.123124stands for Virtuozzo version 6, update 11.
For Plesk 11.5 or older
execute the following command:
-
Windows:
C:>”%plesk_bin%php.exe” -dauto_prepend_file= -r “echo get_virtualization();”
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Linux:
# /usr/local/psa/bin/sw-engine-pleskrun -dauto_prepend_file= -r “echo get_virtualization();”
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On Linux, other utilities you can use (not related to Plesk) include
dmidecodeandlspci. -
Additionally, on Windows, the following steps may be followed to get BIOS information:
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Run
wbemtestin the command line. -
Click Connect twice.
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Click Query.
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Execute:
mysql> SELECT * FROM Win32_BIOS
If this results in BIOS information similar to
Version='ACRSYS - 1', the BIOS was hacked and the hack should be deactivated, or the license for Dedicated servers needs to be obtained.If the output suggests the lack of a virtual platform, there is no other way to make Plesk detect it other than to re-deploy it properly with the correct settings.
-
-
Make sure that Plesk Management Service is up and running. Restart Plesk management services:
-
Windows:
Login into server as Administrator Start menu > All programs > ‘plesk services monitor’ >…
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