How do I apply credits

[jmcnutt]

I have been looking and looking and there are no instructions anywhere on how to log into se.com and apply credits that were purchased previously.

The digital voucher has been redeemed.  I see that credits are available.  I have watched the videos with the terrible AI-generated voice that gets the words wrong.  They don't explain how to APPLY the credits to a Data Center Expert server.  All they tell me is how great the new licensing system is.

[Cory_McDonald]

Hello @jmcnutt,

From the looks of it, you had a migration to 9.0 that has already occurred within mySchneider.  So I am assuming that you have purchased additional credits to either do a renewal or to do an "Increase License Quantity" of your license.

After redeeming a voucher into credits, you can consume the credits against an Existing Data Center Expert license by either doing a Renewal or an Increase License Quantity.

If you have more than one DCE server, you can also redeem the credits on a new DCE license.  A DCE Device can only have a single license associated to it, so this option should only be used if you have a server that does not have a subscription license created for it.

Instructions for all of the above steps can be found in the following Help Center article: https://community.se.com/t5/Data-Center-Expert-release-notes/Manage-your-DCE-subscription-license-in...

From the looks of your account, you will need to look at the Additional Actions section that outlines the renewal and increase license quantity options.

Kind Regards,

Cory

[Frowndon]

Hi Jmcnutt,

I had trouble with this too but got it sorted with a lot of trial and error.

The following might be helpful during your process.

I had an issue trying to increase the licence quantity.

Initially, I only added 1 licence to DCE in error.

There is a hidden button (Increase Licence Quantity) which I could not find mentioned in the documentation.

You have to search for one licence in the “Activation ID” window to reveal the hidden “Increase License Quantity” button.

This might save you time if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Regards,

Brendan.

[jmcnutt]

No, the "instructions for all of the above steps" are not in that document, nor in any of the terrible videos.

The ACTUAL process is very confusing.

First, you have to have a license for the DCE.  That's reasonably obvious.  So you apply that.

But then, you have to have licenses for the nodes attached to the DCE.  That's MUCH LESS obvious.

To deal with that, you go buy a voucher.  Why do you buy a voucher?  Nobody knows.  Makes no sense.  You could just buy licenses, but that's not what you do.  You buy a voucher.

Then you go redeem the voucher for "credits."  Why do you do that?  Nobody knows that either.  It's an extra step.  And as far as I can tell, there is no way to redeem the voucher unless you have the e-mail from the purchase with the "link" to redeem it.  Why is "link" in quotes?  Because it's a link to an AWS-hosted tracker, not a link to anything in the licensing menus that is helpful.

Oh, remember all that security training that we all took that said over and over and over, "Don't click on links in e-mail?"  Well, I guess just forget all that.

So, fine.  We've redeemed the voucher for credits.  You can see the credits in your account.  They're called "credits" because of reasons.

So where do we apply the credits?

YOU DON'T!

There is no place anywhere to apply credits to the DCE.

Instead, you add "licenses" to it!  That consumes credits.  But it doesn't tell you that it doesn't consume credits.  "Credits" are never mentioned again.  Oh, and the option to add licenses doesn't appear at first.  You have to reload the page at least once before that menu item appears.

"Credits" are never mentioned in any of the documentation, nor in any of the videos with the bad AI voice-overs and bad grammar.  They're a weird sideways path that is never explained.

Now call me crazy, but if this isn't the most tortuous, confusing, poorly-documented "new and improved" licensing system ever invented, I don't know what is.

[jmcnutt]

Yes, not only is it hidden, but this means there are TWO kinds of "license" and neither one makes any reference to the "credits" that are shown elsewhere that are being applied when you "add licenses."

It's a mess.  And no amount of "look how cool this is" marketing videos can polish this... thing.

[JLehr]

Hi @jmcnutt and @Frowndon,

You may not have seen this article about increasing the node count for a DCE subscription license.
https://community.se.com/t5/Renew-Licenses/Amend-Data-Center-Expert-License/ta-p/521036

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