Activate a Data Retention License

A Data Retention license extends the Firebox data retention period in WatchGuard Cloud. You activate Data Retention licenses in the WatchGuard Support Center, on the Activate Products page. You can review the current Data Retention licenses associated with your account on the Data Retention Licenses page in WatchGuard Cloud.

Each Data Retention license key is compatible with specific Firebox models. When you activate a Data Retention license key, you have several options for how to use your license. You can:

  • Add a new Data Retention license
  • Add data retention days to an existing license
  • Extend the expiration date of an existing license

When you activate a Data Retention license, the license is added to your WatchGuard Cloud account. If you have a Service Provider account, the Data Retention license is added to your inventory in WatchGuard Cloud. From your inventory, you can allocate the license to a managed account or to your own account. For more information, go to WatchGuard Cloud for Service Providers.

If you have a Subscriber account, the Data Retention license is added to the License Details page, where you can assign it to a Firebox. For more information, go to Manage Data Retention Licenses.

Initial License Activation

The first time you activate a Data Retention license that is compatible with a specific Firebox model, it is added as a new license. When you activate a second license compatible with the same Firebox model as an existing license, you can optionally add it as a new license.

If you have an active Data Retention license and want to use a new license to modify an existing license, go to Extend or Modify an Existing Data Retention License.

To add a new Data Retention license:

  1. Go to https://www.watchguard.com/ and log in to your WatchGuard account.
  2. On the Support Center Home page, select My WatchGuard > Activate Products.
    The Activate Products page appears.
  3. Type or paste your license key.
  4. Click Next.
    The Add Product Details page appears.
  5. If you have previously activated a Data Retention license compatible with the same Firebox models, you must specify how you want to activate the license. To activate it as a new license, enter a license name to identify this Data Retention license on the WatchGuard website and in WatchGuard Cloud.. Tip!
  6. Click Activate.
    The Activation Complete page appears. The Data Retention license is added to your WatchGuard Cloud account.

Activate Additional Licenses

When you activate a Data Retention license that is compatible with the same Firebox models as an existing license, you can either use the new license to extend the existing license or add it as a new, separate license.

When you activate a new Data Retention license and select the option to extend or add data retention days to an existing license, the activation wizard calculates a new expiration date and data retention days for the license you select. For more information about the calculation, go to Co-Term Data Retention Licenses.

To extend or modify an existing Data Retention license:

  1. Go to https://www.watchguard.com/ and log in to the WatchGuard Support Center with your WatchGuard account user name and password.
  2. On the Support Center Home page, select My WatchGuard > Activate Products.
    The Activate Products page appears.
  3. Type or paste your license key.
  4. Click Next.
    The Activate a License page appears.
  5. If you have previously activated a Data Retention license compatible with the same Firebox models, you must specify how you want to activate the license. To activate it as a new license, enter a license name. To extend an existing license, select the name of the license you want to extend or modify.
  6. Select how you want to update the selected license.
    • To add data retention days, select Add Seats
    • To extend the renewal date, select Extend subscription term.
  1. Review the changes to the license expiration date and data retention period to make sure they are what you expect.
  2. Click Activate.
    The Activation Complete page appears.

The Data Retention license retention days and expiration date update automatically in your account. If you previously assigned the original license to a Firebox, the update could increase or reduce the number of days of data retention for the Firebox. If the Data Retention license update reduces the number of days of data retention for the license, a daily process automatically removes any previously stored data that is older than the revised data retention period.

Related Topics

About Data Retention Licenses