The answer to this question depends on the specific product you are referring to. However, here are some points to consider:
- Most manufacturers require that only a single copy of a license be in use at one time. Since HAAst keeps only one Asterisk peer active at a time, you should be ok keeping the same license on both computers peers at once and remain compliant.
- Some manufacturers require that only a single copy of a license be installed at once. Using the pre-start & post-stop event handlers you can move the licenses into place before Asterisk starts, and out of place after Asterisk stops, and remain compliant.
- A few manufacturers require that you purchase a license for each host regardless of whether it is used for standby/clustering/testing/development/etc. However, most manufacturers will offer such a license at no/minimal charge.
When you evaluate licensed products for purchase, the above should be one of your evaluation criteria. Most manufacturers are reasonable and recognize that charging for a standby license is excessive – and only antagonizes their customers. Still…we know of one manufacturer in particular that takes a rather hostile view towards their customers and expects a full price license even for standby servers. In some cases you may find open source alternatives that help alleviate unfair license restrictions (for example see: https://telium.io/topic/g729-licenses-invalidated-after-cluster-failover/)
Note that SecAst (Security for Asterisk) includes a second no-charge license for use in a HAAst cluster; so one license covers 2 peer installations.
Please note that the above is not legal advice – you should check with your legal counsel for all matters of license compliance, etc.
