DataStax Licensing – FAQs

Product Terms · Last Updated Date: 
October 06, 2020

DataStax Enterprise is available on a subscription basis: a subscription is the DataStax software licence for a specified term plus the right to receive support and maintenance during that same term.

To purchase a DataStax subscription you will need to sign an order schedule that itemizes your purchase (amount, start date, etc) and references our Enterprise Terms; this is your contract.

No license key is needed to get started with DataStax software – but customers will receive a welcome guide and on-boarding documentation confirming what they have purchased.

DataStax software Subscriptions are sold on a per-Node or per-Core basis. Each Node may run on a maximum of 16 Cores:

  • “Node” means a Java Virtual Machine (a platform-independent execution environment that converts Java bytecode into machine language and executes it) that runs an instance of the software
  • “Core” means an independent physical processing unit on a CPU responsible for executing programs
  • Virtualised CPUs do not count as Cores for these purposes and so a Node may have any number of virtualised CPUs provided that the physical CPUs do not exceed 16
  • For DataStax Enterprise version 6.0 or higher, customers can use the system settings (tpc_cores:16) to comply with the above limitation.

DataStax software Subscriptions are typically offered for a subscription period of no less than one year, which is paid for up-front.

Yes: you can use unsupported DataStax Enterprise once for free for a period of ninety (90) days (unless otherwise agreed to by DataStax in writing) if you use it for non-production (test/development) purposes (please refer to our “Limited No-Fee License” terms available in the Enterprise Terms).

Educational institutions may use DataStax Enterprise as part of a classroom curriculum with written permission from DataStax. Educators wishing to use DataStax Enterprise as part of their course instruction may contact DataStax using the information available here. Other uses by educational institutions require a paid subscription.

If you have a DataStax Enterprise license you may:

  • install and use DataStax Enterprise inside your organization
  • install and use DataStax Enterprise on external servers that are hosted on your behalf (e.g. in AWS)
  • take advantage of the free ‘bursting use’ benefit, enabling you to increase your DataStax Enterprise usage by 20% for up to two months in each 12 month period
  • spin up dedicated DataStax Enterprise clusters to store OpsCenter storage metrics at no additional cost

You may not:

  • have DSE clusters containing different types of DSE Subscription (i.e. all Nodes in each Cluster must be uniformly licensed to use the same level of DSE Subscription)
  • incorporate DataStax Enterprise within a new software application that you distribute to other organizations
  • use DataStax Enterprise to provide a database-as-a-service product made available to other organizations
  • purchase DataStax Enterprise on behalf of someone else

The above examples are indicative and for guidance purposes only – please refer to the full DataStax licence terms available here.

Customers that have purchased DataStax Enterprise will receive a welcome guide and on-boarding documentation that detail how many Nodes of subscriptions they have purchased, along with any applicable restrictions.

You are responsible for ensuring that your usage of DataStax Enterprise complies with the quantity and type of licenses you have purchased. If you think you may exceed or have exceeded your licensed usage, you should take one of the following steps:

  • identify any (additional) Nodes running DataStax Software and inform your DataStax relationship manager
  • if this is not possible, request assistance from DataStax to enable you to run scanning tools to identify any (additional) Nodes running DataStax Enterprise within your organization.

Customers that are using free DataStax Software under the No-Fee Licence terms must comply with the relevant licence terms (please refer to question 4).

Please note that DataStax reserves the right to verify compliance, including by conducting audits on randomly selected users from time to time.

Assignment of subscriptions to a member of the same corporate family is generally permitted on request (note that the assignor will have to delete the software). You should refer to the Enterprise Terms for more detail.

Services. DataStax provides a range of services designed to help our customers be successful by accelerating adoption of the DataStax platform and features. For further information on the services we offer, see here. Please note that DataStax does not provide custom application/code development.

Training. DataStax provides training for users of DataStax Enterprise, and Apache Cassandra at all levels. We offer online training via DataStax Academy and private training courses. For the current schedule of DataStax training and other events (including Cassandra events) see here.

Support. All paid DataStax Software subscription customers benefit from expert DataStax Support. Support is provided remotely by DataStax experts based in the USA, UK, and Australia. Please note that the DataStax Support team does not have access to the data stored within customer’s DataStax Enterprise databases other than data specifically provided by the customer. Customers should avoid including any personal, sensitive, or restrictive data in connection with any support requests.

Premium Support. In addition to standard support, DataStax also offers DataStax Enterprise customers a premium support offering. More information is available here.

Support for Apache Cassandra. DataStax also offers support for Apache Cassandra users. For more information, see the DataStax Luna page.

DataStax will contact you to discuss the renewal of your subscription.

If your subscription is not renewed then you must delete the software at the end of the subscription period.

DataStax Enterprise is made available under the DataStax Enterprise Terms. The Enterprise Terms also include:

  • the Support Policy – which describes how support is provided; and
  • the Service Terms – which describe how consultancy and training are provided, and describe the service packages offered by DataStax.

OpsCenter: OpsCenter is licensed as part of DataStax Enterprise, but it can also be downloaded and installed separately. When it is not used as part of a DataStax Enterprise subscription the applicable license terms can be found here.

  • DevCenter: DevCenter is licensed as part of DataStax Enterprise, but it can also be downloaded and installed separately. The license terms for DevCenter are part of our Enterprise Terms, and can be found here.
  • Studio: Studio is licensed as part of DataStax Enterprise, but it can also be downloaded and installed separately. When it is not used as part of a DataStax Enterprise subscription the applicable license terms can be found here.
  • Drivers: DataStax includes drivers as part of DataStax Enterprise, but many can also be downloaded and installed separately. For full information please refer to our drivers page here.

As of July 6 2016 the US export classification of DataStax Enterprise is as set out below. The corresponding CCATS reference is G166668.

ProductECCNLicense ExceptionAuthorized For Export (See Definitions List Below)Encryption Reporting Requirement
DataStax Enterprise5D992.cNo License Required (“NLR”)All countries, except Embargoed Countries, and the Crimea Region of UkraineAnnual
DataStax OpsCenter5D992.cNo License Required (“NLR”)All countries, except Embargoed Countries, and the Crimea Region of UkraineAnnual
DataStax DevCenter5D992.cNo License Required (“NLR”)All countries, except Embargoed Countries, and the Crimea Region of UkraineAnnual
DataStax Drivers and Utilities5D992.cNo License Required (“NLR”)All countries, except Embargoed Countries, and the Crimea Region of UkraineNone
DataStax Source Code5D002.c1ENC/(b)(2)All countries, except: – Government End Users of Non-Supp3 Countries – Embargoed countries and the Crimea Region of UkraineSemi-Annual
DataStax Encryption Technology5E002(a)ENC/(b)(2)All countries, except: – Government End Users of non-Supp3 Countries – End Users in D:1 Countries (unless HQ’ed in a Supp3 Country) – Embargoed Countries and the Crimea Region of UkraineSemi-Annual

Yes, the technology within DataStax’s software is covered by patents (and pending patents).

DataStax Enterprise incorporates open source components and other third party software (including Apache Cassandra™) that are scanned and approved in accordance with the DataStax Software Development Security Program (available here). For a list of the included software including the applicable licenses please see here.

Documentation for DataStax Enterprise can be found here. You will find document sets that include release notes, installation and configuration guides, and an overview of the latest features.

DataStax audits the usage of its Software from time to time. Please refer to question 11 for further information.

Apache Cassandra™ is an operational database that is an open source project. Cassandra has been an Apache Software Foundation top level project since February 2010.

DataStax takes the software developed by the community within the Apache Software Foundation, enhances it, does extensive quality assurance on it and adds enterprise features (e.g. Advanced security) before delivering it as a finished package (DataStax Enterprise) to our customers.

Please contact us using the information available here.