Downgrade the vRealize Automation license

After running a vRealize Automation Enterprise license for some time I tried to downgrade the license on the vRealize Automation appliance to the Advanced version. This resulted in the error message ‘Unable to downgrade the existing license edition‘. This can also happen when you try to change the vRealize Automation evaluation license to a vCloud Suite license.

To downgrade the vRealize Automation license you need to follow the steps described below.

NOTE: Before you start, create a back-up/snapshot of the existing database or complete appliance. This procedure involves modifications of the databases which can permanently damage the databases.

Remove existing license from SQL database

To remove the vRealize Automation license, go to the IaaS database server and perform the following steps:

1. Run this query to backup existing license keys to a new table:
   SELECT * INTO dbo.LicenseKeys_backup FROM dbo.LicenseKeys
2. Run this query to remove the license keys:
   DELETE FROM dbo.LicenseKeys WHERE SerialNumber IN (‘1st license key’, ‘2nd license key’)
   NOTE: Replace the first license key and second license key with actual license keys and keep the quotes and parentheses.
3. If you require to restore the license keys you have removed, run this query:
   INSERT INTO LicenseKeys (SerialNumber) SELECT SerialNumber FROM LicenseKeys_backup WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT SerialNumber FROM LicenseKeys WHERE SerialNumber = LicenseKeys_backup.SerialNumber).

Remove existing license from vPostgres database

1. First stop the vRealize Automation service on the appliance with the following command:
   # /etc/init.d/vcac-server stop
2. Connect to the vRealize Automation database with the following command:
   # /opt/vmware/vpostgres/current/bin/psql vcac vcac
   Syntax: psql [database][user]
3. List all database tables by using the sql shell with the command \d;
4. Check the availability of the embeddedlicenseentry table;
5. Remove all license information from the embeddedlicenseentry table with the following command in the sql shell:
   vcac=> delete from embeddedlicenseentry
6. Exit the sql shell with the following command:
   vcac=> \q
7. Now you can start the vRealize Automation Service again with the command:
   # /etc/init.d/vcac-server start
8. Now you can enter the new license in the vRealize Automation appliance and IaaS Server.