Transition to Flexed licensing

Last published : Sep 26, 2026
Important:
File-based licensing system (also referred to as manually managed entitlements), traditionally used for activating various on-premises components, will be End of Life (EOL) on April 15, 2026. License Activation Service (LAS) is the next generation technology for product activations across the suite of Citrix products. LAS will be the only way to activate and license NetScaler instances after April 15, 2026, supporting NetScaler Flexed licenses (CPL/UHMC), legacy NetScaler Pooled licenses, and NetScaler Fixed term Bandwidth licenses. To remain supported, your NetScaler and NetScaler Console deployments must be on a LAS compatible version.
The minimum required NetScaler® versions that are LAS compatible are:
  • NetScaler ADCs: 14.1-51.x, 13.1-60.x, 13.1-37.246 (FIPS), 14.1-66.68 (FIPS)
  • NetScaler SVM: 14.1-51.x, 13.1-60.x
  • NetScaler Console Service: Supported from early September 2025.
  • NetScaler Console on-prem: 14.1-51.x
    Note: LAS support for Console on-prem is from release 14.1-51.x onwards. However, file-based licensing is deprecated as of April 15 2026 from Console on-prem releases 14.1-51.x onwards and 13.1-60.x onwards. If you upgrade to Console on-prem release 14.1-51.x or release 13.1-60.x or later, you can continue using file-based licensing until 15th April 2026. However you must upgrade to Console on-prem release 14.1-51.x or later, and switch to LAS before 15th April 2026 because Console on-prem 13.1 does not support LAS.
All the other forms of legacy NetScaler licenses such as Pooled vCPU, CICO, perpetual will not be supported with LAS. NetScaler instances leveraging perpetual licenses without an active maintenance will become unlicensed upon upgrade to the above mentioned software versions.
LAS based licenses may not be available to customers where prohibited by law or regulations.
If you have questions or concerns, contact Customer Care. Citrix may limit or suspend your Citrix Maintenance for non-compliance with these requirements without liability in addition to any other remedies Citrix may have at law or equity. These requirements don’t apply where prohibited by law or regulation.
Read the following note before proceeding further.
Note:
You must switch to the Flexed licensing before the expiry of your current license. While planning the transition keep the following steps in mind, and plan a maintenance window if the steps involve a license reconfiguration or NetScaler reboot.
Related information

LAS-based licenses

Note:
Ensure your NetScaler (ADC and SDX) instances are on LAS-compatible versions.
Information related to migration for the following license, see Migrate existing licensed instances.
  • Flexed licensing (file-based licenses) to Flexed licensing (LAS-based licenses)
  • Pooled licensing (file-based licenses) to Flexed licensing (LAS-based licenses)
Information related to transition for the following license, see License Activation Service.
  • Pooled vCPU licensing (file-based licenses) to Flexed licensing (LAS-based licenses)
  • Fixed subscription or Perpetual licensing (file-based licenses) to Flexed licensing (LAS-based licenses)
  • Fixed vCPU licensing (file-based licenses) to Flexed licensing (LAS-based licenses)
  • CICO licensing (file-based licenses) to Flexed licensing (LAS-based licenses)
  • Self-Managed licensing (file-based licenses) to Flexed licensing (LAS-based licenses)
  • Self-Managed vCPU licensing (file-based licenses) to Flexed licensing (LAS-based licenses)

Manually managed entitlements (file-based licenses)

The following sections describe the steps to transition from existing license types to Flexed licensing (file-based licenses).

Pooled bandwidth license to Flexed licensing

Some steps are common to MPX, SDX, and VPX. These steps are listed first, followed by the steps specific to MPX, SDX, or VPX.

Common steps for VPX/MPX/SDX

  1. Upload and apply Flexed licenses on NetScaler Console. See License files.
  2. If you have a Z-Cap software license that is valid for a specific period, apply that license on NetScaler hardware (MPX/SDX).

For VPX/MPX

The following additional steps are needed:
  1. If you have a Pooled Premium (Platinum) bandwidth license, the license automatically switches to Flexed after the expiry of the old license.
  2. If you have a Pooled Standard or Pooled Advanced bandwidth license, manually check out Premium bandwidth and warm reboot NetScaler.

For SDX

Note:
Ensure that you switch to the Flexed licensing before the expiry of your current license.
The following additional steps are needed:
  1. Check out the required instance and bandwidth license from Flexed licensing to SDX. SDX reboot is not required.
  2. If all VPX on SDX have a Premium edition, the license automatically switches to Flexed after the expiry of the old license.
  3. Change the edition for all the VPX (on SDX) with Standard or Advanced to Premium. These VPX instances are automatically rebooted.
  4. Reduce the Standard and Advanced bandwidth capacity on SDX to zero.

Pooled vCPU to Flexed licensing

For VPX

  1. Upload and apply Flexed licenses on NetScaler Console. See License files.
  2. Remove the existing license server using the NetScaler GUI. NetScaler is unlicensed until all the steps are completed.
  3. Add the license server with Flexed/Pooled option.
  4. Check out the required instance and bandwidth licenses to NetScaler.
  5. Warm reboot NetScaler.

Fixed subscription or Perpetual license to Flexed licensing

Some steps are common to MPX, SDX, and VPX. These steps are listed first, followed by the steps specific to MPX, SDX, or VPX.

Common steps for VPX/MPX/SDX

  1. Onboard to NetScaler Console.
  2. Deploy the NetScaler agent.
  3. Upload and apply Flexed licenses on NetScaler Console. See License files.
  4. Apply Z-Cap software license on NetScaler hardware (MPX/SDX).

For VPX/MPX

The following additional steps are needed:
  1. Check out the required instance and bandwidth licenses to NetScaler.
  2. Warm reboot NetScaler.
  3. Delete the Fixed subscription license after NetScaler reboots.

For SDX

The following additional steps are needed:
  1. Check out the required instance and bandwidth license from Flexed licensing on SDX.
  2. If all VPX on SDX have the premium edition, SDX reboot is not required.
  3. If any VPX has the Advanced or Standard edition, that VPX must be shifted to the premium edition. The VPX automatically reboots.
  4. Apply Z-Cap software license on NetScaler SDX.
  5. Check out the required instance and bandwidth license from Flexed licensing on SDX.
  6. Delete the Fixed subscription license after NetScaler reboots.

Fixed vCPU to Flexed licensing

For VPX

  1. Onboard to NetScaler Console.
  2. Deploy the NetScaler agent.
  3. Upload and apply Flexed licenses on NetScaler Console. See License files.
  4. Configure the license server on NetScaler in Flexed/Pooled mode.
  5. Check out the required instance and bandwidth licenses to NetScaler.
  6. Warm reboot NetScaler.
  7. Delete the Fixed license after NetScaler reboots.

CICO to Flexed licensing

For VPX

  1. Upload and apply Flexed licenses on NetScaler Console. See License files.
  2. Remove the existing license server using the NetScaler GUI. NetScaler is unlicensed until all the steps are completed.
  3. Add the license server with Flexed/Pooled option.
  4. Check out the required instance and bandwidth licenses to NetScaler.
  5. Warm reboot NetScaler.

Self Managed bandwidth license to Flexed licensing

Some steps are common to MPX, SDX, and VPX. These steps are listed first, followed by the steps specific to MPX, SDX, or VPX.

Common steps for VPX/MPX/SDX

  1. Upload and apply Flexed licenses on NetScaler Console. See License files.
  2. If you have a Z-Cap software license that is valid for a specific period, apply that license on NetScaler hardware (MPX/SDX).

For VPX/MPX

  1. If you have a Self Managed Premium license, change the license mode using the NetScaler GUI from Self Managed Pool to Flexed/Pooled.
  2. NetScaler reboot is not required.
  3. If you have a Self Managed Standard or Advanced license, remove the existing license server using the NetScaler GUI.
  4. Add the license server with the Flexed/Pooled option.
  5. Check out the Flexed Premium bandwidth capacity to VPX/MPX.
  6. Warm reboot NetScaler.

For SDX

  1. If all VPX on SDX have a Self Managed Premium license, change the license mode using the NetScaler GUI from Self Managed Pool to Flexed/Pooled.
  2. NetScaler reboot is not required.
  3. If some VPX on SDX have a Self Managed Standard or Advanced license, contact Citrix Support.

Self Managed vCPU to Flexed licensing

For VPX

  1. Upload and apply Flexed licenses on NetScaler Console. See License files.
  2. Remove the existing license server using the NetScaler GUI. NetScaler is unlicensed until all the steps are completed.
  3. Add the license server with Flexed/Pooled option.
  4. Check out the required instance and bandwidth licenses to NetScaler.
  5. Warm reboot NetScaler.