After installing a temporary license, Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange still shows "Expired" in the console

Products

• Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange

Issue/Introduction

After installing a temporary license, Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange (SMSMSE) still shows "Expired" in the console.

 

Cause

The licensing display in the SMSMSE console will show "Expired" when a license is in its grace period. It will show "Not Licensed" when the grace period has ended. If the new temporary file covers less time period than the remaining grace period, the licensing status will not change in the console when the new license is installed.

The dates listed in the XML Symantec License File (*.slf) indicate the date at which the license will no longer activate product functionality.

The license file can be opened in Notepad to determine the actual end date. License files will be located in (by default) C:\ProgramData\Symantec Shared\Licenses, with the format *.slf.

Example license contents: 

<name>Brightmail AntiSpam Content</name>
<version>1.0</version>
<start_date>2015-09-11</start_date>
<end_date>2018-11-08</end_date>
<count>999999</count>
<warn_policy>1,120</warn_policy>
<grace_policy>1,60</grace_policy>
 

For this example license:

• The warning date will begin to warn of the pending expiration 120 days prior to 2018-11-08. 
• The license will expire 60 days prior to the listed end date of 2018-11-08. This will begin the grace period. Product functionality will continue to avoid unforeseen re-licensing delays. The licensing display in the SMSMSE console will show "Expired".
• The license will cease to function on the listed end date of 2018-11-08. This is the end of the grace period if no new license has been installed. The licensing display in the SMSMSE console will show "Not Licensed".

When the end date is reached the software will continue to function, but will no longer download any updates for the expired content. Virus Definitions, and Anti-Spam rules will quickly grow stale and begin to lose effectiveness rapidly.

 

 

Resolution

Apply a new current license using the normal process.

'Applying a license (.SLF) file for Symantec Mail Security for Exchange'