How to Remove a Tanzu License Manually from vCenter Server

Products

• Tanzu Kubernetes Runtime
• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

In certain scenarios, administrators may encounter difficulties when attempting to remove an expired or unused Tanzu license from vCenter Server. The Remove License option in the vSphere Client UI may appear greyed out or fail to complete the operation successfully. Even when using the default [email protected] account, the license may persist and remain visible in the UI.

This article provides guidance on how to manually remove such Tanzu licenses from vCenter Server when the standard UI method is not effective.

Environment

• VMware vSphere
• VMware vSphere with Tanzu

Cause

When a Tanzu license is expired or no longer in use, attempts to remove it through the vSphere Client UI may fail. This occurs because the license information continues to reside in the VMware vmdir database, preventing successful removal through the vSphere UI. 

Resolution

^{To resolve this issue and manually remove the Tanzu license from vCenter Server:} 

1. Always ensure you have a valid backup of vCenter Server before making manual changes to the vmdir database.
2. Follow the step‑by‑step procedure outlined in the official Knowledge Base article: How to remove a License Manually from vCenter using ldapmodify
3. The KB provides detailed instructions for safely removing the license entry from the vmdir database, ensuring that the expired or unused license no longer appears in the vSphere Client.
4. After completing the steps, verify in the vSphere Client that the license has been successfully removed.

NOTE:

• This procedure should be performed only when the UI removal option is unavailable or unsuccessful.
• For environments with multiple vCenter Server instances, repeat the process on each affected instance.