Understanding License Consumption in Symantec DLP: Key Scenarios and Implications (How Agent Licenses Work)

Products

• Data Loss Prevention
• Data Loss Prevention Core Package
• Data Loss Prevention Discover Suite
• Data Loss Prevention Endpoint Discover
• Data Loss Prevention Endpoint Prevent
• Data Loss Prevention Enforce
• Data Loss Prevention Enterprise Suite

Issue/Introduction

Symantec Data Loss Prevention (DLP) uses a licensing model based on the number of managed endpoints or users. Organizations often encounter questions about how licenses are consumed, especially when agent history records accumulate or when the number of active agents fluctuates. This article addresses common licensing concerns and provides clarity on how Symantec DLP handles license enforcement.

 

Resolution

1. How is license consumption calculated when the number of agent history records exceeds the license count?

License consumption in Symantec DLP is not based on historical or stale agent records. Instead, it is calculated based on the number of active agents that are currently deployed and connected to the Enforce Server. Only agents that have recently communicated with the Enforce Server within the defined licensing window are counted toward license usage.

Key Point: Historical entries in the Enforce database do not consume licenses unless the agent is actively communicating.

2. Do licenses only apply to online Symantec DLP agents?

Yes. Licenses are only counted for agents that are currently online or have checked in within the licensing window. 

3. What happens if the number of online agents exceeds the number of purchased licenses?

If the number of online agents exceeds the licensed limit, the following issues may occur:

• Agents may fail to perform core functions such as incident generation, monitoring, or blocking.
• The system may restrict communication from excess agents.
• Policy enforcement may become inconsistent or fail entirely for unlicensed agents.

4. Will policies be issued to agents that exceed the license count?

Not reliably. When the number of agents surpasses the licensed threshold:

• Policies may not be issued to the excess agents.
• Even if issued, policies may not take effect properly, leading to gaps in data protection and monitoring.

 

Additional Information

For additional information, refer to:

How does Symantec DLP Licensing Work
What happens when a Symantec DLP license component expires 
Symantec_DLP_15.8_System_Maintenance_Guide.pdf