License Management
manage_license lets the assistant check what license tier the MCP server is running under (Free / Pro / Enterprise) and, when permitted, activate/refresh/deactivate a license.
Licensing matters because it controls whether certain tools/features appear (for example: dependency analysis, model change history/rollback, unit testing, audit logs).
You don’t need to know the tool parameters-tell the LLM what you want (“show tier”, “refresh license”), and it will use manage_license behind the scenes.
What to ask the LLM (quick prompts)
“Show the current license tier and enabled features in plain English.” “Explain which features/tools require Pro or Enterprise in this environment.” “Refresh the license and tell me if the offline validity window was extended.” “Connect to and activate MCP Engine license” "Deactivate the license and confirm we're back to Free tier."What changes when you upgrade tiers (user view)
Here is what each tier unlocks in practice:
- Free - you can connect, browse, query, refresh, edit model objects, and configure basic preferences. This covers most day-to-day development work.
- Pro adds the safety net tools that matter for serious projects:
- Dependency/impact analysis - see what will break before you rename or delete anything.
- Model change history with undo/redo and checkpoints - roll back mistakes instead of manually fixing them.
- Unit testing - define automated tests that catch regressions after refactors.
- Workspace and model-scoped preferences - different conventions per dataset or workspace.
- Masking controls - PII and numeric masking for safe sharing.
- Enterprise adds audit and compliance features (audit logging, tamper-evident records) - though these can still be hidden by org deployment.
If you're not sure what you're missing:
"List the tools available in this environment and tell me what's missing vs Pro/Enterprise."How to activate a license
Get a license key
Purchase from Pricing or get one from your org admin.
Activate via the assistant
"Connect to and activate MCP Engine license: [paste your key]. Don't echo the key back in responses."Confirm the tier changed
"Show the effective tier and enabled features."
Important: Pro license activation is performed interactively via chat.
The key is stored on the MCP server (not in your chat client). Once activated, all clients on the same machine/user will see Pro features automatically.
If activation is blocked by your org, ask:
"Explain what restriction blocked license activation and what the approved path is."Understanding the status output (plain English)
License status typically includes two different “expiry” concepts:
- License/subscription expiry: the underlying paid license end date (may be empty for perpetual licenses).
- Offline lease expiry: a cached “valid until” window that allows the server to keep working offline for a period. You extend this by running a refresh while online.
A common question:
“The lease expires in 14 days-does that mean my subscription ends then?”Locked-down environments (mode behavior)
Licensing is a server concern (not a model edit), so it can remain available even in locked-down modes.
| Mode | Availability |
|---|---|
| Full mode | AvailableAvailable |
| Read-only mode | AvailableAvailable |
| Browse-only mode | AvailableAvailable |
Notes: Activation may be admin-controlled; state stored server-side.
Some organizations still restrict activation workflows to admins or specific approved clients. If activation is blocked, ask:
“Explain what restriction blocked license activation and what the approved path is in this org.”Multiple clients / instances (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, VS Code)
Licensing is stored by the MCP server, not by the chat client.
By default, MCP Engine stores license state under the server user’s home directory (for example ~/.mcp-engine/license.key and a companion state file). That means:
- If you use multiple clients on the same machine and they run MCP Engine under the same OS user, they will typically see the same activation/tier automatically.
- If you use multiple machines, different OS users, containers/remote hosts, or a custom license file path, activation may not be shared (each environment has its own server-side storage).
If “client A shows Pro but client B shows Free”, ask the assistant in both clients:
“Show license status details including license file path and secret backend.”If they differ, you’re looking at different server environments; activate in the one you intend to use:
“Activate the license in this environment and then show status.”Safe handling (don’t leak keys)
- Don’t paste license keys into shared channels or tickets.
- If you must activate via chat, ask the assistant to avoid repeating the key back:
- “I will paste a license key. Don’t echo it back in responses.”
- After activation, always confirm status:
- “Now show the effective tier and enabled features.”
Common workflows
1) “Why can’t we do X?”
“Show license tier and enabled features. Explain whether X is blocked by license, mode, or policy.”2) Refresh the offline lease (recommended)
“Refresh the license online and confirm the offline lease expiry moved forward.”3) Prepare for a Pro/Enterprise rollout
“List the Pro/Enterprise tools we’d unlock with an upgrade and what workflows that enables (dependencies, rollback/history, tests, audit).”Troubleshooting
Ask for a Free-tier workaround (if any) and a recommended upgrade path.
Ask: “Show status details including tier reason/warnings and whether the license plan variant is recognized by this build.”
License refresh typically requires internet access. Ask: “Is this environment offline? What error was returned? What’s the current lease expiry?”