# 3-nodes License, Adding Unlicensed Nodes to the Cluster

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/3-nodes-license-adding-unlicensed-nodes-to-the-cluster/252122>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [October 15, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/3-nodes-license-adding-unlicensed-nodes-to-the-cluster/252122 "2020-10-15T01:52:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lamp123432](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@lamp123432](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lamp123432)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/3-nodes-license-adding-unlicensed-nodes-to-the-cluster/252122/1 "2020-10-15T01:52:52Z")

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Hello,

I want to purchase a 3-nodes license. What will happen if I add unlicensed data nodes to the cluster? Will commercial features be enabled for some nodes or indices, but not for others?

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**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 4:30am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/3-nodes-license-adding-unlicensed-nodes-to-the-cluster/252122/2 "2020-10-15T04:30:24Z")

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I don't think that anything like that will happen. It will continue to work.

But please confirm that with your sales representative. 🙂

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**Author:** ![lamp123432](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@lamp123432](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lamp123432)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 4:54pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/3-nodes-license-adding-unlicensed-nodes-to-the-cluster/252122/3 "2020-10-15T16:54:37Z")

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I contacted them... still unclear. They said if I add an unlicensed node to a cluster, the contract will not be compliant. So it's a "you purchase a license for every node in your cluster" or "you don't purchase any license at all" deal. Very strange business model.

What should happen is this: 3 nodes will have premium features, such as reporting, alerting, etc. While the unlicensed node will have those features disabled for the data it ingests or the index it holds.

I'm trying to plan a business model around Elastic for reselling it to my partners, but they don't make it easy at all.

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**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 12:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/3-nodes-license-adding-unlicensed-nodes-to-the-cluster/252122/4 "2020-10-16T12:34:38Z")

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All the nodes are part of the same cluster and are managed by the same master nodes.  
Support will look at the whole cluster in case of any problem, not only some clusters.

I can confirm that you need to have a license for all nodes within a cluster.

That said, you can create 2 clusters. One with a commercial license and another one with a basic license.  
That may help you...

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 12:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/3-nodes-license-adding-unlicensed-nodes-to-the-cluster/252122/5 "2020-11-13T12:34:42Z")

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