# If one node has plugin 'license', they all need it?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-one-node-has-plugin-license-they-all-need-it/40528>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [January 29, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-one-node-has-plugin-license-they-all-need-it/40528 "2016-01-29T22:39:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ave19](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ave19/32/11631_2.png) [@ave19](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ave19)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-one-node-has-plugin-license-they-all-need-it/40528/1 "2016-01-29T22:39:35Z")

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So, there was already a post about this six months ago, but we just came across it, too.

We added a dataless, masterless node to our cluster for searches, and it didn't work. It couldn't query, couldn't even \_cat/nodes. It's logs said it couldn't find the master.

Ok, we checked various things for like 3 days, when we hit upon installing the 'license' plugin.

We had this plugin installed it on our data nodes for 'marvel-agent', but only used a trial license, and let it lapse. To be clear, we don't have a real license. Just the plugin.

> [2016-01-29 17:09:33,179][INFO][license.plugin.core] [R01] license [03f97e89-ad45-4e51-9d6d-ac1552518e4f] - expired

So anyway, on the search node, we installed 'license' and all of a sudden everything was grand! But, what the heck? Why is that!?

Is that working as intended? If so, could we get that in the documentation someplace? "BTW, if you have 'license' installed elsewhere..." If it's not, should this be a bug?

Thanks!

-ave

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**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 12:51am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-one-node-has-plugin-license-they-all-need-it/40528/2 "2016-01-30T00:51:25Z")

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It's mentioned [here](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/marvel/current/installing-marvel.html);

> Install the Marvel agent _and License plugins on the nodes in your production cluster_:

But you aren't the first to be caught out by this. I'll raise it internally (as the license plugin is not open source) and see what we can do 🙂

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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:** [July 5, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-one-node-has-plugin-license-they-all-need-it/40528/3 "2017-07-05T23:20:14Z")

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