Symptoms

The following error is shown when attempting to open Plesk interface or update a license key:

Error: The license key is invalid. In order to use Plesk, you need to obtain and install a new valid license key.
The license key is intended only for use with Plesk operating inside the following virtual environments: Virtuozzo containers, VMWare, Microsoft Hyper-V, Xen, KVM, Virtuozzo Server, LXC, Docker.

Cause

There are several possible causes:

• Plesk is installed on a not supported virtualization environment;
• Hacked BIOS on the physical machine;
• A misconfigured virtual machine is detected as physical host;
• Increased limits on a container.

Resolution

Plesk supports only the following virtualization solutions:

VMware
XEN
Virtuozzo (former Parallels Cloud Server 6)
OpenVZ
Virtuozzo containers 4.6 for Linux
Virtuozzo containers 4.6 for Windows
Virtuozzo containers 4.7 for Linux
LXC (Docker)
KVM
Hyper-V

If virtualization environment is not supported, upload dedicated Plesk license, not a VPS one.

To see how Plesk detects the environment it runs in, use either of the following methods:

• For Plesk 12.0 and later please use the following script, both Linux and Windows. Create a file with the following code (named as info.php ):

  <?php
  require_once('api-common/cu.php');
  
  cu::initCLI();
  $cu = new cu();
  try {
      $si = var_export(getServerInfo(), true);
      cu::print_stdout($si);
  
  } catch(Exception $e) {
   cu::print_stderr("Error: " . $e->getMessage());
   cu::cuExit(1);
  }
  
  cu::cuExit(0);
  

Then execute it on Windows:

    "%plesk_bin%\\php.exe" info.php | findstr platform

Or on Linux:

    /usr/local/psa/bin/sw-engine-pleskrun info.php | grep platform

On a screen you will see a result of Plesk detection. dedicated or none stands for physical hardware. If it is parallels-server shown, run systeminfo command to get BIOS Version: Parallels Software International Inc. 6.11.25122.123124 stands for Virtuozzo version 6, update 11.

• For Plesk 11.5 or older execute the following command:

for Windows:

    "%plesk_bin%\\php.exe" -dauto_prepend_file= -r "echo get_virtualization();"

for Linux:

    /usr/local/psa/bin/sw-engine-pleskrun -dauto_prepend_file= -r "echo get_virtualization();"

• On Linux, other utilities you can use (not related to Plesk) include dmidecode and lspci .

• Additionally, on Windows, the following steps may be followed to get BIOS information:

• Run wbemtest in the command line.

• Click Connect twice.

• Click Query .

• Execute:

  SELECT * FROM Win32_BIOS
  

If this results in BIOS information similar to Version='ACRSYS - 1' , the BIOS was hacked and the hack should be deactivated, or the license for Dedicated servers needs to be obtained.

If the output suggests the lack of a virtual platform, there is no other way to make Plesk detect it other than to re-deploy it properly with the correct settings.

• Also, make sure that Plesk Management Service is up and running. Restart Plesk management services:

On Windows:

Login into server as > 'Administrator' > All programs > 'plesk services monitor' > Restart 'Plesk Management Services'

On Linux:

    $ /etc/init.d/psa stop
    $ /etc/init.d/psa start

Confirm it using below command in server:

    +++
    "%plesk_bin%\\php.exe" -dauto_prepend_file= -r "echo get_virtualization();"
    zen
    ++++

If this article did not help, check /usr/local/psa/admin/logs/panel.log file for exact error when trying to install or retrieve a license. If there are "Fork failed - Cannot allocate memory" errors found in panel.log , visit:

213959545 Error: Fork failed - Cannot allocate memory

Additional information

For Plesk 12.0 for Windows:

213363669 Plesk shows: The license key is invalid. In order to use Plesk, you need to obtain and install a new valid license key

If server virtualization is detected as xen but license still cannot be uploaded with the same error, visit:

# virt-what
xen

#214527425 Unable to install Plesk license: The license key is intended only for use with Plesk operating inside the following virtual environments