Clarify behavior of license expiration (#878)

Author: JakeSCahill

modules/console/pages/config/configure-console.adoc

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ The following YAML file contains a complete list of all Redpanda Console configu
 [CAUTION]
 ====
 * Where necessary, ensure that values are enclosed in quotes and escaped. For example, put passwords with special characters in single quotes.
-* This configuration file contains both Redpanda Enterprise and Redpanda Community Edition configurations. If you don't provide an Enterprise license, Redpanda Console ignores configurations for enterprise features.
+* This configuration file contains both Redpanda Enterprise and Redpanda Community Edition configurations. If you don't provide an enterprise license, Redpanda Console ignores configurations for enterprise features.
 ====
 
 xref:shared:attachment$redpanda-console-config.yaml[Download the sample file].

modules/get-started/pages/licensing/monitor-license-status.adoc

@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ If the license is within 30 days of expiration, a warning is logged. `rpk` displ
 
 - *Trial expiration*: When enterprise features are enabled and a trial license expires in less than 15 days.
 
-- *Enterprise expiration*: When enterprise features are enabled and an Enterprise license is expired.
+- *Enterprise expiration*: When enterprise features are enabled and an enterprise license is expired.
 
 === Examples
 
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ Replace `<format>` with one of the available formats. See xref:reference:rpk/rpk
 
 You can also check the status of your license in the Redpanda Console UI. See xref:console:ui/add-license.adoc[].
 
-If Redpanda Console cannot find a valid license either locally or in the connected Redpanda cluster, it shuts down. Redpanda Console tries to load a valid license at startup in the following order:
+Redpanda Console tries to load a valid license at startup in the following order:
 
 . From the local configuration file or environment variables.
 . From the connected Redpanda cluster (if available).

modules/get-started/pages/licensing/overview.adoc

@@ -30,27 +30,39 @@ The Enterprise Edition is licensed with the https://github.com/redpanda-data/red
 
 === License keys
 
-Enterprise features require an Enterprise Edition license key, sometimes referred to as Enterprise license, license key, or license.
+Enterprise features require an Enterprise Edition license key, sometimes referred to as enterprise license, license key, or license.
 
 Starting with version 24.3, new Redpanda clusters automatically receive a trial license that's valid for 30 days, allowing unrestricted use of enterprise features. This evaluation period begins when the cluster is created for the first time. After this period expires, inactive enterprise features are disabled, and active features enter a restricted state.
 
-To get a trial license key or extend your trial period, https://redpanda.com/try-enterprise[generate a new trial license key].
+To get a trial license key or extend your trial period, https://redpanda.com/try-enterprise[generate a new trial license key]. Or, https://redpanda.com/upgrade[upgrade to Redpanda Enterprise^].
 
-To purchase a license, contact https://redpanda.com/upgrade[Redpanda Sales^].
+[IMPORTANT]
+====
+Redpanda Connect does not accept trial license keys. To use enterprise features of Redpanda Connect, https://redpanda.com/upgrade[upgrade to Redpanda Enterprise^]
+====
 
 [NOTE]
 ====
 include::get-started:partial$licensing/block-upgrades-note.adoc[]
 ====
 
 [[self-managed]]
-=== Enterprise features in Redpanda
+=== Redpanda enterprise features
+
+The following table lists the Enterprise features for Redpanda and how Redpanda behaves upon license expiration when each enterprise feature is enabled.
+
+- *Upon license expiration*:
+
+** The cluster continues to operate without data loss, but the further use of enterprise features is restricted (see the <<redpanda-enterprise-features, table 1>>).
+** Configuration of enterprise features remains unchanged, allowing you to add a new license and continue using enterprise features as before expiration. For instructions, see xref:get-started:licensing/add-license-redpanda/index.adoc[]
 
-The following table lists the available Enterprise features for Redpanda, along with the restrictions applied if the Enterprise license is invalid or has expired.
+- *After license expiration*: You cannot enable enterprise features without a valid license.
 
+[[redpanda-enterprise-features]]
+.Enterprise features in Redpanda
 [cols="1a,2a,2a"]
 |===
-| Feature | Description | Restrictions Without Valid License
+| Feature | Description | Behavior Upon Expiration
 
 | xref:manage:audit-logging.adoc[Audit Logging]
 | Records detailed logs of cluster activities for compliance and monitoring.
@@ -67,19 +79,19 @@ The following table lists the available Enterprise features for Redpanda, along
 
 | xref:manage:security/fips-compliance.adoc[FIPS Compliance]
 | Enables compliance with FIPS security standards for cryptography.
-| None
+| No change.
 
-| xref:manage:security/authentication.adoc#kerberos[Kerberos authentication]
+| xref:manage:security/authentication.adoc#kerberos[Kerberos Authentication]
 | Provides secure Kerberos-based authentication.
-| None
+| No change.
 
 | xref:manage:security/authentication.adoc#kerberos[Leader Pinning]
 | Specifies the set of availability zones where the leaders of partitions of a given topic should be located.
 | Leader Pinning is disabled on all topics.
 
-| xref:manage:security/authentication.adoc#oidc[OAUTHBEARER/OIDC authentication]
+| xref:manage:security/authentication.adoc#oidc[OAUTHBEARER/OIDC Authentication]
 | Allows for OAUTHBEARER and OpenID Connect (OIDC) authentication.
-| None
+| No change.
 
 | xref:manage:remote-read-replicas.adoc[Remote Read Replicas]
 | Enables remote clusters to read data stored in object storage for disaster recovery.
@@ -94,23 +106,44 @@ The following table lists the available Enterprise features for Redpanda, along
 | Topics with schema validation settings cannot be created or modified.
 
 | xref:manage:tiered-storage.adoc[Tiered Storage]
-| Enables storage of data in cloud object storage for long-term retention and retrieval.
-| Topics cannot be created or modified to enable Tiered Storage features. Additional partitions cannot be added to topics that have any Tiered Storage properties enabled.
+| Enables data storage in cloud object storage for long-term retention and retrieval.
+| Topics cannot be created or modified to enable Tiered Storage features. Additional partitions cannot be added to topics with Tiered Storage properties enabled.
 
 |===
 
 [[console]]
-=== Enterprise features in Redpanda Console
+=== Redpanda Console enterprise features
 
 The following enterprise features for Redpanda Console are activated with a valid Enterprise Edition license key:
 
-* xref:console:config/security/authentication.adoc[Redpanda Console Authentication]
-* xref:console:config/security/authorization.adoc[Redpanda Console Authorization (RBAC)]
+.Enterprise features in Redpanda Console
+[cols="1a,2a,2a"]
+|===
+| Feature | Description | Restrictions Without Valid License
+
+|xref:console:config/security/authentication.adoc[Redpanda Console Authentication]
+|Enables authentication for Redpanda Console, allowing secure access.
+|All endpoints are redirected to the license expiration landing page, and all other access is restricted.
+
+|xref:console:config/security/authorization.adoc[Redpanda Console Authorization (RBAC)]
+|Manages user roles and permissions for accessing features within Redpanda Console.
+|All endpoints are redirected to the license expiration landing page, and all other access is restricted.
+|===
 
 [[connect]]
-=== Enterprise features in Redpanda Connect
+=== Redpanda Connect enterprise features
+
+The Enterprise Edition of Redpanda Connect includes additional connectors. An Enterprise Edition license is required to enable them.
 
-The Enterprise Edition of Redpanda Connect includes additional connectors. For a list of all available connectors, see xref:redpanda-connect:components:catalog.adoc[].
+For all available connectors, see xref:redpanda-connect:components:catalog.adoc[].
+
+- *License expires during runtime*: All enterprise features for Redpanda Connect become unavailable.
+- *License expired at startup*: Redpanda Connect logs an error message and blocks the use of all enterprise features.
+
+[IMPORTANT]
+====
+Redpanda Connect does not accept trial license keys. To use enterprise features of Redpanda Connect, https://redpanda.com/upgrade[upgrade to Redpanda Enterprise^]
+====
 
 == Manage licenses for Redpanda
 
@@ -122,11 +155,11 @@ See xref:get-started:licensing/add-license-redpanda/index.adoc[].
 
 Redpanda Console offers two methods for applying or updating a license, depending on your setup:
 
-- If you are using Redpanda Console without connecting it to a Redpanda cluster, you can xref:console:config/enterprise-license.adoc[configure the license through the local configuration file or environment variables]. This method allows you to add a license for Redpanda Console independently of the Redpanda cluster.
+- If you use Redpanda Console without connecting it to a Redpanda cluster, you can xref:console:config/enterprise-license.adoc[configure the license through the local configuration file or environment variables]. This method allows you to add a license for Redpanda Console independently of the Redpanda cluster.
 
 - If Redpanda Console is connected to a Redpanda cluster, you can xref:console:ui/add-license.adoc[upload a license through the Redpanda Console UI]. This method allows you to manage and update licenses for both Redpanda Console and the connected Redpanda cluster.
 
 == Next steps
 
 - xref:get-started:licensing/add-license-redpanda/index.adoc[]
-- xref:get-started:licensing/monitor-license-status.adoc[]
+- xref:get-started:licensing/monitor-license-status.adoc[]

modules/get-started/pages/whats-new.adoc

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ This release includes several updates to xref:get-started:licensing/overview.ado
 
 - *Unified license management in Redpanda Console*: You can now upload and apply a single license key for both Redpanda Console and the connected Redpanda cluster through the Redpanda Console UI. Any existing license key is overridden by the new one.
 
-- *30-day trial Enterprise license*: Starting with version 24.3, new Redpanda clusters automatically receive a trial license that's valid for 30 days, allowing unrestricted use of Enterprise features. This evaluation period begins when the cluster is created for the first time. After this period expires, inactive Enterprise features are disabled, and active features enter a restricted state.
+- *30-day trial enterprise license*: Starting with version 24.3, new Redpanda clusters automatically receive a trial license that's valid for 30 days, allowing unrestricted use of Enterprise features. This evaluation period begins when the cluster is created for the first time. After this period expires, inactive Enterprise features are disabled, and active features enter a restricted state.
 
 == PKCS#12 support for TLS listeners
 

modules/manage/pages/cluster-maintenance/cluster-balancing.adoc

@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ Redpanda provides partition replica balancing when brokers are added or decommis
 |
 This balancer moves partition replicas across CPU cores in an individual broker. Redpanda maintains balanced partition replica assignments between cores to avoid topic hotspots on one or a few specific cores within a broker.
 +
-Continuous Intra-Broker Partition Balancing (`core_balancing_continuous`) requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc#redpanda-enterprise-edition[Enterprise license].
+Continuous Intra-Broker Partition Balancing (`core_balancing_continuous`) requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc#redpanda-enterprise-edition[enterprise license].
 
 | xref:manage:cluster-maintenance/continuous-data-balancing.adoc[Continuous Data Balancing]
 
 |
 This balancer monitors broker and rack availability, as well as disk usage, to avoid topic hotspots when moving data off brokers with fuller disks. Continuous Data Balancing enables self-healing clusters that dynamically balance partitions. It also ensures adherence to rack-aware replica placement policy and self-heals after rack (or availability zone) failure or replacement. This balancer does not keep the relative fullness of each broker within a defined range, it just prevents hitting the fullness threshold of each individual broker. 
 +
-Continuous Data Balancing requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc#redpanda-enterprise-edition[Enterprise license].
+Continuous Data Balancing requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc#redpanda-enterprise-edition[enterprise license].
 |===
 
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ This is the default setting.
 | `continuous`
 | Redpanda continuously monitors the cluster for broker failures and high disk usage and automatically redistributes partitions to maintain optimal performance and availability. It also monitors rack availability after failures, and for a given partition, it tries to move excess replicas from racks that have more than one replica to racks where there are none. See xref:./continuous-data-balancing.adoc[Configure Continuous Data Balancing]. +
  +
-This requires an Enterprise license.
+This requires an enterprise license.
 
 | `off`
 | All partition balancing from Redpanda is turned off. +
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ Configure the following properties to trigger intra-broker partition balancing:
 | xref:reference:cluster-properties.adoc#core_balancing_continuous[`core_balancing_continuous`] 
 a| Set to `true` to rebalance partition assignments across cores in runtime, for example when partitions are moved to or away from brokers. Default value: `false`. 
 
-This requires an Enterprise license.
+This requires an enterprise license.
 |===
 
 You can also manually trigger intra-broker partition balancing with the Admin API:

modules/manage/partials/authentication.adoc

@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ endif::[]
 [[oidc]]
 ==== OAUTHBEARER (OIDC)
 
-NOTE: OpenID Connect (OIDC) authentication requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc[Enterprise license].
+NOTE: OpenID Connect (OIDC) authentication requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc[enterprise license].
 To upgrade, contact https://redpanda.com/try-redpanda?section=enterprise-trial[Redpanda sales^].
 
 When you enable https://openid.net/developers/how-connect-works/[OIDC^], Redpanda and
@@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ ifndef::env-kubernetes[]
 [[kerberos]]
 ==== GSSAPI (Kerberos)
 
-NOTE: Kerberos authentication requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc[Enterprise license]. To upgrade, contact https://redpanda.com/try-redpanda?section=enterprise-trial[Redpanda sales^].
+NOTE: Kerberos authentication requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc[enterprise license]. To upgrade, contact https://redpanda.com/try-redpanda?section=enterprise-trial[Redpanda sales^].
 
 To configure Kerberos authentication, use a keytab, which contains credentials for the service.
 

modules/reference/pages/properties/cluster-properties.adoc

@@ -3394,7 +3394,7 @@ Mode of xref:manage:cluster-maintenance/cluster-balancing.adoc[partition balanci
 
 *Accepted values:* 
 
-* `continuous`: partition balancing happens automatically to maintain optimal performance and availability, based on continuous monitoring for node changes (same as `node_add`) and also high disk usage. This option requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc[Enterprise license], and it is customized by <<partition_autobalancing_node_availability_timeout_sec,`partition_autobalancing_node_availability_timeout_sec`>> and <<partition_autobalancing_max_disk_usage_percent,`partition_autobalancing_max_disk_usage_percent`>> properties.
+* `continuous`: partition balancing happens automatically to maintain optimal performance and availability, based on continuous monitoring for node changes (same as `node_add`) and also high disk usage. This option requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc[enterprise license], and it is customized by <<partition_autobalancing_node_availability_timeout_sec,`partition_autobalancing_node_availability_timeout_sec`>> and <<partition_autobalancing_max_disk_usage_percent,`partition_autobalancing_max_disk_usage_percent`>> properties.
 * `node_add`: partition balancing happens when a node is added.
 * `off`: partition balancing is disabled. This option is not recommended for production clusters.
 

modules/reference/pages/public-metrics-reference.adoc

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ Number of seconds remaining until the Enterprise Edition license expires.
 
 *Type*: gauge
 
-*Usage*: Use this metric to set up alerts or dashboards to track the license expiration status and ensure timely renewal.
+*Usage*: When no license is present, this gauge is -1. When the license is expired, this gauge is 0. Use this metric to set up alerts or dashboards to track the license expiration status and ensure timely renewal.
 
 ---
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ Number of partition replicas in the cluster that are currently being removed fro
 
 *Type*: gauge
 
-*Usage*: When this gauge is non-zero, determine whether there is an expected or unexpected reassignment of partitions that is causing movement of partition replicas.
+*Usage*: When this gauge is non-zero, determine whether there is an expected or unexpected reassignment of partitions causing partition replica movement.
 
 ---
 

modules/shared/attachments/redpanda-console-config.yaml

@@ -169,16 +169,16 @@ kafka:
       #maxRetryInterval: 60s
       #backoffMultiplier: 2
 
-# To mount an Enterprise license, set either license or licenseFilepath.
-# This is only required if you want to use an Enterprise feature
+# To mount an enterprise license, set either license or licenseFilepath.
+# This is only required if you want to use an enterprise feature
 # such as SSO or RBAC.
 # Filepath to your redpanda.license file
 #licenseFilepath: ""
 # License string.
 #license: ""
 
 # The enterprise block contains configurations for features that
-# can only be used with a valid Redpanda Enterprise license.
+# can only be used with a valid Redpanda enterprise license.
 #enterprise:
   #rbac:
     # Whether or not RBAC is used. This must be enabled
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ kafka:
 # Login contains all configurations in order to protect Redpanda Console
 # with a login screen. To support SSO, configure one or more of the identity
 # providers below.
-# This feature requires an Enterprise license.
+# This feature requires an enterprise license.
 #login:
   #enabled: false
   # jwtSecret is the secret key you must use to sign and encrypt the JSON

modules/shared/partials/enterprise-and-console.adoc

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-This feature requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc[Enterprise license]. To get a trial license key or extend your trial period, https://redpanda.com/try-enterprise[generate a new trial license key^]. To purchase a license, contact https://redpanda.com/upgrade[Redpanda Sales^].
+This feature requires an xref:get-started:licenses.adoc[enterprise license]. To get a trial license key or extend your trial period, https://redpanda.com/try-enterprise[generate a new trial license key^]. To purchase a license, contact https://redpanda.com/upgrade[Redpanda Sales^].
 
-If Redpanda Console has enterprise features enabled and it cannot find a valid license either in its xref:console:config/enterprise-license.adoc[local configuration] or in the xref:get-started:licensing/add-license-redpanda/index.adoc[connected Redpanda cluster], it shuts down.
+If Redpanda Console has enterprise features enabled and it cannot find a valid license either in its xref:console:config/enterprise-license.adoc[local configuration] or in the xref:get-started:licensing/add-license-redpanda/index.adoc[connected Redpanda cluster], it redirects you to the license expiration landing page, and all other access is restricted.