WHITE PAPER
The relicensing survival guide: BSL and SSPL explained.
The relicensing survival guide is a plain language briefing for the leaders who carry the risk. It explains the Business Source License and the Server Side Public License, shows how a license change reaches software you already run, and lays out the path to map and contain the exposure.
What the relicensing survival guide covers
Source available is not open source. That single distinction sits behind most of the relicensing exposure now buried in enterprise estates. This guide takes the two licenses that drove the wave, the Business Source License and the Server Side Public License, and explains them without legal jargon, then turns to the practical question every buyer faces: what do we do about the components already in production.
It uses the moves that defined the wave as worked examples. HashiCorp shifted Terraform, Vault, Consul, Nomad, and Packer to the Business Source License 1.1 as of August 2023, with OpenTofu emerging as the open fork. Redis moved to a Redis Source Available License and Server Side Public License model as of March 2024, with Valkey as the fork. Elasticsearch and Kibana moved to the Server Side Public License and the Elastic License as of 2021, with OpenSearch as the fork. MongoDB adopted the Server Side Public License in 2018.
Table of contents
- Source available versus open source: why the line matters
- The Business Source License, the four year delay, and competitive use
- The Server Side Public License and the managed service condition
- How a relicense reaches versions you already deployed
- Forks compared: OpenTofu, Valkey, and OpenSearch
- The first thirty days: mapping, sizing, and choosing a path
- Governance that catches the next change at intake
Key takeaways
A relicense is not just for new adopters. New terms typically govern new versions, so the next patch or upgrade you take can bind your existing use.
The blast radius is wider than the named product. Transitive dependencies and build tooling can fall under new terms without anyone choosing them directly.
A fork is often the cleanest exit, but not always. OpenTofu, Valkey, and OpenSearch each need a check on feature parity, support, and the security patch path before you commit.
Map before you move. A complete dependency tree with license state per node turns a relicense from a headline into a sized, contained line item.
Governance is the cheapest insurance. An intake gate and a current map mean the next license change is visible the day it happens.
For the full picture, read the pillar on license change and relicensing or scope a relicensing exposure review.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask.
What is the relicensing survival guide?
The relicensing survival guide is a white paper that explains the Business Source License and the Server Side Public License in plain terms and gives enterprises a practical path to map and contain exposure from a license change. It is written from the buyer side.
Who is the relicensing survival guide for?
It is written for the CISO, general counsel, procurement, and engineering leaders who carry relicensing risk. It assumes technical literacy but explains the license mechanics without legal jargon.
Does the guide cover HashiCorp, Redis, and Elastic?
Yes. It uses the HashiCorp move to the Business Source License as of August 2023, the Redis move as of March 2024, and the Elastic move as of 2021 as worked examples, and it covers the OpenTofu, Valkey, and OpenSearch forks.
Why do you ask for a work email?
The guide is written for enterprise teams, so we deliver it to a corporate email address. Free and personal email domains are not accepted. Your details are handled confidentially and used only to send the asset and follow up if you ask us to.
Is the guide legal advice?
No. The relicensing survival guide is commercial and licensing risk advisory, not legal advice. For interpretation of a specific license and your compliance position, we recommend your own counsel.