You'd think it was a simple question and answer.
TLDR; the CF EULA is available online...but it's open to interpretation. And when Adobe may feel you've violated it, they offer another form of licensing, about which we seemingly cannot find online any details. But before you presume that will be your situation, read on for what I can offer.
1) Indeed in some respects, there is a simple answer--and I WILL point you to an authoritative online resource that confirms it, and I'll name specifically the key metrics used to decided how many licenses one may need, including whether you need to pay for non-prod licenses at all (you may not). I've helped people save money by paying close attention to those two matters.
Unfortunately, in some other aspects of what I will point you to things are NOT so clear but instead are OPEN TO INTERPRETATION. And THAT is what leads to trouble for some.
You may have tried to find these answers online, and you may have read/heard differing perspectives. The most authoritative answer will of course come from talking to Adobe directly, such as by email at addresses that have been offered in the past like coldfusionsales@adobe.com or adobecoldfusion@adobe.com. But I get that some people prefer to avoid that, assessing matters for themselves before opening/identifying themselves to Adobe.
As you've asked here, I'll give it a shot.
2) As you may know when one installs CF they are presented a EULA they must agree to. That's also placed in a file in the root of the cf installation AND it's available online and can be found via searching (https://www.adobe.com/go/cf2025_eula). Again, some aspects of it are quite clear, while some are open to interpretation.
2a) It clarifies, for instance, that one needs one CF Enterprise per 8 cores, while for CF Standard it's per 2 cores. That's quite a surprise for some to learn. But it's clarified right there in the EULA. Again this is how some have been able to SAVE money: I can often reduce the number of cores needed by resolving sometimes long-standing problems that others solved by "throwing cpu at the problem.
BTW, the EULA also defines virtual cpus and discusses VMs, though both are brief and not as clear as some would prefer.
2b) The EULA also clarifies that for each CF Enterprise license you buy, you can use that also in one non-prod instance. That, though surprising also to most, can lead to big savings for some. (It also clarifies that with CF Standard, it's instead one non-prod for every TWO prod. The org giveth, the org taketh away.)
3) What's often most contentious is the "prohibited use" that the EULA discusses--albeit again in briefest terms. And some subject to interpretation. See section 2.6.4 of that EULA I linked to above.
3a) Most egregious for some has been the indication that it can't be used in a "service bureau", which of course is a very old term. Some at Adobe have (in the past) asserted this applies to a situation where one uses cf in a way that users pay to access the web site served by cf. (I think most would instead interpret that term to refer to one collecting money to let others USE CF to BUILD apps, which is VERY different.)
But again, it's open to interpretation.
3b) And those at Adobe who have asserted this prohibition then have contended (in some cases, as publicized in some online forums) that Cf can't be licensed under that EULA (which again one just agree to in order to install it). Instead, they'd argue you need a different license--and perhaps this is what you're hearing/reading about.
Sadly, that "other" license and its terms (and cost) are NOT published online anywhere I'm aware of. Usually when this comes up, folks are told to reach out to Adobe.
4) Then there's the question of whether one can cf on a cloud server under the terms of that EULA. Section 2 of that EULA states clearly that the license "permit[s] Authorized Users to install and use the Software delivered hereunder on Computers within Licensee’s Internal Network". Clearly a cloud server is not.
Of course, one can run CF on a HOSTING provider--and they have their own terms with Adobe. And some folks have resorted to hosting their sites rather than deal with these licensing matters.
Then you may know that Adobe also offers the AWS CF AMI, purchased on an hourly basis via the Amazon marketplace, or the equivalent in the Azure marketplace.
But when wants to create a cloud VM and then install CF onto that, the EULA has been used to assert that that's not allowed...and again that that "other" form of licensing is required...but it's not discussed anywhere. Even that FAQ I offered points one to one of the email addresses above "for detailed pricing and subscription options tailored to your requirements.".
5) Finally, some of us had hope that the change in CF2025 to go from perpetual licensing to subscription licensing might somehow bring clarity on all this. I'm not sensing that it has. FWIW, as you may look into it there two variants: "named user licensing" and "feature restricted licensing". Those names are not as self-evident as one may presume, and they are discussed briefly in the CF Enterprise FAQ here, in a section titled, "Adobe Named User Licensing (NUL) vs. Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)". There's a similar faq for CF Standard.)
Then those are elaborated upon in far more detail in the doc page on these subscription licensing alternatives. Indeed, my eyes glaze over taking it all in. My sense is that only time will tell what people experience as more folks move to CF2025, with respect to how these two licenses may change the nature of the question you are asking.
Hope that's of some help. Perhaps others will present a different perspective or different details. (And of course, some will say "that's why we moved to Lucee" or now "to Boxlang". That migration doesn't always prove to be as simple for some as for others. This is the Adobe CF forums after all. The other two vendors have their own online communities where folks can seek help in considering or making such a move.)
Sorry it wasn't as simple as an answer as you may have sought. Frankly, if it was a simple question and answer, you may not have even had to ask, right? 🙂
/Charlie (troubleshooter, carehart. org)
1
Reply
AdChoices