Terms & License
What you need to know.

OVIOS SOFTWARE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
Version 2.0 - effective 2026-10-05

IMPORTANT - READ CAREFULLY. By downloading, installing or using the OviOS Software you agree to this Agreement. If you do not agree, do not install or use it.

1. DEFINITIONS

"Author" means ovi chis, acting for the OviOS project.

"OviOS Software" means the proprietary components distributed with the OviOS Storage Operating System that ship with a copy of this Agreement, including ovios-shell (with its built-in web interface ovios-web), retadm, options, the OviOS scripts, ovios-netstack, ovios-boot-check and ovios-cluster, together with their updates and documentation. It does not include Open Source Components.

"Open Source Components" means third-party software licensed under open source or similar licenses (for example the Linux kernel and base system, and software under the GNU GPL, LGPL, AGPL, BSD, MIT, Apache or ISC licenses).

"Free Features" means all functionality of the OviOS Software other than Licensed Features. For ovios-cluster this includes forming clusters of any size, witness nodes and tiebreakers, replication, monitoring and status, fencing, and manually initiated failover.

"Licensed Features" means functionality that requires a License Key. As of this version the only Licensed Feature is automatic failover in ovios-cluster (the "automatic_failover" setting).

"License Key" means a digitally signed file issued by the Author that enables Licensed Features for a named customer and a specific Cluster for a limited period.

"Cluster" means a group of systems managed together by ovios-cluster and identified by a cluster ID.

"You" means the person or organization that installs or uses the OviOS Software.

2. OPEN SOURCE COMPONENTS

The OviOS Software is proprietary. The operating system environment around it, and some libraries included in it, consist of Open Source Components that remain subject to their own licenses. Nothing in this Agreement restricts any right you have under the license of an Open Source Component, including any right to obtain, modify and redistribute its source code. If the license of an Open Source Component conflicts with this Agreement as to that component, that license prevails. Required notices for third-party components included in the OviOS Software are provided in the THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES file or the accompanying documentation.

3. LICENSE GRANT - FREE FEATURES

Subject to this Agreement, the Author grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free license to install and use the Free Features for personal, educational or commercial purposes, on any number of systems that you own or control, at no charge.

4. LICENSED FEATURES AND LICENSE KEYS

4.1 Licensed Features may be used only with a valid License Key. You obtain a License Key by subscription or another arrangement with the Author. Fees, billing, renewal and refund terms are those stated in your order or in the Author's price list at the time of purchase or, if there are none, as agreed with you in writing.

4.2 A License Key is issued to the customer named in it. It enables Licensed Features only for the Cluster identified in it, and only for the period stated in it plus any grace period stated in it. An evaluation License Key may be valid for any Cluster; it may be used only to evaluate and test the OviOS Software and not in production.

4.3 How licensing works. The OviOS Software verifies License Keys on your own systems and does not contact the Author to do so. If a License Key is missing, invalid, issued for a different Cluster, not yet valid, or expired (and any grace period has ended), the OviOS Software turns the Licensed Features off. It then keeps running with the Free Features only: nothing is stopped, replication continues and manual failover remains available. The OviOS Software shows warnings before a License Key expires. You are responsible for renewing in time and for watching those warnings. The Author is not liable for the consequences of a Licensed Feature being unavailable, including an automatic failover that did not take place.

4.4 You may not: share, publish, resell or transfer a License Key; use a License Key for a Cluster other than the one it names; alter a License Key; or disable, bypass or tamper with the OviOS Software's license verification (including its embedded verification key). You may move a License Key to replacement systems of the same Cluster. Transferring it to a different Cluster or customer requires the Author's written consent.

4.5 The Author may change which features are Licensed Features, and prices, for future versions and subscription periods. Such changes do not affect a License Key already issued, for the period for which it was issued.

5. RESTRICTIONS

Except as this Agreement expressly allows, and except to the extent that applicable law gives you a right that cannot be removed by contract (for example limited decompilation for interoperability), you may not:

(a) decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer or otherwise attempt to derive the source code of the OviOS Software;

(b) modify, adapt, translate or create derivative works of the OviOS Software without the Author's written permission;

(c) sell, rent, lease or sublicense the OviOS Software;

(d) redistribute the OviOS Software, except as part of a complete, unmodified OviOS installation or with the Author's written permission;

(e) remove or alter any copyright notice, license notice or branding in the OviOS Software; or

(f) do anything prohibited by Section 4.4.

6. OWNERSHIP AND TRADEMARKS

The OviOS Software is licensed, not sold. The Author retains all right, title and interest in it, including all intellectual property rights, and owns the source code. The names "OviOS" and "Ovios", and related logos, are not licensed to you except to identify the unmodified OviOS Software. If you send the Author suggestions or feedback, the Author may use them without restriction or obligation to you.

7. SYSTEM OPERATIONS, RISK AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

The OviOS Software performs high-level system operations, including disk and pool management and network configuration. ovios-cluster additionally replicates data (which can overwrite or roll back data on a destination), moves a virtual IP address, mounts and unmounts datasets, starts and stops services, runs commands and hooks that you configure, and can power off machines through the fencing commands that you configure. You acknowledge and agree that:

(a) you will keep independent, tested backups; replication is not a backup;

(b) replication is asynchronous, so writes made since the last completed replication can be lost when a failover occurs;

(c) automatic failover does not guarantee availability: it may fail to happen, or happen when you did not want it, for example because of network faults or incorrect configuration;

(d) you are solely responsible for the fencing commands, hooks, services, quorum settings and credentials that you configure, and for testing them outside production before relying on them; and

(e) the OviOS Software is not designed or licensed for use where its failure could lead to death, personal injury or severe physical or environmental damage (for example life-support systems, aircraft or nuclear facilities).

You use the OviOS Software at your own risk.

8. UPDATES, SUPPORT AND NEW VERSIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT

The Author has no obligation to provide support or updates unless agreed in writing. A new release of the OviOS Software may ship with a new version of this Agreement. The version that ships with a release governs your use of that release, and your continued use of it is acceptance of that version. Releases you already have continue under the version they shipped with.

9. NO WARRANTY

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE OVIOS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NONINFRINGEMENT, AND THAT THE OVIOS SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE OR WILL PREVENT DATA LOSS OR DOWNTIME.

10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

10.1 TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE AUTHOR IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, REVENUE OR BUSINESS, DOWNTIME, HARDWARE DAMAGE OR COST OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE OVIOS SOFTWARE OR THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY.

10.2 TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE AUTHOR'S TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE OVIOS SOFTWARE OR THIS AGREEMENT IS LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT YOU PAID THE AUTHOR FOR THE LICENSE KEY OR SUBSCRIPTION IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM. IF YOU HAVE PAID NOTHING, THE AUTHOR'S TOTAL LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW TO ZERO.

10.3 NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT LIMITS OR EXCLUDES LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE LIMITED OR EXCLUDED BY LAW, INCLUDING LIABILITY FOR DEATH OR PERSONAL INJURY CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE, FOR FRAUD OR FOR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR ANY RIGHTS YOU HAVE AS A CONSUMER THAT CANNOT BE WAIVED.

11. TERMINATION

This Agreement is effective until terminated. It terminates automatically, without notice, if you fail to comply with it. You may terminate it at any time by uninstalling the OviOS Software and destroying all copies. On termination you must stop using the OviOS Software and delete it and any License Keys. The expiry of a License Key ends only the Licensed Features as described in Section 4.3 and does not terminate this Agreement. Sections 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 survive termination.

12. COMPLIANCE

You are responsible for complying with all export control, sanctions and other laws that apply to your use of the OviOS Software, and must not use it where that is prohibited.

13. GENERAL

This Agreement is the entire agreement between you and the Author about the OviOS Software and replaces earlier agreements about it, subject to Section 8. If any provision is unenforceable, it is enforced to the extent possible and the rest remains in effect. A failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign this Agreement without the Author's written consent; the Author may assign it. Questions about this Agreement and requests for License Keys: ovi@ovios.org.