# Licenses being removed with a docker compose down **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [March 3, 2025, 11:11am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135 "2025-03-03T11:11:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Steele](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/darren_steele/32/55624_2.png) [@Darren\_Steele](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Darren_Steele)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2025, 11:11am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/1 "2025-03-03T11:11:09Z")
Hi all, I recently posed a question here about storing python scripts in the system and doing a docker mount. That is all fixed now and we are storing our custom scripts in user-lib/pylib/site-packages - thanks for the help! The other thing we noticed during this period is that after a docker-compose down any licenses we had installed on the GW were lost and had to be re-added when we reinstalled the modules. Is there any way to persist the license files if we need to take the containers down for some reason? I'm not even sure where the licenses are installed! Thanks for any help ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2025, 12:44pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/2 "2025-03-03T12:44:08Z")
NO. You must use lease licenses (8-character, with continuous internet access for rechecking) instead of standard (6-character, with no internet necessary after activation). ---
**Author:** ![saberdud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@saberdud](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/saberdud)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/3 "2025-03-03T21:25:34Z")
To add to this, there is a video in the elective course for Ignition with Docker that talks about licenses. > **[Ignition Container Licensing Video at Inductive University](https://inductiveuniversity.com/video/ignition-container-licensing)** > > Learn about the different options for licensing Ignition in a container. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Steele](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/darren_steele/32/55624_2.png) [@Darren\_Steele](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Darren_Steele)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/4 "2025-03-06T14:47:32Z")
Thanks all - this clears it all up. ---
**Author:** ![woodsb02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/6a8cbe/32.png) [@woodsb02](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/woodsb02)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 11:39am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/5 "2025-04-17T11:39:26Z")
Hi @pturmel, Can you please advise if your Advanced Modbus driver needs to be deactivated and reactivated between container upgrades (as per the main ignition license)? Or does your license survive a container upgrade? Cheers, Ben ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 11:41am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/6 "2025-04-17T11:41:52Z")
Same behavior as IA's licenses, as it uses IA's licensing infrastructure. You should use 8-character leased licenses with container technology. ---
**Author:** ![woodsb02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/6a8cbe/32.png) [@woodsb02](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/woodsb02)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 11:42am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/7 "2025-04-17T11:42:26Z")
Except our systems are air-gapped. Thanks for the answer 👍 ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 11:43am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/8 "2025-04-17T11:43:28Z")
> [@woodsb02](#): > > systems are air-gapped. Containerization seems to be a poor choice, then. ---
**Author:** ![woodsb02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/6a8cbe/32.png) [@woodsb02](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/woodsb02)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2025, 11:46am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/licenses-being-removed-with-a-docker-compose-down/103135/9 "2025-04-17T11:46:50Z")
It actually works really well. We build the container image into a tarball using `podman pull` and `podman save` on an internet connected machine, transfer that tarball into the OT environment as we would any installer, and then use `podman load` to import the tarball as an image on the air-gapped machine. We’ll just incorporate license deactivation and reactivation into our upgrade procedures.