License Governance

Control user access and license distribution in Zenhub Enterprise with administrative oversight

Understanding License Governance

License Governance gives Zenhub Enterprise system administrators granular control over how licenses are distributed to users. This feature, introduced in Zenhub Enterprise version 2.44, replaces automatic license assignment with administrator-controlled access management.

Without License Governance, Zenhub automatically assigns available licenses to any user with appropriate GitHub permissions (minimum read access to connected repositories). With License Governance enabled, administrators can control exactly which users receive licenses and when, providing better cost management and security oversight.

License Governance introduces two core concepts: Zenhub Admins who manage licenses, and Licensing Modes that control how licenses are distributed. Understanding these concepts is essential for effective license management in enterprise environments.

Setting Up Zenhub Admins

The first Zenhub Admin is created through the Settings page of the Zenhub Management application. Navigate to this page and enter the valid GitHub username of a user who has already logged into Zenhub at least once. This creates your initial admin with license management capabilities.

Once you've created the first admin, additional admins can be appointed in two ways. You can continue adding admins through the Zenhub Management application Settings page, or the initial admin can promote other users directly from the Zenhub Dashboard.

To promote users to admin status from the Dashboard, access the Dashboard from the Zenhub web application and navigate to your Enterprise's license settings. Locate the user you want to promote and use the admin controls to grant them Zenhub Admin privileges.

Admin capabilities include:

• Approving or denying license requests

• Promoting users to admin status

• Demoting admins to regular users

• Configuring licensing modes

• Monitoring license usage across the organization

To demote an admin to regular user status, select the three-dot menu next to their name in the admin list and choose "Make a regular user." This immediately revokes their administrative privileges while maintaining their regular Zenhub access if they hold a license.

Choosing Your Licensing Mode

Zenhub Enterprise provides two licensing modes that control how licenses are distributed to users accessing your instance.

Mode 1: Up to License Limits (Automatic Until Full)

How it works: Users automatically receive licenses when they access Zenhub, but only while licenses remain available. Once all licenses are assigned, additional users must request approval from admins.

Best for: Organizations with stable team sizes where most legitimate users should get immediate access, but you want control when approaching capacity limits.

What happens:

• When licenses are available: New users get automatic access when they log in

• When licenses are full: New users see a request screen and must wait for admin approval

• Admin involvement: Only required when at or over capacity

Example scenario: You have 1,500 licenses. The first 1,500 users who access Zenhub get automatic licenses. User #1,501 must request approval, and an admin decides whether to approve (potentially incurring surcharges) or deny access.

Mode 2: Never Auto-Assign (Full Control)

How it works: Every user must request a license from admins, even when hundreds of licenses sit unused. No automatic assignment occurs regardless of availability.

Best for: Organizations requiring strict access control, detailed audit trails, or careful cost management where every user needs explicit approval.

What happens:

• When licenses are available: Users still must request approval before accessing Zenhub

• When licenses are full: Same request process, but admins know they'll incur surcharges for approval

• Admin involvement: Required for every single user, every time

Example scenario: You have 1,500 licenses with only 200 currently assigned. User #201 still must request approval from an admin. All 1,500 users require individual admin approval before accessing Zenhub.

Trade-offs:

• Advantage: Complete control over who accesses Zenhub and when

• Disadvantage: Creates administrative overhead since every user requires manual approvalConfiguring Your Licensing Mode

Configuring Your Licensing Mode

Access your Zenhub Enterprise settings through the Management application to select your preferred licensing mode. The settings interface displays both available options with clear descriptions of their behavior.

Consider your organization's needs when choosing a licensing mode. Organizations with dynamic team composition or strict budget controls typically benefit from "Never auto-assign" mode, while stable teams with predictable licensing needs often prefer "Up to license limits" for reduced administrative overhead.

You can change licensing modes at any time through the Management application settings. Mode changes take effect immediately, but don't affect already-licensed users. Only new access requests follow the updated mode rules.

Managing License Requests

Zenhub Admins manage license requests through the Team Members tab in the Admin portal. This interface displays pending license requests along with relevant user information to support approval decisions.

Review license requests regularly to maintain smooth onboarding for new team members. The License Governance feature doesn't currently send automatic notifications to admins, so establish a routine for checking pending requests based on your organization's user onboarding frequency.

When reviewing license requests, consider:

• User's role and need for Zenhub access

• Current license availability and budget constraints

• GitHub permissions and repository access patterns

• Organizational policies for tool access

Approve requests directly from the Seats page by selecting the pending request and confirming approval. Denied requests can also be managed from this interface with optional notes explaining the denial reason.

License Governance Best Practices

Establish a monitoring routine: Check the Team Members tab in your Admin portal regularly for pending license requests. Daily or weekly reviews work well depending on your team's size and onboarding frequency. Without automatic notifications, consistent monitoring ensures timely access for legitimate users.

Distribute admin responsibilities: Assign multiple Zenhub Admins to share license management duties, especially for larger organizations. Multiple admins prevent bottlenecks when the primary admin is unavailable and distribute the workload during high-growth periods.

Document approval criteria: Create clear guidelines for when to approve or deny license requests. Document these criteria and share them with all Zenhub Admins to ensure consistent decision-making across your administrative team.

Monitor license capacity: Track your license usage relative to your purchased limit, particularly when using "Up to license limits" mode. Set internal thresholds (like 90% capacity) that trigger reviews of license allocation or discussions about increasing your license count.

Communicate access policies: Ensure your team understands your organization's License Governance policies. Clear communication about request processes and approval timelines reduces frustration and support inquiries about Zenhub access.

Verifying License Requests

When you receive a license request requiring verification before approval, locate the user's GitHub profile to find contact information. Search for their GitHub username in GitHub's interface and navigate to their profile page.

GitHub profiles typically include email addresses, organizational affiliations, and other contact details that help you verify the user's identity and need for Zenhub access. Use this information to reach out directly when license requests require additional validation.

For large organizations, consider integrating your license approval workflow with existing identity management systems. Cross-reference license requests with HR databases, Active Directory, or other authoritative sources to streamline verification.

Troubleshooting License Management

Users can't access Zenhub despite having GitHub permissions: Verify that an available license exists and that your licensing mode allows their access pattern. In "Never auto-assign" mode, users must explicitly request and receive approval even with valid GitHub permissions.

Admin can't promote other users to admin status: Ensure the admin account has full administrative privileges and that the target user has logged into Zenhub at least once. The initial admin created through the Management application can promote others; promoted admins may have the same capabilities.

License requests aren't visible in the Dashboard: Check that you're viewing the correct Enterprise instance in the Admin portal and that your admin account has appropriate permissions. License requests appear in the Team Members tab under the Seats page.

FAQ

Q: What happens when we reach our license limit in "Up to license limits" mode?
A: New users are prompted to request a license from Zenhub admins. The users can continue working once an admin approves their request, but approving requests beyond your purchased limit may incur surcharges.

Q: Can regular users see who the Zenhub Admins are?
A: Admin visibility depends on your Zenhub Enterprise configuration. Generally, users can see admin contact information when submitting license requests, but the full admin list may only be visible to other admins.

Q: How quickly do users get access after admin approval?
A: License approval takes effect immediately. Users can access Zenhub as soon as the admin approves their request without requiring logout/login or browser refresh.

Q: Can I revoke a user's license after it's been assigned?
A: Yes, admins can revoke licenses through the Team Members interface in the Admin portal. Select the user and use the admin controls to remove their license, immediately terminating their Zenhub access.

Q: What's the difference between Zenhub Admins and GitHub organization admins?
A: Zenhub Admins manage licenses within Zenhub Enterprise, while GitHub organization admins control GitHub repository access. These are separate permission systems, though many organizations assign both roles to the same people.

Q: Do demoted admins lose their Zenhub license?
A: No, demoting an admin to regular user status removes their administrative privileges but maintains their existing license if one is assigned. You must separately revoke their license if you want to remove their Zenhub access entirely.