If an activated database is renamed, moved to a new server, or restored after a hardware failure, the database may need to be activated again. In this case, the activation grace period is reset to 14 days, ensuring that the system can be accessed and is fully functional immediately after restoration.
It is recommended to activate your system as soon as possible to ensure that there is no interruption in access to the Configuration module, especially if the system is expected to run on the new hardware for an extended period of time while the initial disaster is repaired.
In the case of a database failover from a primary node to a mirrored or clustered secondary node, you do not need to activate the database if the primary node will be restored within the 14-day grace period. If restoration will take longer than 14 days or the secondary node will become the primary node, the secondary node must be activated. If the secondary node is activated and the primary node is later restored, the primary node must be activated when it is reinstated.
If you do not activate your system you are given the option to activate it every time the Configuration module is launched. See Activating Your System.