For the last 10-15 years I've payed for ZDT for my iLok. But now that most of my iLok licenses are in the cloud and on the computer - (only a few left on my iLok key - do I really need ZDT? I feel like iLok's information is cloudy upon what happens with a broken or lost iLok. Any experience?

The answer is:

will it be a royal PITA or expensive to replace those last few licences if PACE doesn't place nice with the replacement programme?

If not, don't bother. If yes, it probably makes sense. Obviously, it would be nicer if PACE was clearer and more cooperative about the whole process. But for the annual cost of ZDT (and I do have a lot of physical licences that I tend to use over Cloud), I consider it a worthwhile if mildly irritating spend.

Thank you. But won't I be able to recover the few licenses i have still without ZDT? I know ZDT is ZERO downtime, but I can live without the licenses left for a few days. I don't need ZDT to get my licenses back - do I?

You *should* be able to get them back by sending in the physical iLok. This, AIUI, doesn't work for hard disk licences so that's worth considering if you do have some machine-locked licences rather than Cloud ones.

It sounds as though you don't need ZDT for the dongle ones though. Put it this way. I have never used this option and have no idea how well it works but at the same time I don't think I've seen any recent cases where people have complained about PACE not cooperating. That might just mean that anyone who might have encountered a failed dongle are on ZDT or it's reasonably smooth sailing if you send one in (and that they don't take forever to process it) and so haven't taken to the forums to complain.

I didn't mean to imply you need ZDT just to recover licences, just that you're basically trading money for possible ball-ache.