diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-license.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-license.yaml
index 461b73cc53565..afc647b93f015 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-license.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-license.yaml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: build and check license
         if: steps.docs.outputs.changed_only == 'no'
-        run: mvn -q -B -ntp -DskipTests initialize license:check install
+        run: mvn -q -B -ntp -DskipTests apache-rat:check initialize license:check install
 
       - name: license check
         if: steps.docs.outputs.changed_only == 'no'
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index b33206fd6d857..1d564580548e3 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -1369,6 +1369,7 @@ flexible messaging model and an intuitive client API.</description>
             <exclude>src/test/resources/athenz.conf.test</exclude>
             <exclude>deployment/terraform-ansible/templates/myid</exclude>
             <exclude>certificate-authority/index.txt</exclude>
+            <exclude>certificate-authority/serial</exclude>
             <exclude>certificate-authority/README.md</exclude>
 
             <!-- Exclude ZK test data file -->
@@ -1384,6 +1385,51 @@ flexible messaging model and an intuitive client API.</description>
             <!-- helm files -->
             <exclude>**/.helmignore</exclude>
             <exclude>**/_helpers.tpl</exclude>
+
+            <!-- project ignored files -->
+            <exclude>*.md</exclude>
+            <exclude>.github/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.nar</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/.terraform/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/.gitignore</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/.svn</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.iws</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.ipr</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.iml</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.cbp</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.pyc</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/.classpath</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/.project</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/.settings</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/target/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/CMakeFiles/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/CMakeCache.txt</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/cmake_install.cmake</exclude>
+            <exclude>pulsar-client-cpp/**/Makefile</exclude>
+            <exclude>pulsar-client-cpp/tests/main</exclude>
+            <exclude>pulsar-client-cpp/examples/SampleAsyncProducer</exclude>
+            <exclude>pulsar-client-cpp/examples/SampleConsumer</exclude>
+            <exclude>pulsar-client-cpp/examples/SampleConsumerListener</exclude>
+            <exclude>pulsar-client-cpp/examples/SampleProducer</exclude>
+            <exclude>pulsar-client-cpp/perf/perfProducer</exclude>
+            <exclude>pulsar-client-cpp/perf/perfConsumer</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/python/dist/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/pulsar-client-cpp/pkg/rpm/RPMS/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/pulsar-client-cpp/pkg/rpm/SOURCES/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/pulsar-client-cpp/pkg/deb/BUILD/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/python/wheelhouse/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/python/MANIFEST</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.egg-info/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.log</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/build/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/file:/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/SecurityAuth.audit*</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/site2/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/.idea/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.a</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.so</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.so.*</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/*.dylib</exclude>
           </excludes>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
diff --git a/pulsar-functions/scripts/python/setup.py.template b/pulsar-functions/scripts/python/setup.py.template
index ec36403e0f897..502fa91e5dae3 100644
--- a/pulsar-functions/scripts/python/setup.py.template
+++ b/pulsar-functions/scripts/python/setup.py.template
@@ -1,3 +1,22 @@
+#
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+# or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+# distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+# to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+# "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+# specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+#
+
 """pulsar functions setuptools based setup module"""
 import os, re, sys
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages
diff --git a/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.attr b/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.attr
deleted file mode 100644
index 8f7e63a3475ce..0000000000000
--- a/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.attr
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-unique_subject = yes
diff --git a/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.attr.old b/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.attr.old
deleted file mode 100644
index 8f7e63a3475ce..0000000000000
--- a/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.attr.old
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-unique_subject = yes
diff --git a/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.old b/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.old
deleted file mode 100644
index 4d69c9bb037e6..0000000000000
--- a/tests/certificate-authority/index.txt.old
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-V	22920406085532Z		1000	unknown	/CN=broker.pulsar.apache.org
-V	22920406085706Z		1001	unknown	/CN=admin
-V	210318101354Z		1002	unknown	/CN=ivan
-V	22920409135604Z		1003	unknown	/CN=proxy
-V	22920410132517Z		1004	unknown	/CN=superproxy
diff --git a/tests/certificate-authority/serial.old b/tests/certificate-authority/serial.old
deleted file mode 100644
index 49bc2728c7a08..0000000000000
--- a/tests/certificate-authority/serial.old
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-1005