X
17659 Rate this article:
No rating

[INTERNAL] How to solve common License Server issues and optimize license delivery performances

Anonym

PROBLEM:

Some customers using served (network floating) licensing with IDL (8.6, 8.7 and later) or ENVI (5.4, 5.5 and later) based product have reported license server or license client problems like the following:

 

SYMPTOMS:

  • Very long license client application startup time (e.g., 30 seconds or more).
  • Client-side application license failure: “Unable to license IDL, Reason: Back office server error”
  • License server frozen or unresponsive to status inquiries or license checkouts.
  • You are using the old L3Harris FlexNet 2016.03 license server (distributed with IDL 8.6/8.6.1, ENVI 5.4/5.4.1).
  • You are using the L3Harris FlexNet 2017.08 license server with an OLD configuration, obtained from the L3Harris Download and License Center before 9/24/2018 (distributed with IDL 8.7.0, ENVI 5.5.0).

 

 

SOLUTION OVERVIEW:

Clear the license server transaction database file, remove the old license server, and install the L3Harris Flexnet 2017.08 license server with the new/updated configuration:

  • Download the updated FlexNet 2017.08 license server
  • Clear the transaction database file
  • Uninstall the old license server
  • Install the updated 2017.08 license server
  • Confirm the updated configuration is being used

 

The L3Harris Download and License Center (DLC) (https://harrisgeospatial.flexnetoperations.com) is available only to registered license administrators. All others will need to contact their license administrators for license activation codes and software installers, or to request to be added as a registered license administrator.

 

SOLUTION DETAILS

  1. Updating to the latest license server configuration on WINDOWS
  2. Updating to the latest license server configuration on LINUX

 

  1. Updating to the latest license server configuration on WINDOWS

Instructions for updating to the latest L3Harris FlexNet 2017.08 license server configuration on Windows (Administrator privileges are required)

 

  1. Download the new/updated 2017.08 license server from the L3Harris Download and License Center:

flexnetserver2017.08-win.exe

For offline network environments, also download the revised offline server configuration installer:

flexnetserver2017.08-offline-win.exe

 

  1. Open a Windows Command Prompt with Administrator privileges.

 

  1. Navigate to the license server installation directory. For example:

cd C:\Program Files\Harris\flexnetls-x64_windows-2017.08.0\server

If you are using the 2016.03 license server then CD to the 2016.03 license server installation instead.

 

  1. Stop the license server service with the following command:

flexnetls -stop

 

  1. Delete the following file, to clear the transaction database:

C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\flexnetls\idl_lmgrd\flexnetls_licenses.mv.db

 

  1. From Windows Explorer, rename the directory

C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\flexnetls

to

C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\flexnetls.bak

This will ensure the directory is not deleted by the Windows FlexNet license server uninstallation process in the next step.

 

  1. Uninstall the service with the following command:

flexnetls -uninstall

Then from the Start menu, select Control Panel > Programs and Features to complete the uninstallation of the OLD 2017.08 (or 2016.03) license server service.

 

  1. Rename the folder

C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\flexnetls.bak

back to its original name:

C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\flexnetls

 

  1. Install the new/updated 2017.08 license server installer program with Administrator privileges:

flexnetserver2017.08-win.exe

 

  1. For offline network environments, run the new/updated offline server configuration installer:

flexnetserver2017.08-offline-win.exe

 

  1. Confirm the use of the new setting:

On the license server issue the following commands from the enterprise subdirectory of the license server installation:

cd C:\Program Files\Harris\flexnetls-x64_windows-2017.08.0\enterprise

flexnetlsadmin.bat -server http://localhost:7070 -config -filter sync | find /i "historical"

The result should be set to "false", that is:

Synchronization To Backoffice Include Historical Data                : false

 

[ back to top ^ ]

 

  1. Updating to the latest license server configuration on LINUX

Instructions for updating to the latest L3Harris FlexNet 2017.08 license server configuration on Linux (root or with sudo privileges are required)

 

  1. Download the new/updated FlexNet 2017.08 license server from the L3Harris Download and License Center:

flexnetserver2017.08-linux.tar.gz

For offline network environments, also download the revised offline server configuration installer:

flexnetserver2017.08-offline-linux.tar.gz

 

  1. Stop the license server:
  • CentOS/Red Hat:   

/sbin/service flexnetls-idl_lmgrd stop

  • Ubuntu:     

service flexnetls-idl_lmgrd stop

 

  1. Uninstall the existing license server service:

cd /usr/local/harris/flexnetls_2017.08.0/server

./flexnetls uninstall

If you are using the 2016.03 license server then CD to the 2016.03 license server installation instead.

 

  1. Delete old license server files and directories:

cd /usr/local/harris

rm -Rf ./flexnetls_2017.08.0/

rm /etc/default/flexnetls-idl_lmgrd

rm /var/opt/flexnetls/idl_lmgrd/flexnetls_licenses.mv.db

If you are using the 2016.03 license server then remove the flexnetls _2016.03 directory instead.

 

  1. Unpack and run the installer for the new/updated 2017.08 license server:

tar xzf flexnetserver2017.08-linux.tar.gz

sudo ./install.sh

and then follow the prompts to complete the installation.

 

  1. For offline network environments, you'll then also need to apply the new/updated offline server configuration:

tar xzf flexnetserver2017.08-offline-linux.tar.gz

./install_offline.sh

 

  1. Confirm the use of the new setting:

On the license server issue the following commands from the enterprise subdirectory of the license server installation:

cd /usr/local/harris/flexnetls_2017.08.0/enterprise

./flexnetlsadmin.sh -server http://localhost:7070 -config -filter sync | grep -i historical

The resulting output should be set to "false":

Synchronization To Backoffice Include Historical Data                : false

 

[ back to top ^ ]

 

APPENDIX

 

Am I using the FlexNet 2016.03 license server?

Steps to determine if you are using the FlexNet 2016.03 license server.

 

WINDOWS

  1. Open the Windows Services utility and locate the installed service named precisely "FlexNet License Server - idl_lmgrd".
  2. Right-click on the service and open the Properties dialog.
  3. Examine the "Path to executable" property which should include the FlexNet license server version (2016.03 or 2017.08) in the indicated directory path.

 

LINUX

  1. If the license server process is running issue a command like:

ps -ef | grep flexnetls

The resulting output should include a command file path that will indicate the FlexNet license server version ("2016.03" or "2017.08").

 

  1. Or if the license server process is not currently running then issue the following 2 commands to determine the version being used:

cd /var/opt/flexnetls/idl_lmgrd/logs

grep -I starting flexnetls.log*

If the 2016.03 license server is being used, then the output from more recent flexnetls.log* files willl include a string like:

Starting FlexNet License Server 2016.03

 

[ back to top ^ ]

 

Am I using the FlexNet 2017.08 license server with an OLD configuration?

Steps to determine if you are using the FlexNet 2017.08 license server with an OLD configuration.

 

WINDOWS

  1. Open a Windows Command Prompt window running as Administrator and issue the following 2 commands:

cd C:\Program Files\Harris\flexnetls-x64_windows-2017.08.0\enterprise

flexnetlsadmin.bat -server http://localhost:7070 -config -filter sync | find /i "historical"

The following result indicates your FlexNet 2017.08 license server has an OLD configuration:

Synchronization To Backoffice Include Historical Data                : true

(A result that includes the string "false" is consistent with an UP-TO-DATE 2017.08 license server configuration.)

 

  1. Or if the license server is unresponsive or not currently running, you can check the configuration by issuing the system command:

find /i "includeall" "C:\Program Files\Harris\flexnetls-x64_windows-2017.08.0\server\producer-settings.xml"

If the output from this command is:

lfs.syncTo.includeAll=true

then you are using a FlexNet license service with a OLD configuration. (The new configuration will instead return a result indicating the value "false".)

(Note: The producer-settings.xml file is not user editable.)

 

LINUX

  1. From a terminal command prompt issue the following 2 commands as root or with sudo privileges (default installation path):

cd /usr/local/harris/flexnetls_2017.08/enterprise

./flexnetlsadmin.sh -server http://localhost:7070 -config -filter sync | grep -i historical

The following result including "true" indicates your FlexNet 2017.08 license server has an OLD configuration:

Synchronization To Backoffice Include Historical Data                : true

(A result that includes the string "false" is consistent with an UP-TO-DATE 2017.08 license server configuration.)

 

  1. Or if the license server is unresponsive you can check the configuration by issuing the system command:

grep -i includeall /opt/flexnetls/idl_lmgrd/producer-settings.xml

Where the output from this command for an OLD configuration 2017 license server would be:

lfs.syncTo.includeAll=true

(A result that includes the string "false" is consistent with an UP-TO-DATE 2017.08 license server configuration.)

(Note: The producer-settings.xml file is not user editable.)

 

[ back to top ^ ]

 

Written by JU, Reviewed by BC (11.1.2019), Updated by CS (7/28/2020)