FLEXnet error: -96,xxx "Server machine is down or not responding."

THIS INFORMATION ONLY PERTAINS TO SOFTWARE VERSIONS IDL 8.5, ENVI 5.3 AND PRIOR

After installing the license via the license wizard and starting the license manager service on a server machine, the following error message appears when attempting to launch an ENVI or IDL session:

% LICENSE MANAGER: Server machine is down or not responding. See the system
administrator about starting the server, or make sure that you're referring to the right host
(see LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable).
Feature: idl
Filename: C:\Program Files\Exelis\license\license.dat
License path: C:\Program Files\Exelis\license\license.dat
FLEXnet licensing error: -96,491, system error: 2 "No such file or directory"

The first step in troubleshooting this error would be to verify that the license server has been started and that it is serving the appropriate license for the product that you are trying to launch.  If the license manager seems to be working properly, the next step would be to verify that the client machine is configured to check out a license from the license server.  For more information on configuring client machines to check out floating licenses, please refer to Help Article 1674.  If the license server seems to be working properly AND the client machine seems to be configured properly, this often means there is a firewall up that is blocking the license server from communicating with the client machine.  For more information on configuring server-based licenses through a firewall, please refer to Help Article 1210.

The FLEXnet Minor Error Number ( .xxx) is a unique identifier that can sometimes provide more detail to the general FLEXnet Error Number.  Below are potential variations and their associated solutions:

FLEXnet error: -96,482 "Vendor daemon can't talk to lmgrd"

This can indicate the whole license server system is not up, not just the lmgrd process. Consider the following:

• Make sure the lmgrd and vendor daemon versions are compatible
• Make sure that it is possible to ping and telnet into the server
• If any internet security programs are running, please shut the programs down and retry
• The lmgrd may not be able to resolve the server name in the SERVER line of the license.dat file.  Please try entering both the full hardware address and the IP address.
• Check that the ' /etc/hosts ' file lists the correct name for and corresponding IP address for the license server.

FLEXnet error: -96,491. System Error:2 "No such file or directory"

• On Windows operating systems this would come up because of a firewall. The default with Windows operating systems is to have the firewall turned on.  Please refer to Help Article 1210 for tips on configuring server-based licenses through a firewall. 
• If the error is persistent and on the client machine check for an enabled firewall on the server machine.
• Another potential remedy is to change the LM_LICENSE_FILE variable to contain the IP address of the server instead of its name i.e. 1700@123.45.678

FLEXnet error: -96,7. System Error:2 "No such file or directory"

• If there is no firewall up open the 'license.dat' file, in a plain text editor, and change the hostname to the IP address of the computer. For example, if the SERVER line in the license data file reads:

SERVER mylaptop 0000123abcd 1700

... change the line to read:

SERVER 127.0.0.1 0000123abcd 1700