Testing NI License Manager Volume Licensing Configuration and Connectivity

Introduction

Your next step in troubleshooting is to ensure NI License Manager is configured to use a licensing server and can communicate with the licensing server. This is done in the NI License Manager user interface. Once NI License Manager is configured correctly and can communicate with the licensing server, you can confirm client permissions have been added to Volume License Manager.

 

Configure the Client to have the Same Domain as the License Server

An error might occur if the client computer is connected to a license server that is on a different domain than the client computer. To resolve this, add the server's domain to the client computer's DNS settings. To do this, complete the following steps on the client's computer:

To configure the DNS settings on Windows 7 and previous versions of Windows:

1. Open Local Area Network Settings from the Control Panel (Start » Control Panel » Network Connections » Local Area Connection).
2. Click the Properties button.
3. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) from the list of network components.
4. Click the Properties button.
5. Click the Advanced button.
6. Change to the DNS tab.
7. Ensure Append these DNS suffixes is selected.
8. Click the Add button.
9. Enter the domain suffix of the license server and click Add.
10. Close any open dialog boxes, choosing OK and Close as necessary.

1. Open Network and Internet settings from the Control Panel (Start » Control Panel » Network and Internet » View Network and Status).
2. Select the Change Adapter Settings.
3. Select the Network on which you would like to verify the DNS Settings, right-click on it, and select Properties
4. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) from the list of network components depending on which version of IP you are using.
5. Click the Properties button.
6. Click the Advanced button.
7. Change to the DNS tab.
8. Ensure Append these DNS suffixes are selected.
9. Click the Add button.
10. Enter the domain suffix of the license server and click Add.
11. Close any open dialog boxes, choosing OK and Close as necessary

Configuration and Connectivity

1. Add the licensing server to NI License Manager and check communication in the Network Licenses Tab. Make sure to include the port number if using ports other than 27000 and 4637, in the format of <Machine Name>:<Port Number>

Note: If NI License Manager can’t contact the license server using the machine name, try <IP address>:<Port number>.

2. If still unable to communicate with the licensing server, try editing the license file installed on the licensing server by replacing the machine name with the machine's IP address. This is only recommended as a last step.
   1. Open the license file provided by NI in a text editor and replace the machine name, found in line 1 immediately following SERVER, with the machine's IP address. The license file currently being used can be found at
      <ProgramData>\National Instruments\Volume License Manager\nivlm.lic
      Note: NI recommends creating a backup of the nivlm.lic before making any edits.
   2. Do not change any other part of the license file as this can invalidate it.
   3. Save the license file and install it in Volume License Manager. See installing license file  documentation. 

3. Once NI License Manager can communicate with the Volume License Manager, add the client permissions using Volume License Manager. If NI License Manager can’t communicate with the Volume License Manager, please review the previous steps in the VLM Troubleshooting Guide .
   1. Refer to the Adding Client Permissions Getting Started  documentation for instructions.

Interpreting the Results

NI License Manager is Unable to Contact the Licensing Server Using Either the Machine Name or IP Address

This means that NI License Manager was not able to communicate with the licensing server using the information provided in the Manage Volume License Servers dialog. This communication could be blocked by firewalls or possibly anti-virus software. If connectivity to the licensing server has not been tested already, see the Ping test and Telnet test troubleshooting guides.

If All Tests Passed, but You’re Still Encountering Issues

If the client can successfully communicate via pings as outlined in the Ping Test, can communicate over the appropriate ports as outlined in the Telnet test, and is configured correctly in NI License Manager, it’s recommended to reach out to NI support for further troubleshooting.

If All Tests are Passed, and Everything is Working Correctly

If NI License Manager can connect to the licensing server, it should be able to request a license from the licensing server. Next, the licensing server needs to be configured to provide a license to the client in question .