Troubleshooting license errors

When configuring the JewelSuite License Server or client machines, you may run into errors. This topic covers the most common problems and their solutions.

First steps: check the log file

If you encounter an error when setting up or running the license server, check the debug log file first. You configured a path to the log file on the Config Services tab in lmtools.exe.

Open the log file by clicking the View Log button on the Config Services tab, or open it directly in a text editor. Scroll to the bottom of the log. Recent events appear last. Each log line is prefixed with either (lmgrd) or (joa) to indicate which component generated the message.

Checking license server status from the command line

The lmutil lmstat command (included in the license server package) gives a real-time overview of which server components are running and how many licenses are in use. Run the following command from the license server directory or from any client machine that can reach the server:

The output shows whether lmgrd and the joa vendor daemon are running, and lists each licensed feature together with the number of seats in use and the users who have checked them out. This is the fastest way to confirm the server is reachable and operational before configuring clients.

Common server-side errors

The following errors are reported in the license server log file or in the lmtools status bar.

License features expired

The configured license file may have expired. When this occurs, you will see messages similar to those below in the license log file when starting or restarting the license server:

You will see a message for each expired feature. Obtain a new license file from Baker Hughes and follow the steps in Updating your floating license server license file.

If you believe your license file should not have expired, contact the Baker Hughes Software Support team at SoftwareSupport@bakerhughes.com.

Vendor daemon exited with status 53: missing Visual C++ Redistributable

You may see the following in the log file:

This likely means the required Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable is not installed on the server. You may also see a Windows pop-up: "The computer can't start because MSVCR120.dll is missing from your computer."

Inside the JewelSuite license server directory, locate VC_redist.x64.exe and run it to install the correct redistributable. Once installed, click Start Server in lmtools.

"SERVERNAME": Not a valid server hostname, exiting

This error appears when the hostname in the license file no longer matches the actual hostname of the server. This can happen after a server rename or a virtual machine migration. Contact the Software Support team at SoftwareSupport@bakerhughes.com to obtain a new license file tied to the correct hostname.

Vendor daemon (joa) does not start

If the log shows lmgrd started successfully but joa is not running, the path to the vendor daemon executable in the license file may be incorrect. Open the license file in a text editor and verify that the path on the DAEMON line points to the actual location of joa.exe on the server:

After correcting the path, save the file and restart the license server from the Start/Stop/Reread tab in lmtools.

Port conflicts: lmgrd or vendor daemon port already in use

The license server uses two separate ports: the lmgrd port (on the SERVER line, default 10000) and the vendor daemon port (on the DAEMON line, default 10001). If either port is already in use by another application, the server will fail to start. To identify which process is using a port, run the following from an elevated command prompt:

If the port is in use, either stop the conflicting process or change the port in the license file. See Installing the JewelSuite Floating License Server for instructions on configuring custom ports. After changing any port, stop and fully restart the license server. Reread alone is not sufficient when port assignments change.

Common client-side errors

The following errors are reported by the JewelSuite application or the Licensing Wizard when connecting to the license server.

Cannot connect to license server (error -15 / CANNOT_FIND_SERVER)

The client cannot reach the license server. Common causes:

• The hostname or port entered in the Licensing Wizard is incorrect.
• The lmgrd port (10000 by default) or the vendor daemon port (10001 by default) is blocked by a firewall between the client and server. Both ports must be open for license checkout to succeed.
• The license server service is not running.

To test connectivity before configuring the Licensing Wizard, run the following from the client machine:

If the command times out or reports that the server is down, resolve the network or firewall issue first. Ensure both the lmgrd port and the vendor daemon port are open for TCP traffic in the firewall. If you have not configured a static vendor daemon port, see Installing the JewelSuite Floating License Server. A dynamic port cannot be opened reliably in a firewall.

License server is down or not responding (error -96 / SERVER_DOWN)

The server is reachable on the network but the lmgrd process is not running or not accepting connections. Log in to the server and use lmtools to check the server status and restart it if necessary.

All licenses in use (error -4 / -78)

All seats for the requested feature are checked out by other users. To see who currently holds licenses, run:

Users can release a license by closing the JewelSuite application. If licenses appear to be checked out but no active users can be found, the sessions may have been abandoned. Contact your license server administrator to restart the vendor daemon, which will release stuck checkouts.

Feature not found (error -5 / NO_SUCH_FEATURE)

The feature requested by the application does not exist in the license file. This typically means the license does not include the product or module you are trying to use. Verify the license file contains the correct features, or contact SoftwareSupport@bakerhughes.com to obtain a license that includes the required feature.

Getting detailed diagnostics from the client

Set the environment variable FLEXLM_DIAGNOSTICS to 3 on the client machine before launching the JewelSuite application. The application will then print detailed license checkout information, including the exact server address it is contacting and the reason for any failure. This is the fastest way to diagnose connection issues from the end-user side without needing access to the server.

System clock difference between client and server

FlexNet includes a clock-skew check. If the time difference between the client machine and the license server exceeds approximately three minutes, license checkout may be refused. Ensure that both the client and the server are synchronised to the same NTP time source.