Every computer system is different and has unique settings, or operating system demands. Maybe you also have a RLM application installed already with another software, or you work in heterogeneous networks. Sometimes, read/write privileges are not set correctly, firewalls or routers block the communication between computers, or a certain port is blocked by another software. There are many reasons why the licensing process can fail and therefore we want to give you a few tips for when this happens.
RLM keeps telling me that the license type is wrong
In this case it is very likely that you are trying to use a node-locked license with the RLM. Please bear in mind that node-locked licenses do not require an installation of the RLM server. Please follow the standard procedure for node-locked licenses here.
I cannot access the RLM web interface
There are two standard addresses for the RLM web interface. They can be entered into the address field of your favourite browser:
http://localhost:5054 (only valid for the computer with the RLM installed and running)
http://ip_of_computer_with_RLM_installed:5054
If you get an empty page or a message that it is not possible to establish a connection please check that
the RLM application is running
ports 5053 and 5054 are not blocked by another application
a firewall isn’t preventing access to the RLM server and its web interface
you have entered the correct IP address and/or port
the computer with the RLM installation is connected to the requesting machine when you are in a network
If you are trying to access the RLM web interface via a remote machine please ping the computer with the RLM. Open a terminal window and enter:
> ping ip_of_computer_with_RLM_installed -n 4
The “-n 4” flag is optional and determines the number of ping requests. If the computer is not accessible please check your network connection.
The RLM is running, but RealFlow is still unlicensed
If RealFlow is running on the same machine with the RLM installed please make sure that the license file is inside the "rlm" folder of RealFlow's application director. You should also check the license file's extension - it must be ".lic".
If RealFlow is running on a remote machine you should test the connection to the RLM server first (see "I cannot access the RLM web server" above). Client machines need this connection because otherwise RealFlow is considered unlicensed. Furthermore, the client machine has to "know" where the RLM server is located in your network. This means that you have to bind the client to the RLM server.
There are two possibilities of doing this:
- Create a "host.lic" file, and drag to the "realflow" folder in your user account's home directory (see table below). This file contains a single line: HOST ip_of_computer_with_RLM_installed ANY 5053
- Instead of adding the second LIC file, it also also possible to define an environment variable:
nextlimit_LICENSE=5053@ip_of_computer_with_RLM_installed
Windows | /Users/User name/realflow |
|---|---|
Linux | $(HOME)/realflow |
OS X | /Users/User name/realflow |
Is there a LIC file and is it stored in the right place?
This file should be an ASCII file and it can be opened with any text editor:
- If your license is node-locked please go to the "realflow" folder in your user account's home directory (see table above), and check whether there is a .LIC file, for example “realflow.lic”.
- Floating licenses are stored in the "rlm" directory of RealFlow's application folder.
Check the LIC files's extension
One common reason the licensing process fails is that the LIC file has an additional TXT or RTF extension. This happens when the files' extensions are hidden by default. To check this, please go to your operating system's preferences and make the extensions visible. If there is an extension different from .lic, for example realflow.lic.txt, please remove the extra suffix. Then, try to open RealFlow again.
The “rlm” folder is read/write-protected
Sometimes it also happens that RealFlow does not have sufficient rights to access the LIC file. In this case please activate the appropriate permissions. Windows users should also check that RealFlow's installer is executed with administrator rights: right-click on the installer and enable “Run as administrator”.
RealFlow or the the RLM are blocked by a firewall
In networks, firewalls often prevent programs from communicating with other services or computers. Please check your firewall's settings to see if RealFlow is blocked. If it is blocked or not in the firewall's whitelist, please unblock it or add it to the white list.
The LIC file is in the wrong folder
Here is where the license files have to be stored:
- Floating license: "rlm" folder of the RealFlow application's directory
- Node-locked license: "realflow" folder in your user account's home directory (see table above)
Optional: If you have at least two computers and a floating license there also has to be either a "host.lic" file or an environment variable. This is necessary to bind the remote machine to the RLM server (see image above). If you want to use the file -based method then it has to be stored here:
- Host file: "realflow" folder in your user account's home directory (see table above)
Once you have changed the location of a file please also restart the RLM server in the web interface with the “Reread/Restart Servers” button.
Check if the floating license has been installed properly
When you open the RLM's web interface, and click on the “Status” button you should see three tables. In the first table, the “license file” row must show the current RealFlow license. The third table is named “ISV Servers” and there should be a row starting with “nextlimit”. If these two entries are empty or invisible your license files has not been installed correctly. Please repeat the licensing process and check that the license files has been stored in correct directories.
If you can see the “nextlimit” row please click on the “nextlimit” button under “Server Status”. Please look for “License pool status” and check whether your license is added to the table. The “usage” button will show you which machines are connected and using the license.
A single floating can only be used by one concurrent computer. If the license is in use already you will not be able to run an instance of RealFlow on another machine.
The RLM cannot bind to port 5053
When you get this message port 5053 is most probably used by another instance of RLM already. In this case, please read the "Already Existing RLM Servers" chapter.
Check the Id of the computer with the RLM
The main license (the one with the full license text) requires an Id. This Id is unique to a computer and is used by the RLM to license your copy of RealFlow. You can find the Id on a help screen which is shown when you get a message that RealFlow is unlicensed. Click on the "Show Details…" button, and look for the Id (printed in yellow), e.g. 002f90f31eb2.
