Solution
Sometimes if you use license servers as they are installed by default, you cannot have two license servers running at the same time. If you try to run both, then you will get an error in the log file for the second license server. Computer performance may also be slow or the license manager application will hang.
You only need to run a license server if you are serving licenses for other machines. If you are using a single seat, computer-based license or you are using license from a license server on a different machine, then you do not need a license server. For help disabling other license servers, please refer to the vendor's documentation for more information.
If you do need to run two servers to run on the same machine they must use different port numbers and use the same instance of lmgrd.exe. You need to do two things to ensure the license servers will run together successfully on the same machine.
- The port number must be changed for one of the servers, by default, most license servers use port 27000. One of them must be changed. License files designate what port to use. It is fairly simple to change the port, since it is only a single file.
- The port number is the last number on the first line of the license file and can be directly modified.
NOTE: After changing the port number all client computers will need to be configured to point to the new port.
DISCLAIMER: The following step involves editing the registry. INAPPROPRIATE CHANGES TO THE WINDOWS REGISTRY CAN DISABLE THE OPERATING SYSTEM OR PREVENT IT FROM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. To safeguard against such an accident, we recommend that you back up your existing registry by choosing Registry » Export Registry File... after launching the Registry Editor and before making any changes.
- Use the latest version of lmgrd for both license managers. Lmgrd is the FlexNet Publisher (formerly FlexLM) license daemon that allows the license managers to run. Usually, each vendor's license management application will install lmgrd. You can tell the version of lmgrd by right-clicking on lmgrd.exe and choosing Properties. Then change to the Version tab. If you use FLEXnet licensing tools, you can use the lmver executable to determine what version is more recent. For NI Volume License Manager, you can find lmgrd.exe at C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\License Manager\Bin\lmgrd.exe
- Open the registry (Start»Run»regedit)
- Find the registry entry for the license server which is using the older version of lmgrd.exe. Usually, it will have a similar path to: HKEY_LOCAL_Machine\Software\<vendor> License Server\<vendor> License Server. The lmgrd.exe registry key for NI VLM is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FLEXlm License Manager\NILM License Manager\lmgrd.exe.
- Edit the lmgrd key that points to the older version of lmgrd.exe. Change the key to the path of the newer version of lmgrd.exe.