A Valid SystemLink Server License Is Required Error in SystemLink Base

Issue Details

• I have installed SystemLink Base but whenever I access the web interface, I see an error stating A valid SystemLink Server license is required.
• Within my SystemLink Base web UI, the Licenses page shows that the product is unlicensed. A red banner appears on every page stating that I do not have a valid license.
• I have applied my Serial Number or Activation Code to a system with SystemLink Base installed. However, I keep seeing the below error. How can I resolve this?

Solution

Note: This article refers to SystemLink Base. If you are using SystemLink Server, refer to SystemLink Not Connecting to License Server instead.

SystemLink Base is a locally licensed product, meaning that NI License Manager should apply a license via a Serial Number, Activation Code, or entitlement associated with your ni.com account. This error may appear if:

• You are using a network license instead of a local license.
• The applied license is invalid.
• You have a corrupt software installation.

Work through the sections below to resolve this error:

1. Ensure That The System Is Using a Local License

1. On the affected machine, launch NI License Manager from the Windows search bar.
2. Select the Network Licenses tab.
3. If the page populates with a list of licenses, you are connected to a Volume License Server. If not, proceed to section 2. Verify That the License is Valid.
4. If there are any licenses with "SystemLink" in the name, right-click each item and select Do not Allow License Request. This prevents the SystemLink Base installation from attempting to pull licenses from the network.

5. Once complete, all SystemLink licenses should appear with a red disabled icon, as shown:

6. From the Windows search bar, launch NI SystemLink Server Configuration.
7. From the NI SystemLink Service Manager tab, click Restart. This will guarantee that a new license pull request is triggered when you next access the web UI.

8. Once all services have restarted, access the web UI. If the error persists, proceed to section 2. Verify That the License is Valid.

2. Verify That the License is Valid

1. Use Offline Activation Code Generator to generate an offline Activation Code based on your product's Serial Number. If you're unsure of the Serial Number, contact your software administrator.
2. On the affected machine, launch NI License Manager from the Windows search bar.
3. Select the Local Licenses page.
4. Scroll through the list of products to identify SystemLink Base.
5. if it is already licensed (and appears with a green icon), right-click the product and select Deactivate.

6. From the top toolbar, click Activate Software.

7. In the pop-up window, select Enter activation codes from the drop-down menu.

8. Enter the activation code generated in step 1 and then click Activate.
9. Assuming that the activation is successful, launch the NI SystemLink Server Configuration app from the Windows search bar.
10. From the NI SystemLink Server Manager tab, click Restart.
11. Once all SystemLink services have restarted, access the web UI in a browser. If the error persists, proceed to section 3. Fix Corrupt Software.

3. Fix Corrupt Software

If the error persists after following both of the previous sections, NI License Manager is likely corrupt. Fixing it requires that you uninstall and reinstall the product.

Note: uninstalling NI License Manager will remove all other NI software, including SystemLink.

1. On the affected system, launch NI Package Manager from the Windows search bar.
2. From the INSTALLED tab, ensure that Products Only is enabled.

3. In the search bar, enter License Manager.
4. Select the item titled NI License Manager and then click REMOVE.

5. Proceed with the removal prompts. Once complete, restart your PC.
6. After the uninstallation, reinstall SystemLink Base. This will automatically reinstall NI License Manager alongside it.
   • IMPORTANT: Ensure that all packages with SystemLink TDM in the title are deselected. Installing these will upgrade the product from SystemLink Base to SystemLink Server.

7. Once installed, restart the PC.
8. Upon reboot, apply your Serial Number or Activation Code in NI License Manager as usual.
9. After activation, launch the NI SystemLink Server Configuration app from the Windows search bar. If the PostgreSQLDatabase service is hanging or errored, follow these steps:
   • Follow SystemLink PostgreSQL Database No Longer Starts to reset the PostgreSQLDatabase configuration.
   • If the TestMonitor service errors afterwards, follow the steps in SystemLink TestMonitor Error: Password Authentication Failed to reset the PostgreSQLDatabase password.
10. From the NI SystemLink Server Manager tab, click Restart.
11. Once all services have restarted, access the web UI in a browser. The licensing error should now be resolved.