Microsoft KB Archive/160997

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

PRB: Troubleshooting When Installing FLEXlm on Windows NT
Last reviewed: December 16, 1996

Article ID: Q160997

The information in this article applies to:


 * Softimage 3D for Windows NT, versions 3.51, 3.7

SUMMARY
The information contained in this article is provided as an update of the KB article Titled "Installing FLEXlm on Windows NT."

Getting Started Check List
This document lists common procedures, error messages, and possible causes to problems you may encounter during the installation process. Read this document to help ensure a quick solution to your installation problems.

Read the following check list to avoid encountering problems during and after installing FLEXlm:

 Have you received a valid license from the Softimage Licensing department? For license requests, send an e-mail to license@softimage.com or call licensing at 1-800-387-2559 (for international requests, call 514-845-2199). Is the blue-green FLEXlm dongle attached to your machine? (for the FLEXlm server only). Is the environment variable 744@"hostname" set? (for the FLEXlm client only). Is TCP/IP installed? Do you have a network card installed? If you do not have a network card, install RAS (Remote Access Services). RAS is located on the Microsoft for Windows NT version 3.51 CD (call Microsoft Product Support Services for more details).  Is there a valid user account created under :\USERS? (see below) Sample License File The following is an example of a typical license file: SERVER SENTINEL KEY= 744 DAEMON SOFTIMAGE C:\FLEXlm\LMSoft.EXE PACKAGE 3D_EXTREME_PKG SOFTIMAGE 3.500 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

COMPONENTS="SI_TOOLS 3D 3D_RENDER 3d_ADVANCED RAY_REBELS 3D_LIVE 3D_SHARED MENTAL_RAY:1.900 PARTICLE:1.500"

INCREMENT 3D_EXTREME_PKG SOFTIMAGE 3.500 <# of licenses> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ck=xxx

Do s and Don ts For Entering License Information
Be aware of the following when entering your license information in the file:


 * Don t use unnecessary spaces: they are considered typos.
 * Do verify that the backslashes (\) at the end of the PACKAGE and INCREMENT lines are followed with a hard return and not a space.
 * Do check that each line following PACKAGE and INCREMENT begins with one space.
 * Don t use tabs.
 * Do save the license file as plain ASCII text format (.txt)! When entering the license manually, correct all typographical errors and then save the file as plain text (.txt) and NOT as "unicode" or "all file types". This is mandatory!

Creating a Softimage 3D User Account on Windows NT
To properly execute Softimage v3.51 for Windows NT, you must log on as a  valid Windows NT user (Not as Administrator).

Create a User Account
 Log on as Administrator.</li> From the Administrative Tools group, start User Manager.</li> From the User menu, choose New User.</li>  Enter information to create a new user. Sample New User dialog box: Username:   (any name you prefer) Full Name:  (optional) Description: User Password:   (optional)

The New User dialog box allows you to set the user environment profile for your system. Now you must configure the location of the user's home directory because Softimage 3D needs to save the DatabaseDir.rsrc file in the user's home directory. </li></ol>

Set the User Environment Profile
<ol> Click the Profile button. The User Profile dialog box appears.</li>  In the Local Path box, type c:\users\%username% NOTE: Where "c:" is the drive where your Windows NT workstation is installed. </li> Click OK to accept and close the dialog box.</li>  Click OK to close the New User dialog box. A directory is created under c:\users with the same name as the user's logon account. </li></ol>

Softimage 3D 3.51 Error Messages
If Softimage 3D seems to be hanging, press Alt-Tab to access the license manager and verify the error message. ERROR MESSAGE: Invalid Working Directory

This means you are running as administrator.

You must have at least one valid user account other than "administrator" from where you are running Softimage 3D. This is because the environment variables in the SETENV.BAT file looks for %USERNAME% and errors will occur if no user exists.

Refer to the previous procedure for Creating a Softimage 3D User Account. ERROR MESSAGE: No server line in license file

This can mean one of two things:

- You installed as a FLEXlm Client instead of as a Server. Remove your software and references to the FLEXlm server in the services file and reinstall as a Server (contact Customer Support).

- Your License.dat file has been saved in UNICODE format. It must be    saved in plain text format. Refer to the UNICODE error message below for more information. ERROR MESSAGE: Cannot connect to license server; WinSock error code

This can indicate any of the following problems:

- Your computer name, the name in the license file, and the name in your Network > TCP/IP > DNS entry are not the same, or the case in one of    the entries is wrong.

In Control Panel > Network, verify that the Computer Name is the same as the DNS Host Name which is located in the Network Settings dialogue box. Double-click the TCP/IP protocol from the Installed Network Software list, then click DNS in the Configuration dialog box. In    the DNS Configuration dialog box that appears, compare the Host Name with the Computer Name, and with the Server Name shown in your license file. Reboot your machine.

- You don't have TCP/IP installed. Install TCP/IP from the Windows NT    3.51 software disk. If you need assistance, call Microsoft Product Support Services.

- There is an error in the LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable in    Control Panel > System. If your machine is a FLEXlm server, the value for this variable must state the explicit path to license.dat (ie: C:\flexlm\license.dat). If you are working on a FLEXlm client machine, the value must give the pot number at the server machine (ie: 744@myserver).

- The dongle port is not being read.

The procedure for setting the parallel port so that it can read the Softimage 3D dongle is different for each Windows NT platform. However, there is a method to verify if the port is being read. To    assess the parallel port status, open a DOS shell and change directories (cd) to the c:\flexlm directory. Then enter this command:

lmutil lmhostid -sentinel

A dongle number (#) of 0 confirms that the port is not being read. To    set the port properly, you must consult your hardware configuration documentation and/or sales representative for instructions.

- Your Flexlm license server is not started in Control Panel > Services. Check the status of your FLEXlm License Server in Control Panel > Services. If it is not running or does not exist, open a DOS shell, and change directories (cd) to the flexlm directory (ie: cd c:\flexlm), and enter the following commands:

install remove

install <explicit path to lmgrd.exe> (ie: c:\flexlm\lmgrd.exe)

Start the FLEXlm License Server in Control Panel>Services. You can confirm a proper installation of FLEXlm by rebooting your machine before rechecking the status of your FLEXlm License Server.

If when you reboot your computer, the license server appears to start, but you still get the above error message, stop the FLEXlm License server in Control Panel > Services and try to complete the steps once again.

- There may be an error in the SERVER line of your License.dat file. Compare the SERVER line in your license.dat file to the license that you received from the Softimage Licensing department. ERROR MESSAGE: Cannot find SERVER hostname in network database; WinSock error code

This means the host name in your license file is wrong. Verify that the host name in the License.dat file matches the computer name (case is  important). ERROR MESSAGE: Invalid License Key (inconsistent license key); WinSock error code

This indicates any one of the following problems:

- The dongle number in the license file is wrong. Verify that the number in the License.dat file matches the 8-digit hex-number on the dongle, such as B2851nnn.

- The license has an error in it (e.g. a line has an unnecessary return    in the middle of it). Verify the License.dat file and then stop and restart the FLEXlm license server from Control Panel > Services.

- The computer name contains illegal characters (underscores, dashes,    spaces, periods). Rename the computer eliminating the illegal characters, and make sure to change the TCP/IP > DNS entry and the License.dat entry. Then stop and restart the FLEXlm license server from Control Panel > Services. ERROR MESSAGE: Invalid date format in license file

This can mean one of two things:

- You have a space after the backslashes (\) at the end of the PACKAGE and INCREMENT lines in your License.dat file. Check these two lines in    your License.dat file and if there is a space, remove it.

- The date was not entered properly on the INCREMENT line. Open your License.dat file and verify that the date is correct. ERROR MESSAGE: Feature has expired

This indicates one of the following problems:

- The date and time on your computer may be incorrect. Verify the time and date on your computer. It cannot be set to a date before the license start-date (issue date). Use Accessories >Time to verify time and date. If necessary, use Control Panel > Date/Time to reset it.

- The files have a future date. Check for files on the system that have a date in the future (contact Customer Support). ERROR MESSAGE: FLEXlm has exited unexpectedly

This indicates one of the following problems:

- The server name in the License.dat file is wrong. Verify that the server name in the License.dat file is correct and then stop and restart the FLEXlm license server from Control Panel > Services.

- The dongle is not attached to the parallel port. Attach the dongle to    the parallel port.

- The dongle port is not being read.

The procedure for setting the parallel port so that it can read the Softimage 3D dongle is different for each Windows NT platform. However, there is a method to verify if the port is being read. To    assess the parallel port status, open a DOS shell and change directories (cd) to the c:\flexlm directory. Then enter this command:

lmutil lmhostid -sentinel

A dongle number (#) of 0 confirms that the port is not being read. To    set the port properly, you must consult your hardware configuration documentation and/or sales representative for instructions. ERROR MESSAGE: Soft.exe entry point not found. Stop the procedure entry point...Describe Layer Plane could not be located in Dynamic Library. OpenGl32.dll

Contact Customer Support ERROR MESSAGE: Cannot read UNICODE

This means that you probably did not save your License.dat file in plain text (.txt) in Notepad. As a result, the font information at the top of  the license file is unreadable.

Open Notepad and copy and paste the relevant license information into it. Then make sure to save the file as plain text (.txt). ERROR MESSAGE: Soft3D: no such feature exists

This means that the License.dat was saved as "Unicode" or "All file  types".

Open the file, copy the license text and paste it into a new Notepad file. Save it as plain text (.txt). ERROR MESSAGE: Dr. Watson error: <this is a sample:>"the application generated an application error the error occurred on 10/01/96 as 16:9:45.870 the exception generated was c0000037@address77f80430

This means you do not have the correct driver version for your graphics card.

Contact Customer Support.