Updating the COMSOL License Manager

Problem Description

When starting COMSOL Multiphysics, I receive this error message:

Could not obtain license for COMSOL Multiphysics GUI.  
License error: -25  
License server system does not support this version of this feature  

or

License file does not support this version.  
Feature: SERIAL  
Application version > License version: 6.1 > 6.0  
License path: C:\Program Files\COMSOL\COMSOL61\Multiphysics\license\license​.dat;  
FlexNet Licensing error:-21,126

Solution

Please note that in COMSOL Multiphysics Version 6.2 the FlexNet^® License Manager version 11.18.3 is the same as in COMSOL Multiphysics Version 6.1. This means that you do not need to update the license manager binaries when upgrading from COMSOL Multiphysics Version 6.1 to Version 6.2. However you still need to change the license file used by the license manager to a version of the license file that supports version 6.2.

This article is for the case when upgrading from COMSOL Multiphysics Version 6.0 and earlier versions to Version 6.1, in which case you need to update the on-site COMSOL License Manager software. Step-by-step instructions can be found below.
Note: the COMSOL 6.1 license manager binaries and license files are backward compatible with COMSOL installations back to version 3.5a. This means that existing installations of COMSOL 6.0 and earlier will continue to function as normal after the license manager has been updated to version 6.1.

Please note that while updating the license manager, users may lose contact to it. To avoid this you can ask users to save their work before transitioning to the new license manager.

Updating the COMSOL License Manager software on Windows

The COMSOL License Manager is installed as a Windows service. We will use the LMTOOLS license utility program to upgrade the license manager service to COMSOL version 6.1.

1. Install the COMSOL 6.1 License Manager on the license server. To do this do the following:

   • Download the installation media from Product Download. NB: The online installer is smaller than the offline installer.
     • To get access to only the files needed for the license manager, please contact support@comsol.com
   • Make sure that you have access to your license file as it is needed during the installation.
   • Launch the installer, and select New COMSOL 6.1 Installation.
   • After accepting the license agreement and supplying your license file to the installer, click next.
   • If you only want to install the license manager, clear all check boxes apart from the one entitled License Manager in the Products panel.
   • Finish the installation.

   Please see the section License Manager Installation on Windows in the COMSOL Multiphysics Installation Guide for more detailed instructions.

2. Start the LMTOOLS license tool from the Start menu>All Programs>COMSOL Multiphysics 6.1>COMSOL Launchers>LMTOOLS.

3. On the Service/License File tab, select the COMSOL License Manager.

4. Go to the Start/Stop/Reread page and click the Stop Server button.

5. Go to the Config Services page. Change the paths to lmgrd.exe, and license.dat so that they all point to the COMSOL 6.1 installation directory. Starting with the version of the Flexnet distributed with COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4, the permissions where the license manager is allowed to write has been changed. The current recommendation is to store the debug log file, comsol61.log in the directory C:\ProgramData\COMSOL.

6. Click the Save Service button.

7. Go to the Start/Stop/Reread page and click the Start Server button.

8. Choose Exit from the File menu to close LMTOOLS.

The update is now complete. The license server does not need to be restarted.

Updating the COMSOL License Manager software on Linux and Macintosh

1. Install the COMSOL 6.1 License Manager components on the license server. To do this do the following:

   • Download the installation media from Product Download. NB: The online installer is smaller than the offline installer.
     • To get access to only the files needed for the license manager, please contact support@comsol.com
   • Make sure that you have access to your license file as it is needed during the installation.
   • Launch the installation script, and select New COMSOL 6.1 Installation.
   • After accepting the license agreement and supplying your license file to the installer, click next.
   • If you only want to install the license manager, clear all check boxes apart from the one entitled License Manager in the Products panel.
   • Finish the installation.

   Please see the section License Manager Installation on Linux or License Manager Installation on Mac OS X in the COMSOL Multiphysics Installation Guide for more detailed instructions.

2. Stop the COMSOL license manager: Make the comsol60/multiphysics/license/$arch directory the current directory, where $arch is either glnxa64 (64-bit Linux), glnxarm64 (ARM Linux), maci64 (64-bit macOS), or macarm64 (ARM macOS). Stop the 6.0 license manager with the lmdown command:

   ./lmdown -c ../license.dat

3. Start the COMSOL 6.1 License Manager with the lmgrd command:

   ./lmgrd -c ../license.dat -L /var/tmp/comsol61.log

   Note: If running the lmgrd command returns the error message ./lmgrd: Command not found., the license server is missing required libraries for LSB (Linux Standard Base). For information on how to fix this issue, please see solution 1199

4. Finally, modify the boot script that starts the COMSOL License Manager automatically at boot. For instruction on how the boot scripts should be set up, please see the COMSOL Multiphysics Installation and Operations Guide.

The update is now complete.

See Also

Instruction video

Solution 903. (Could not obtain license for COMSOL Multiphysics GUI).

Solution 1078. (Problems running a classkit)

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