ArcGIS License Server Administrator won't start

[Jay_Gregory]

Every time I try to start the service (from the application window, not from Windows services - ArcGIS License Manager service is started in Windows services, I just can't start the License Server from the application itself, if that makes sense) the application freezes for 20 seconds but the service never starts.  When I click on Diagnostics and real through the log, I get the following error-looking lines:

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Wrong hostid on SERVER line for license file:

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\License10.3\bin\service.txt

SERVER line says 00155d381f33, hostid is 00155d381f02

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Invalid hostid on SERVER line

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature 3DAnalystN(0C74 5D9A 80F8 7C0D )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 1 license from feature ACT(1794 C1C7 F2F3 58A8 )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature dataReviewerN(0DC5 EFB6 840D 0B55 )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature desktopAdvN(0D07 CDDA B087 4351 )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature desktopBasicN(1C31 1D6B 6066 0853 )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature desktopStdN(199E E2A5 8BFE 05CE )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature geostatAnalystN(0578 2BC0 1665 8198 )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature networkAnalystN(03B8 7ACE CDD0 6065 )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature spatialAnalystN(0C5E 578F 97F5 4ABC )

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Disabling 9000 licenses from feature workflowMgrN(106B 98A2 3380 26E0 )

This problem is affecting my ability to check out ArcGIS Pro licenses from my Portal Machine (which is configured as the licensing portal for Pro.  Any tips on what I need to do to resolve this issue without breaking current Portal functionality, please advise. 

[NICOLAPEDDIS]

Have you seen the flexnet log..??? It say you are using a wrong hostid/ethernet address in the license file

----------------------------------------------------------

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Wrong hostid on SERVER line for license file:

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\License10.3\bin\service.txt

SERVER line says 00155d381f33, hostid is 00155d381f02 <<-- this is the error

15:56:22 (ARCGIS) Invalid hostid on SERVER line

---------------------------------------------------------------------

You need to correct the error or use a valid license file according your hostid/ethernet address

[Jay_Gregory]

I see that that is the error, but I don't know how to fix it.  I tried replacing the one line in the service.txt file with the id in the server line, but that caused more errors.  Furthermore, I don't know what could have caused this.  Do I need to reauthroize Portal using a different prvc file?  Or something else entirely?

[NICOLAPEDDIS]

You cannot modify the hostid/ethernet address in the license file, otherwise the license will be invalidated.

You need a valid license with the correct hostid/ethernet address.

Maybe the license is for another hostid/ethernet address present in your office, check it before ask a new authorization file

[Jay_Gregory]

I have the old authorization file I originally used (it worked when I used it 6 months ago).  Should I just try using that again?  I am unfamiliar with the different between a license and an authorization file - I thought they were one in the same.  Whenever I have authoirzed software, the only "file" I need is the authorization file.  I'm unsure where a different license might come into play. 

Thanks!

[DanielUrbach]

Does the machine with license manager have multiple NICs, or did the MAC address/ethernet card change recently?

If you go the 'Authorizations' tab then click on 'Machine IDs', are there any UMNs listed?

Can you post the first line from your service.txt, which should start with "SERVER"?

My service.txt reads:

SERVER this_host ANY 27000

The 'this_host' should take the hostid that the license manager has listed when you click on 'Machine IDs'.  From the errors you posted it looks like it is expecting 00155d381f02 but for some reason the service.txt is using 00155d381f33.  If you do have two NICs you may have to disable one of them to reauthorize your licenses, although if you do not see those two UMNs, you probably won't be able to authorize anything at all.

[Jay_Gregory]

The IT department might have switched VM hosts for this particular machine (I've been gone for quite some time, so "recently" is relative..  And yes, that would also mean the MAC address or NIC card might have changed too.  The Machine IDs shows two UMNs.  And here is the first line of the service.txt file:

SERVER this_host 00155d381f33 27000

It looks like I still have the .prvc file originally used to authorize the Portal, but curious if there is something else I can do to get license manager working again - I'm afraid reauthorizing might affect some other stuff!

Thanks!

[Jay_Gregory]

Also, looks like there is only one NIC connection now, but it doesn't mean that it wasn't changed or switched out at some point....

[NICOLAPEDDIS]

If the VM has changed the ethenet address your previous license file cannot work with the new hostid, and you need to reauthorize your arcgis

[DanielUrbach · Accepted solution]

Nicola is correct.  More than likely none of your previously authorized licenses will be available once you get the license manager started, although I doubt you will be able to get it started again now that the MAC address has changed.  The license manager is very sensitive to changes to the hardware (be it physical or virtual) and a change of MAC address will usually irreparably break it.

I just tested the scenario you are facing on my own license manager and unfortunately the only fix I found was to uninstall, clear out the trusted storage and start from scratch.  This means you will have to reauthorize all licenses previously on the license manager.  If you can deauthorize them, I recommend doing so before uninstalling.  If you cannot deauthorize the licenses, you will need to call Esri Support Services to make those licenses available, and can run you through the steps needed to remove the trusted storage folders which store the license information.