10.5.1 License manager and Direct Access

[JoePlattner]

Has anyone had success using "Direct Access" and ArcMap 10.5.1?

We are in the middle of upgrading from 10.3.1 to 10.5.1. For whatever reason we get a license manager error when trying to use ArcMap 10.5.1 via a Direct Access connection. Our ArcMap installs of 10.3.1 are able to connect to this same license manager with no problems via Direct Access. It's so weird!

If we use ArcMap 10.5.1 using our regular ethernet cable or internal wifi we connect to the license manager no problem.

We contacted tech support, and so far they've told us that the license manager needs to be on the same sub-net as our computers. We aren't sure what that means, and why 10.3.1 would still work, while 10.5.1 does not.

They also said that IPv6 is not compatible with License Manager, though in our case it has been disabled, so our network staff says this shouldn't be an issue.

I've read this discussion,  https://community.esri.com/message/628963-re-arcgis-104-license-trough-direct-access-ipv6?commentID=...  but our network staff again says the fixes they describe don't apply to our situation.

If you are able to use direct access, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know.  I'm curious to find out what's different about your setup, compared with ours.

Thank you internet!

[V_StuartFoote]

If the clients getting 10.5.1 are new loads, you may need to disable the IPv6 support on the NIC cards--DirectAccess and IPSec tunnels will still connect via Teredo

https://www.ivonetworks.com/2017/01/native-ipv6-addresses-can-break-directaccess/

Computers going off site, and connecting via DirectAccess have another issue in resolving the License Pool server address--so you have to provide the Esri FlexNet Publisher based clients with an IPv6 address to the ArcGIS License Manager. 

http://www.itexperience.net/2016/12/29/flexlm-license-manager-and-ipv6-and-direct-access/

So, do we need to provide the IPv6 address manually.  That is durring installation on a client, done with a command line "custom"  install  and setting an "ESRI_LICENSE_HOST=" value--hostname OR static IPv4 address--and also add a semi-colon and a static/permanent IPv6 address.

Or, after installation in a Regedit session modify:

HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\ESRI\LICENSE 10.5 -> LICENSE_SERVER

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment -> ARCGIS_LICENSE_FILE

There the same semi-colon separated string as the ESRI_LICENSE_HOST=  installer configuration, but would be prepend with @.  And for best performance the IPv6 address will still probably need to prepend the TCP port assignment--specific from range 27000-27009 or a configured on the license server--so maybe something like:

27004@192.168.1.253;27004@::ffff:C0A8:1FC

This Autodesk support blog, and the FlexNet Publisher 11.14.0 License Administrator manual (May 2016)

Not able to obtain a license over IPV6 (DirectAccess IPV6) - Autodesk Community 

Suggest that setting environment variables (HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment) for:

FNP_IP_ENV => 1

FNP_IP_PRIORITY => 6

will support remote users with DirectAccess connections to the license server.

Believe these registry settings could be pushed with Group policy.

Unfortunately we don't use DirectAccess here on campus--we use PAT of internal IPv4, with external F5 Networks SSL VPN--so I can not verify this will correct it.  Anyone?

Stuart

[JoePlattner]

Thank you very much, for your thoughtful reply!

I've forwarded it to our network pros here to get their thoughts. I did hear from them that IPV6 was already disabled on that server, so it probably isn't that.

I still don't get what would be so different about arcmap 10.5.1 and 10.3.1 so that one could talk OK to the license manager using our current set up, and the other one can't.

I will post more, when I hear back.

[V_StuartFoote]

... I did hear from them that IPV6 was already disabled on that server, so it probably isn't that.

Actually, while IPv6 may be disabled--DirectAccess sends the IPv6 via IPv4 tunnel--if DirectAccess / IPSec are active, IPv6 is active (counter intuitive, but true). 

Suggestion was that disabling the "native" IPv6 support on the NIC for the clients keeps that from interfering with the tunneling--and that may explain the difference between your 10.3.1 installs and new 10.5.1 installs. Easy to check on by looking at the  Network settings -> Change adapter settings for a system with 10.3.1 installed that connects.

[DanielLundström]

Joe, did you finally find a solution to this problem? We have the same problem, 10.3.1 works fine but 10.5.1 is not able to obtain a license over Direct Access.