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CLS - Licensing (Authorization) Issues (Software released prior to December 2017)

Views: 4146 Last Updated: 02/13/2023 01:42 pm 0 Rating/ Voters
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This article covers the most common reasons for licensing problems. Please review this information with your IT person or Network Administrator. After review, if you are still unable to activate your software, please contact our Support group.

If you are looking for help on software released after 3/1/2018, see CLS - Licensing Classic Products Released after 3/1/2018.

Your software includes built-in security to prevent it from being used/distributed without being licensed (paid for). Your activation code is your license, for all intents and purposes, so you need to secure and manage it accordingly. On Center Software no longer supports using dongles or OCS License Manager for licensing. See "Product End of Life (Sunset Plan)" in Related articles for more information about which products On Center supports and licenses.

There are four sections to this article:

Basic information on licensing

Licensing using a Standalone Code

Licensing using a Network License (floating/borrowing from Enterprise License Manager)

Authorization Error Codes

If you are having trouble activating Enterprise License Manager itself, please see the Related article below.

Note
As part of On Center Software's ongoing efforts to improve license security, your software requires an Internet connection to validate your license every 30 days. Failure to validate the license will cause the license to be revoked from your computer.
Authorization, Licensing, and Activation all mean the same, basic thing - unlocking your software using a purchased license.

Basic Information on Licensing

How do I know when I am authorized?

To use the full features of your program, such as the ability to make changes, edit Bids, Conditions, Master records, or change quantities, you must have a valid license. This is known as being authorized or authorization.

When you are not authorized you will see a message in the bottom right corner of your program indicating "(no license)".

If you are using the free PlanViewer version of On-Screen Takeoff®, your application shows (no license) at all times

Once you are authorized you will see which features are activated in the status bar:

  • OST (or tko) = Takeoff mode (On-Screen Takeoff)
  • DPC_PM (or dpm) = Project Manager role (Digital Production Control)
  • DPC_FR (or dpc) = Foreman role (Digital Production Control)
  • BOOST = Boost subscription
  • QB (or est) = Estimating mode (Quick Bid)

OST showing Takeoff license QB showing

Below are a few common issues and resolutions.

Out-Dated Versions

See your product's "Information and Downloads" page, in Related articles, for supported/distributed versions of On-Screen Takeoff, Quick Bid, and Digital Production Control.

To determine what version you have installed, click Help > About < product >. Please see the Related article pertaining to "Sunsetting" for information on what to do if you are using an outdated version.

To determine what version your license supports, check the Customer Portal. See 01 What is the Co-Branded Customer Portal for more information.

LAN Connection Issues/Firewalls

The number one reason for licensing failure is that there is a firewall blocking Internet or internal network access. If the program returns an error message about not being able to contact the authorization server or validate a license, disable any Internet security utilities such as Norton Internet Security™, McAfee® Personal Firewall, or Panda Security Firewall and try again. You may need to contact your network administrator or IT person to disable local and network firewalls for testing purposes.

Note
Activation is performed over Port 80 and Validation over Port 8888.

If the program successfully activates, re-enable the security software and contact your security product support for assistance with configuring your security product to allow On Center application to access your Internet connection (see the link in the section below for details). If the program still cannot activate or if your the PC is connected to a Local Area Network (LAN), contact the IT department or Network Administrator to ensure there is no network level protection or Group Policy interfering with your computer's Internet connection.

Your computer must be able to communicate with "titan.oncenter.com" and "eve.oncenter.com".

Configure your firewall

Please see the Related Article for tips on configuring your firewall to allow the programs to authorize correctly. For information on configuring your firewall, contact the vendor. On Center Software does not sell or distribute firewall software and we are unable to provide technical assistance with the installation, configuration, maintenance, or troubleshooting of firewalls. Your firewall vendor is best equipped to troubleshoot their software and provide technical support.

If your company employs a "NAT" based router (Network Address Translation) it may be necessary to allow both outgoing and incoming communication to/from the workstations over port 80.

Troubleshooting Licensing Using a Standalone Code

Your licenses are retrieved by visiting the customer portal. See 01 What is the Co-Branded Customer Portal for more information.

What is my Activation Code?

Your company's activation code are available by logging into On Center's customer portal, by visiting www.oncenter.com and clicking the "Login" button at the top of the page. For information on how to use our customer portal, contact Support.

Only certain people from a company are registered for the portal - if you need access, please contact your Account Manager at On Center Software.

Activation codes are not provided via phone or e-mail at any time.

Incorrect/Invalid Code

The 2nd most likely cause of licensing issues is attempting to activate an incorrect or invalid code. Make sure you are trying to activate the most recent code provided by On Center Software, if in doubt, call us!

Activation codes are version-specific - you cannot use a code provided for version 3.97 to activate 3.98, for example although you can use a 3.98 code to activate 3.97. Even if your company is eligible for a particular version, if your license code doesn't support that version, you will not be able to activate it. You need to visit the On Center Customer Portal to retrieve your updated Activation Codes.

Double check that the code you are trying to activate is typed in correctly - pay particular attention to '0' (zero) versus 'O' (letter) and "1" (one), "I", and "L" (letters).

Trying to Activate in a Virtual PC

Older versions of On-Screen Takeoff and Quick Bid did not permit using a "Local" license in any virtual environment. 

You must use a supported version of On-Screen Takeoff (3.96 or higher) or Quick Bid (4.98 or higher) to activate in a virtual environment (Parallels, Virtual PC, Citrix, VMWare, etc.).

Trying to Activate a Standalone License on a PC that allows multiple concurrent connections

Older versions of On-Screen Takeoff and Quick Bid did not permit using a "Local" license in an installation of Windows that permitted multiple concurrently logins. 

You must use a supported version of On-Screen Takeoff (3.96 or higher) or Quick Bid (4.98 or higher) to activate in this environment.

Error message - License Code already Activated on another computer

Only one machine can be activated using an activation code at any one time. You must return (deactivate) the code before using it on another machine. On Center is unable to return the license for you - you must return to the activated machine and return the license. Please see Related articles for instructions on returning a license.

Warning
It is your responsibility to manage your Licenses - On Center Software cannot revoke a machine's license so that it can be used on another machine.

Authorization Error Messages and Codes

Most activation error messages are self-explanatory. Below are the most common and what you can do to remedy them.

Error Code/Message Explanation/Suggested Action
This activation code is not valid. Please verify you are using the most recent activation code provided by On Center Software. If you need further assistance, please contact Technical Support for assistance at 866-689-5687. Double-check the activation code you have entered. Make sure all letters/numbers are entered correctly. If possible, copy and paste the code rather than typing.
This activation code is expired. Please verify you are using the most recent activation code provided by On Center Software. If you need further assistance, please contact Technical Support for assistance at 866-689-5687. Verify you are using the most recent activation code issued by On Center Software - when a license is made 'permanent', a new code is issued.
This activation code has already been activated and cannot be activated until it is deactivated on the other machine. If you need further assistance, please contact Technical Support for assistance at 866-689-5687. This code was activated on another computer.  You must deactivate the license on the first computer which returns the license to On Center Software.  Then you will be able to authorize a different computer.  If you do not have access to the old computer, you will have to wait 30 days before On Center Software can issue a new activation code.
This activation code is no longer valid and will be removed from the system. If you need further assistance, please contact Technical Support for assistance at 866-689-5687. A code that was previously activated has been revoked by On Center Software.  More than likely, it was a temporary code or there was a change to the license and a new code was issued.
Cannot connect to the On Center Software Licensing servers. Please check your Internet connection and try again. If you need further assistance, please contact Technical Support for assistance at 866-689-5687. It is possible that your Internet connection is down or a firewall is preventing the application from contacting our servers. Verify that your computer can communicate with "titan.oncenter.com" and that the application is not blocked from accessing this address. All licenses are validated over Port 80 - be sure all workstations can communicate with "eve.oncenter.com" over Port 80.
Application was unable to retrieve a license from the Enterprise License Manager. Please contact your Network Administrator for assistance or contact Technical Support at 866-689-5687. Advise the Enterprise License Manager administrator that they need to restart the license manager.  Instructions are located in the license manager's User Guide.
One or more of the License Manager components is not responding. Please restart the License Manager service on the server and re-read licenses in the LM Utility. If you need further assistance, please contact Technical Support for assistance at 866-689-5687. Advise the Enterprise License Manager administrator that they need to restart the license manager.  Instructions are located in the license manager's User Guide.
Your license file could not be validated. Please verify you are using the most recent Activation Code provided by On Center Software, ensure you are connected to the Internet and reauthorize the Enterprise License Manager. If you need further assistance, please contact Technical Support for assistance at 866-689-5687. A code that was previously activated cannot be validated. Every 30 days, all licenses must be validated to ensure they are valid and up-to-date.

Sometimes, the application simply displays an error code if it experiences difficulties obtaining a license.  The most common error codes are listed and explained below. For any issues with authorizing this product using Network or Virtual License Manager, first contact your Network Administrator to ensure that the server (physical hardware and the Network or Virtual License Manager software) is running.

# Error Message Explanation/Suggested Action
-4 Licensed number of users already reached. There are no available licenses for the feature(s) attempting to be authorized.  All licenses are already floated or borrowed to other users.
-8 Invalid (inconsistent) activation code or signature. Someone has altered the license file(s) on the server or there has been a server hardware failure.  Please contact your Network Administrator - they need to review the license manager and possibly restart the server.
-10 Feature has expired. The temporary or trial license used to activate Enterprise License Manager has expired. The Network Administrator needs to re-activate Enterprise License Manager using the most up-to-date codes provided by On Center Software.
-15, -20 The Enterprise License Manager cannot be contacted - please ensure you are connected to the same network on which the Enterprise License Manager is running. Contact your Network/License Manager Administrator for assistance. Possible issues: Enterprise License Manager or one of its components has not been started or has stopped responding, the network administrator must restart service. The server name or IP address entered for the License Manager is incorrect The port entered in the License Manager server box (when using specific ports) is incorrect (;<port>@<license manager server name or IP address>) A firewall on your workstation, the server, or somewhere in between the two is preventing communication
-18 License server system does not support this feature. Enterprise License Manager was found and responded, however, the application or feature you are trying to authorize is not supported.
-21, -25 License file does not support this version. The version of the software you are attempting to authorize is not supported by your licensing server. Please contact your System Administrator for assistance. You are attempting to authorize a newer version of the software than the current licenses on Enterprise License Manager allows.
-39 The system administrator has reserved access to this license. Please contact your system administrator for assistance. The Enterprise License Manager administrator has defined a "Reserve List".  Users not included cannot pull a license for a particular feature.
-67 All available licenses are in use. Please contact your system administrator for additional licenses. There are no available licenses for the feature(s) attempting to be authorized.  All licenses are already floated or borrowed to other users.
-68 Your company has chosen not to allow license borrowing. Please contact your System Administrator for assistance. The Enterprise License Manager administrator did not enabled the "Borrow" function when they activated this license/feature.
-88 The system clock has been set back. This workstation cannot be authorized at this time. Please contact On Center Technical Support at 866-689-5687 for assistance. The product checks key Windows system folders to see if there are any files dated after today's date indicating that the system clock was set back. If the product determines that the system clock was set back, the software cannot be activated.
-96, -97 The Enterprise License Manager cannot be contacted - please ensure you are connected to the same network on which the Enterprise License Manager is running. Contact your Network/License Manager Administrator for assistance. (see -15, above)
-103 Terminal Server remote client not allowed. This product cannot be authorized in a Terminal Server or Citrix environment using a stand-alone license - you must authorize this product using Enterprise License Manager.
-117 BORROW failed. Enterprise License Manager or one of its components has not been started or has stopped responding, the network administrator must restart service.
-124 Error returning borrowed license. to return a Borrowed license, Enterprise License Manager must be running on the same network and Domain on which the workstation is connected.
-190 Feature can be checked out from Physical machine only. This product cannot be authorized in a Virtual environment using a stand-alone license - you must authorize this product using Enterprise License Manager.

Licensing using a Networked License (floating/borrowing from Enterprise License Manager)

Caution
The on-premise Enterprise License Manager is being deprecated for our secure Cloud-based license manager. This information is for those customers who have yet to upgrade.

If users are unable to obtain a license from Enterprise License Manager, you may be able to resolve the issue by following the instructions/suggestions below.

  • First, make sure Enterprise License Manager is up and running and correctly authorized, see "Configuring the Vendor Daemon (oncenter.exe)" in the ELM User Guide to verify the daemon is running
  • Next, if you have made any changes to Activations (re-activated any codes, added/returned any codes, etc.) you must use the "Reread License File" function in LMAdmin, see,"Rereading License File" in the ELM User Guide for details
  • There is a log file on the server named "oncenter.log" located at C:\Program Files (x86)\FLEXNet Publisher License Server Manager\Logs\ that contains a record of all licensing attempts and responses. Check this file to see if end users are able to communicate with Enterprise License Manager.
    • If you do not see authorization attempts logged in this file, that means the user's workstation is unable to communicate with the server. Follow the steps below to troubleshoot network issues - this is not a problem with Enterprise License Manager and needs to be investigated by the client's Network Administrator or IT department. You should restart firewalls, routers, and other network devices that may have been updated recently.
    • If you do find an entry for the particular workstation in this log and there is an error code, review the Error Codes for specific information.
    • If you do find an entry for the particular workstation in this log and there is not an error code, then there probably is a problem with how the workstation is configured, follow the steps below for troubleshooting user rights and other workstation settings.

Cannot Connect to License Manager

Connections to the license manager can fail for a number of reasons. Please review each of the possible issues below, make the necessary changes, and try to authorize the program again:

  • Incorrect Server Name - contact the Network Administrator for the correct information - you can also use the IP address of the server. The workstation and the server must be on the same Domain!
  • A local firewall is blocking your Internet connection - disable the Windows and any other locally installed firewall - contact your Network Administrator or IT department for assistance
  • Network firewall blocking connection - contact the Network Administrator to request they disable for testing purposes - then they can add an exception, if necessary
  • Workstation does not have Internet access - all license manager licenses are validated with On-Center Software upon use - workstations must have Internet access or they will be unable to float or borrow a license from ELM
  • One or more components of the license manager is not running - contact your system administrator for assistance, they will likely have to restart the license manager, instructions are in the ELM User Guide

Error message when Floating/Borrowing a License

When trying to use a license from Enterprise License Manager, if you receive an error message indicating your license cannot be validated, there are a few additional things to check (review the above information first):

  • First, make sure you have an active Internet connection on the PC where the software is running (your desktop PC...). Each time you attempt to use a license manager license, that license is checked against On Center's licensing servers to ensure it is valid. If there is no Internet connection (or the Internet connection is blocked by a firewall) the license cannot be validated. Validation is performed over Port 80
  • Next, your license manager administrator needs to ensure that Enterprise License Manager is running and that the latest license codes have been activated. Please advise your administrator to 're-read' the license files and ensure that the license manager is running on the server - they can access the license manager documentation from the server. 
  • Log into the computer with a non-Domain account (local profile) to see if any network, corporate, or other Group Policies, roaming profiles, or login scripts are preventing the license from being activated or validated.
  • Check the Vendor Daemon log in the license manager console to see if users are reaching the license manager. If you see a license being checked out and immediately back in it means that the license cannot be validated - the workstation is unable to communicate with On Center's licensing servers over port 80. Please see the Enterprise License Manager User Guide for instructions on viewing the vendor daemon log.

Cannot Borrow a license

There are several reasons you may not be able to borrow a network/license manager license:

  • Your license manager administrator may not have enabled the borrow function when they activated the network license key(s) - they must return the keys, reactivate them with borrowing enabled, and then 're-read license files' - this is documented in the ELM User Guide.
  • You may be accessing the software in a 'virtual' environment such as Parallels (on a MAC), Citrix or Terminal Server/Remote Desktop Services, or VMWare. Only "floating" licenses are allowed when the software is installed in any virtual environment. The "Local" tab and the option to "Borrow" licenses are disabled when the software detects that it is installed on a virtual machine.

Try using the server's IP address

It is possible that your domain cannot properly resolve the server name. First, ensure the users are using the correct server name, if that does not work, try using the server's IP address for "Server Name" in the Check Authorization dialog box.

Make sure the workstation and the server are on the same domain. Enterprise License Manager does not support cross-domain authorization.

If you have configured Custom Ports, make sure the user has entered the server port and name correctly - this is documented in the ELM User Guide.

Server Threads

By default, the license manager uses a fairly low number of processor threads for listening for license requests and communicating with the various vendor daemons running. This is FINE for a majority of our clients however some clients may need to increase the number of listening/processing threads to accommodate their number of users. Each thread, of course, requires a little bit of resources so do not set these values too high. See "Configuring the Server" in the ELM User Guide for details.

Try Installing/Activating the Product on the Server

If your users are unable to authorize the OST/QB/DPC from their workstations, then your IT Administrator/IT Team should install the application (OST/QB/DPC) on the Server where ELM is installed. Then, they should try to pull a license from ELM.
If the software successfully retrieves a license, then the issue is a Firewall/Security/Router Port routing issue.
If software running on same server as ELM is unable to retrieve a license, then the issue lies with the installation of ELM - perhaps one or more component is not running or wasn't installed properly.

Authorizing a product installed on the ELM server bypasses any firewalls and establishes if the ELM install is working.

Firewalls

Enterprise License Manager uses a port assigned by Windows to communicate with the workstations. This port may be blocked or inaccessible for any number of reasons. To configure your firewall, you would need to either specify a custom port for the vendor daemon (see, "Using Specific Ports" in the ELM User Guide) or allow the vendor daemon, oncenter.exe unrestricted access to all ports.

In addition, each time a workstation (end user) floats or borrows a network license, the license is validated with On Center Software's licensing servers. This communication between the workstation and On Center Software is made over Port 80. If the validation is unsuccessful, the license is not granted - see "Firewall Settings" in the product User Guide for more details on firewalls.

Insufficient User Rights/Permissions

The end users need to have "Full Control" to the "HKey_Current_User\Software" hive in the Windows Registry on their workstations. This hive controls only the current user and does not affect machine settings or disturb Windows system settings.

Slow or Intermittent Network Connection

Enterprise License Manager relies on a stable network connection to maintain workstation authorization. If the connection is intermittent or inconsistent, it is possible that a single machine can request multiple licenses. Although the machine causing this may or may not retain a license, all pooled licenses could eventually be used by this machine. These duplicated licenses will naturally expire (be returned to the available pool) within approximately 10 minutes, but you will need to determine why the workstation is losing connection. See, "Analyzing License Usage" in the ELM User Guide for more information.

Latency Issues and ELM (Licensing Over a WAN)

Generally speaking, On Center Software does not provide technical support for using Enterprise License Manger over a WAN/VPN connection. However, increasing the 'timeout' setting can help maintain your network license when your connectiong to the ELM server is a little slow.

On the workstation, add a System Environmental Variable to change the duration that the application waits for a response back from the server where the license manager.

To create an environment variable, 

Use the Variable name "FLEXLM_TIMEOUT" and set the Variable Value to the number of microseconds you wish to set the heartbeat (we suggest "11000000")

The workstation must be restarted for this change to take effect.

Cannot Validate Network License

Each time a user pulls a floating license or borrows a license from Enterprise License Manager, the workstation forwards that license information to On Center's servers (via the Internet) to validate that license. If the license cannot be validated, the license will be returned to the server and the program will remain unlicensed. Make sure the workstation can communicate with "eve.oncenter" over Port 80 - unrestricted. 

License Manager Activation Error Messages

Most activation error messages are self-explanatory. See the Related article for assistance with activating your license manager.

When instructed to restart the license manager, follow the instructions in the article, "Restarting License Manager" in the ELM User Guide.



Product documentation (user guides) describes functionality in the latest version of each major release and may not match the functionality in the version you are using. Please check the Product Information and Downloads pages by clicking one of the product buttons above.

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