I am trying to test a 30 day trial license of Deadline and having some issues.
The FLEXnet license software is installed on the main file server (PC20). The Thinkbox FLEXnet License Server has been created and started and works fine. The Repository is installed on PC20. The Deadline Clients are installed on all machines.
The problem is that the slaves can’t get licenses (the license server setting is: @PC20).
It is due to the firewall on PC20. If the firewall is turned off, the slaves get the licenses no problem. When I examine the log file in the FLEXnet folder, it will say something like Thinkbox listening on port 1066. If I set a firewall exception to port 1066 and set all the slaves to use the license server 1066@PC20… all the slaves get the licenses no problem.
But the next time PC20 is rebooted… The Thinkbox FLEXnet License Server will use a DIFFERENT port number! The firewall exception setting will no longer work!
How am I supposed to set a firewall setting that always works with the Thinkbox FLEXnet License Server?
By adding the PORT=port# to the end of the VENDOR line, adding that port to the firewall exception, and stop server/reread license/start server sets this static port and now all the slaves are finding the licenses just fine.
(I am a bit puzzled why the slaves can’t find the dynamic port just by using the @PC20 setting? Wondering if some setting on PC20 is prohibiting this).
FYI.
It’s best industry practise to define an exact port as floating license servers tend to reside on a machine which already has more than 1 license system on it.
The last thing you want, is 2 or more license systems ‘clashing’ by trying to use the same port to support license systems. From experience, I can tell you, its not fun and quite time consuming to debug. I would also recommend documenting all license systems and the IP_ADDR & TCP/UDP ports they use. Also, if you ever need to float any licensing system across a WAN, then defining the exact PORT as well as IP_ADDR is important. Although, with the correct DNS config on your DC’s, you can actually make your life a lot easier for future admin work, if you use DNS and avoid hard-wiring anything to an actual IP_ADDR. It really saves the day, the moment you have to introduce yet another licensing system into the pipeline or the time comes, when you need to bulk shift some license systems to a new home and you need to know if a certain PORT is already in use!
