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Dialogic® Host Media Processing (HMP) Software
Diagnosing Dialogic HMP Licensing Failures
This tech note looks at the 5 most common reasons that HMP Licensing and Services Startup fail and how to diagnose them.
Problem Description
Obtaining an HMP license, and then using the generated license to Dialogic start system services is a
reasonably well documented and straightforward procedure. Nonetheless, errors do happen, and it is not
always easy to diagnose what went wrong.
Solution Summary
This tech note outlines five of the most common scenarios where HMP licensing and subsequent system startup
fail. It tells you how to recognize the symptoms of the failures, and how to fix the problem and get your
system up and running.
Technical Discussion
Incorrect MAC Address
There are a number of ways to end up with an HMP license that was generated using an incorrect MAC address:
When generating a license tied to a server - i.e. no HMP enabled board (HEB) is present, an incorrect MAC address can be entered either
- by missing a digit or two when entering MAC address
- by mistakenly using an HMP license generated foranother system
- by changing a NIC cards on a system. Each card will have its own unique MAC address
This will not be obvious during license activation with the HMP License Manager, nor in restoring device
defaults using DCM. Only when the system services are started will an error be generated. Fortunately, it
is a reasonably clear error:
General fault: MC_ERROR_FEATURE_QUERYCHECKOUT: Failed to get the list of features from the License Manager
Board Number: 0
Processor: 0
Instance: 0
Additional Data: FlexLM Function 'lc_checkout()' returned error: (-9) Invalid host.
The hostid of this system does not match the hostid specified in the license file.
Feature: Multimedia
Hostid: 000423afb2c7
License path: C:\Documents and Settings\jgherman\Desktop\BadMac_6r6v6e6c6s2f6 -
i6m_host_pur.lic
FLEXnet Licensing error:-9,57
For further information, refer to the FLEXnet Licensing End User Guide, available at "www.macrovision.com".
Expired Evaluation License
There is free evaluation license available for HMP that provides 4 ports of all features. The HMP Release
3.0 Administration Guide, p. 14, states that is is valid for 45 days. While that is true when a new eval
license is first posted, the license may not be not updated until a few weeks before it expires. So, it can
reach its expiration date before the user is aware that it has expired.
Starting DCM with an expired license exhibits leaves a clear error in the system event viewer:
General fault: MC_ERROR_FEATURE_QUERYCHECKOUT: Failed to get the list of features from the License Manager
Board Number: 0
Processor: 0
Instance: 0
Additional Data: FlexLM Function 'lc_checkout()' returned error: (-10) Feature has expired.
Feature: Multimedia
Expire date: 07-may-2007
License path: C:\Documents and Settings\jgherman\Desktop\4r4v4e4c4s4f4i4m_host_eva.lic
FLEXnet Licensing error:-10,32
For further information, refer to the FLEXnet Licensing End User Guide, available at "www.macrovision.com".
If the expiration date is suspect, it is easy enough to read in the license file. Simply open it with
Wordpad. An expiration date will be seen for each feature:
FEATURE MultiMedia INTEL 3.0 07-feb-2007 4
VENDOR_STRING=LIC_TYPE=Evaluation,APP=HMP,HOSTID=3000000000000
TS_OK SIGN=DF3CBAE6315A
System IP Address Change
In the HMP Release 3.0 Administration Guide, p. 36, it states that the system must be rebooted when an IP
address on a system NIC is changed. A system admin may explicitly change a server's address, but this could
also happen if a DHCP lease runs out, and the system is assigned a new address. In either case, follow this
advice!
If an address is changed when the system services are running, the default IP Address in DCM is updated, and
the services will remain up. However, Dialogic R4 devices will not open when an application is run. If
system services are stoppped and started with DCM, the behavior is undefined. Errors may or may not occur.
Services may hand starting or stopping.
Reboot the system after an IP address change, and check that the HMP default IP address on DCM is set to the
expected address. (DCM - double click HMP_Software, choose Default IP Address tab)
Relocated License File
When a license is initally configured into an HMP system, the location of the license file must be given.
At this point the license is not read - only its location is recorded. Each time the Dialogic services are
started, the license file is consulted.
So, if the file is inadvertantly moved, system startup will fail. Unfortunatley there is no clear error
that says "Cannot find license file".
Here are the symptoms:
DCM returns quickly with a pop-up error window that says "Error in starting Intel Dialogic product service".
The system event viewer (reachable through DCM) contains these errors:
<DSS> RunProgsInKey : CreateProcess FATAL ERROR : ServiceControl dlgcstart dm3config -tDLGCDM3
<DSS> RunProgsInKey : ServiceControl dlgcstart dm3config -tDLGCDM3 returned fatal error
"<DSS> RunProgInsKey" usually indicates a licensing problem. Verification of a missing license file is seen
when the HMP License Manager is opened. The original location of the file is still displayed, but the all
of the License Details and Feature Details are blank. The error "Error displaying license details" is seen
in the Status box. Returning the file to its expected location will remedy the problem. Alternately,
reactivate the license at its new location and do a "Restore Device Defaults" in DCM.
Mismatched Board-based Serial Number Key
When a license is generated using the "Lock to Board" option, the serial number of a DNI or DSI board is used to generate the license file. A mistake could be made in keying in the serial number or the board tied to the license may not present in the system. In either case, license failure is the result.
The error in the Event Viewer when this happens is fairly informative:
General fault: MC_ERROR_FEATURE_QUERYCHECKOUT: Failed to get the list of features from the License Manager
Board Number: 0
Processor: 0
Instance: 0
Additional Data: FlexLM Function 'lc_checkout()' returned error: (-9) Invalid host.
The hostid of this system does not match the hostid specified in the license file.
Feature: Multimedia
Hostid: HEB=D85F6C350A3D6E67
License path: D:\HMPLicenses\NB000677_120r120v120e120c120s10f120i60m_hib_pur.lic
FLEXnet Licensing error:-9,57
However, "The hostid of this system" actually means "board serial number".
At this point (late March 2007) there is no way to verify the board serial number used to generate the
license keys. This may be added in future releases.
Here is the Voice license component from an HMP license file:
FEATURE Voice INTEL 3.0 permanent 120
VENDOR_STRING=LIC_TYPE=Purchased,APP=HMP,HOSTID=21686017531F798C0
HOSTID=HEB=1686017531F798C0 vendor_info=Vendor_Info TS_OK
SIGN=12AF228C9C5C
They keys in each feature have been generated using the serial number, but it has been encrypted and is not
readable.
A recommended workaround is to use the board's serial number as part of the name for the license file.
There is no reason that the default name, which enumerates the features selected and the type of license it
contains, must be used when the file is downloaded and saved. So, for a serial number of NB000676, prepend
the serial number to the license file name:
NB000676_120r120v120e120c0s6f120i6m_hib_pur.lic
It can then be easily matched up against the serial numbers of the board(s) in a system using DCM. (Double
click on board, choose Physical tab, scroll down to Serial Number)
Product List
Dialogic HMP 3.0. Service Update 103 or greater.
Related Dcumentation
HMP Admininstration Guide:
http://www.intel.com/design/network/manuals/telecom/hmp30win/htmlfiles/license_admin_hmp.htm
Glossary of Acronyms/Terms
DCM Dialogic Configuration Manager
DHCP Dynamic Host Control Protocol
HEB HMP Enabled Board
HMP Host Media Processing
NIC Network Interface Card
