license expired due to connection loss : Automation Tools

[tamiro]

I have a Premium floating license for Ranorex 2.3.1. Studio is periodically saying that my license has expired due to a connection loss. The problem seems to happen after a period of inactivity. However, the license server is installed on the same machine. So it is very unlikely it has lost a connection to itself. Restarting the license server service allows me to continue using Studio.

[Support Team]

Hi,

Thanks for posting this behavior. Please can you answer me one question.
After which time you will get the info message "...connection loss".

Regards,
Peter
Ranorex Support Team

[tamiro]

Well, I can't say for sure. It seems to be a long time, like hours. I see that connection loss message most often when I come into work in the morning. Although I have seen it during the day. If I have the Studio up and don't do anything in it for hours that may trigger it. Since the instance of Studio is the only one using the floating license, there shouldn't be a problem right? Or is it possible that the license server takes back the leased licnese when it detects that it hasn't been using in a long time?

[Support Team]

Hi,

Since the instance of Studio is the only one using the floating license, there shouldn't be a problem right?

No there shouldn't be a problem with the license. If one tool of Ranorex get the Premium floating license, all tool use the same license for the specified node.

Or is it possible that the license server takes back the leased licnese when it detects that it hasn't been using in a long time?

No the license server only takes the license back if all Ranorex tools closed, which used the specific license.

We tried your issue over night, but we cannot reproduce your behavior. Could it be that the network connections were interrupted briefly?

Regards,
Peter
Ranorex Support Team

[tamiro]

I have a theory. I just got the connection loss message today after going to a meeting for an hour. It might be that when windows locks the computer that is causing the break in connectivity.

[Support Team]

Hi,

We've tried all your declarations, but we cannot reproduce the problem. Maybe there is some setting or tool which briefly interrupts your network connection.

Regards,
Peter
Ranorex Support Team

[Ciege]

Outsider looking in here but...
In his first post he says

the license server is installed on the same machine

but support has been asking questions about network connectivity being interrupted.

Sorry for the laymans reply here but it doesn't really sound like a network connectivity issue if the Ranorex toolset and the server are both on the same machine.

Some potential questions when the license expires:
Does the computer get locked or go to sleep when this happens?
Is the service log on type set to Local System Account or a specific log on user account?
Have you enabled the recovery log for the service to check if the service is throwing any errors?

[tamiro]

Ciege,

Good points. The license server service is running as Local System. The machine I'm using is a Windows 7 desktop PC.

I think it does have something to do with the computer being locked. But it seems to only happen when it is locked for a long time. When I go home at night, the computer gets locked and the connection loss happens during the night. I've gone out for lunch for over an hour and come back and it didn't happen. I wonder if there is a difference between, locking the computer on purpose versus it automatically getting locked due to inactivity on the desktop?

I checked the service Recovery properties and don't see anything for logging. Also, haven't found anything in the event viewer logs.

Thanks,

[Ciege]

In Windows 7 there is an option when configuring the NIC to "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".
Is this checked? If so try unchecking this option.

It *could* be that the Ranorex License service is detecting the state of the NIC and if the NIC goes to sleep it is unable to communicate with the Ranorex tool that is using the license thus resulting in the error you are getting.

Internally I it *could* be that even though everything lives on the same PC, they are talking via IP still via the network either by loopback IP address or the machines IP address. Still shooting in the dark here but that could be it.

I don't use floating licenses here so I don't know the answer to this question but, is there any configuration in the licensing to tell everything to use localhost instead of an IP address?

[tamiro]

Ciege,

Your suspicion was correct. My NIC is configured to save power. I disabled that. Now we will see if the problem goes away.

Thanks,

Tom

[Ciege]

Well fingers crossed that this works. Although I am giving to guarantee!
Let us know what happens...

[Support Team]

Hey guys,

Sorry for the bad language. With network connection I meant actually the loopback / NIC adapter. Maybe I should just write it to.

If you use "localhost" instead of the hostname of your machine (which is usually used when you use the "Detect" button in the licensing dialog), then the power saving should not make a problem at all!

Thanks for helping Ciege.

Regards,
Peter
Ranorex Support Team

[tamiro]

Nope, the NIC power-off setting was not causing the problem. It still happens.

I just changed another power saving setting so the computer never sleeps.

BTW, I did do detect and the hostname was assigned. If the computer going to sleep isn't the problem, I'll try changing the license server to "localhost". Having the license server on the same system as the Studio is not a realistic usage of the licensing. I was just playing with it. So this problem is not that serious. But if it happens after deploying the license server on a different system, "a real server", I'd be concerned.