Troubleshooting issues with the License Manager

In order to use a concurrent license on a license server, the Sentinel RMS License Manager must be installed.  The Sentinel RMS License Manager is responsible for the back-end task of managing the licenses. The Golden Software License Administrator, which provides a user interface to the License Manage, should also be installed. This guide will walk you through potential reasons for why the License Manager is not responding, and provides solutions for these reasons. 

If you need additional information on how to set up a license server to host concurrent use licenses, please refer to our Getting set up guide for installation and licensing. 

Error message seen when License Manager is not responding

If you get the following error message when opening the License Administrator, then the License Manager isn't running on that computer.

Reasons and solutions

Please read through the following information to diagnose the reason that the License Manager is not responding, and for solutions to fix the issue.

1. Sentinel RMS License Manager was not installed

If you have installed the Golden Software License Administrator, and receive the error message shown above, one potential reason is that you did not install the Sentinel RMS License Manager.

Solution: Please navigate to our product download page to download the current version of the License Manager.

2. Sentinel RMS License Manager was uninstalled

If you uninstalled the Sentinel RMS License Manager, you can download and reinstall it by downloading it from Golden Software's product download page. 

Solution: Please navigate to our product download page to download the current version of the License Manager.

3. Sentinel RMS License Manager was stopped or paused

If you stopped or paused the Windows service called "Sentinel RMS License Manager", you will need to enable it again. It is not an application, but is a background service that must be running at all times to serve up license seats. 

Solution: Follow these steps to restart the License Manager from Windows Services app:

1. Type "Services" into the Windows Start Menu search bar and press ENTER on your keyboard.
2. Scroll down to Sentinel RMS License Manager.
3. Right click on Sentinel RMS License Manager and click Start.

Note: if you do not see the Sentinel RMS License Manager in Windows Services app (as shown above), you likely do not have the License Manager installed (or installed correctly). Please navigate to our product download page to download the current version of the License Manager. Once downloaded, install normally, or, if you see the option to "repair" in the installer, click on that option before moving to the next install screen.

4. Sentinel RMS License Manager is running on a different computer

The License Administrator can run on any machine, however, if you are receiving the error message shown above, the Sentinel RMS License Manager may be running on a separate computer or server.

Solution: To connect the License Administrator on your current machine to the License Manager, please complete the steps below.

1. Click the Settings tab in the License Administrator.
2. Click in the License Server field and select the server computer where the license manager is installed.

5. Sentinel RMS License Manager crashes frequently - Arctic Wolf is installed on the license server

Some users have reported that Arctic Wolf security software can cause the Sentinel RMS License Manager to crash repeatedly. This results in connectivity issues between the License Manager and Golden Software products.

Solution: The addition of a scan exclusion in Arctic Wolf for the Sentinel RMS License Manager is required. Follow these steps to configure the exclusion:

1. Sign in to the Arctic Wolf Unified Portal.

2. Click Telemetry Management > Scanners.

3. Click Configure for the scanner you want to update.

4. Go to the Scan Exclusion tab.

5. Under Add Scan Exclusion, enter the IP address of your license server and the port used by the Sentinel RMS License Manager.

   • This is typically UDP port 5093.

Once this exclusion is added, Arctic Wolf will stop interfering with the License Manager, preventing crashes and ensuring reliable connectivity between Golden Software products and your license server.

6. Firewall or security software is blocking communication with License Manager 10.2

Some third-party firewall or security programs block communication between License Manager 10.2 and client computers - even if communication with License Manager 9.7 previously worked.

Known programs that may block communication:

• Cisco Meraki

• CrowdStrike

Solution: Manually allow traffic through UDP Port 5093 and add a rule to allow inbound traffic to the new executable bath for Sentinel RMS License Manager 10.2 in the firewall or security software. This must be done by an IT or network professional at the user's organization. 

If the user is not using one of the programs listed above, they may need to install Wireshark on both the license server and a client computer to troubleshoot where the communication breakdown is occurring. This will help identify what is being blocked and by which program. Golden Software cannot assist with configuring third-party security or network tools.

7. Another version of Sentinel RMS License Manager is installed on the same server

Only one version of Sentinel RMS License Manager can be installed and running on a license server. If more than one version is installed (even across different software products), only one will function and the other(s) will not be recognized by client machines.

Note: If two products use the same version of Sentinel RMS License Manager, they can typically run on the same server without issues, even if they are distributed by different companies.

Solution: Set up a separate license server for one of the products. 

Additional Support

For further clarity or assistance regarding a License Manager that is not responding, please reach out to our dedicated Customer Success Team. Our legendary support team will help you to diagnose your issue and get you back up and running promptly!