HASP License Troubleshooting
This article describes the various steps users can take when facing issues with the software license.
See also
Introduction
arivis Vision4D, like many other software packages, uses a licensing system built on a solution provided by a third party and based on software and hardware keys. When starting the software and periodically through the use of it, the licensing system will check for the availability of licenses permitting its use. The license key, as it is called, can be rooted to the specifics of the computer using a so-called "soft" key, or located on a removable USB dongle (hard key). The ability of the software to run is limited by its ability to communicate with those keys. To enable this, certain conditions must be put in place, namely, the licensing system driver must be installed, and the communication ports it uses must be open. This holds whether we are talking about a local license or a network license.
Installing HASP drivers
The HASP drivers are installed automatically when the software is installed and in most cases, no further action will be required. However, on some occasions, the installation of other licensing systems or OS updates can cause the drivers to stop working. In such situations, reinstalling the software will also reinstall the drivers which should resolve most issues. You can also reinstall the drivers only through the License Tool.
The arivis Licence Tool is accessible through the Start menu.
Earlier version of arivis may not have a Start menu shortcut for the licence tool but it can still be found in the Program Files:
Once the licence tool is open, click the + sign in the top right of the window then select the option to Install Driver.
In the screenshot above the dialog has already been expanded and it shows a - sign where the + sign would normally be.
The current licensing system and the latest drivers can be downloaded here.
Port configuration
The driver enables the software communication to the license. This communication is done via broadcast through a specific port (port 1947), which must be open all the way from the client to the server. In the case of local licenses, this is rarely an issue as this port will usually be opened during the driver installation, but in the case of network license and very restrictive IT environments, it may be necessary to set up exceptions to enable communications through that port for the licensing system on any firewall that might stand between the software and the license. Typically this is both a windows firewall as well as other software or hardware institutional firewalls. This is especially important if the clients reside on a different subnet from the server. The topic of port exceptions has been widely covered elsewhere and is usually managed by IT management teams. If you need to create or check these exceptions yourself, a good starting point can be found here. If you need to test whether or not port 1947 is open, you can do that using the method found here. Please also keep in mind that activations or updates of your license will require internet access. If none can be provided, then you will need to perform an offline activation.