How to check Licensing settings in Solid Edge 2020 and subsequent versions

Scenario:

Although the license variable for Solid Edge SE_LICENSE_SERVER is properly set to the correct path for the license file and the license file seems to be correct, Solid Edge starts with the error Message:

Even when starting the Solid Edge Viewer - which does not require a license and creates a license internally in the Preferences folder of Solid Edge, you will get the same error. Furthermore, the internal License File SeLicense.lic is to be found in the Preferences Folder.

Solution

A very likely the reason for this is that on the machine someone started the Borrowing tool from Solid Edge.

When clicking on the Environment Settings > Edit

it is possible to change the License Server settings (current setting in the example is framed in green).

Please note, that the expression License Server is misleading: the setting will only define a value for a Registry variable and can contain either a path to a License file or the name of a FlexLM Server together with the port number with which to communicate.

The green framed string also shows the current value of SE_LICENSE_SERVER, if the value is not edited.

When clicking now on the Edit Button, it is possible to change the value.

In this example the Flexlm Server has changed to deesswaschkor02:

This change will now check out a license from the Server deesswaschkor02, and this is very similar to what will happen when clicking on the option " I have a License Server name" in the License Utility of Solid Edge.

Whereas the variable SE_LICENSE_SERVER is defined via the License Server name, here a Registry setting on

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Siemens_PLM_Software\Common_Licensing will be created with the Variable name "SE_SERVER":

One can see in the picture above, that both settings differ now, and in such a case the Registry setting SE_SERVER always takes precedence over the variable SE_LICENSE_SERVER.

The problem is, that if a user has made this switch, then it is not easy to find out, because this setting can only be seen in the License Borrow tool.

Accordingly, when problems like this appear, it is always a good idea to look first at the settings in the License Borrow Tool.

In the case of such a change having been made, then the Button "Default" is enabled:

Clicking on that Button, will delete the Registry key again and after that the value in the Environment Variable " SE_LICENSE_SERVER" again becomes that which rules the License Management.

Notes

If you have further inquiries about Solid Edge General Licensing please refer to the FAQs Collection link below:

Solid Edge General Licensing FAQs Collection