Troubleshooting Install Checklist

If you do not have administrative privileges, you can still install Cadence® OrCAD® X and Allegro® X products using the Only for me option of the installer. Using Only for me creates user-level installation entries in place of system-level entries.

If you install the Base release as a standard user, configure the installation by running the InstallConfig.exe utility (a one-time activity) present in the <installation_location>\tools\InstallUtils folder. The InstallConfig.exe utility must be run using Administrator privileges.

The installation process will remain the same for the standard-user mode but the standard use will not have access to the Anyone who uses this computer [all users] option, which needs administrator permissions.

If you get an error after installing and configuring license manager or on starting a tool, perform the following steps:

1. Restart your system
   If you use a dongle for licensing, verify that the dongle is attached during the restart process.
2. Run any Cadence product from the Start menu.
   If you get an error or the product fails to obtain a license, review the debug.log file. The default location is C:\Cadence\LicenseManager\debug.log.
   
   Review the error messages in the debug.log file for more information on licensing errors.
   1. Verify that the license manager is running
   2. Choose Cadence – License Manager – License Server Configuration Utility from the Windows Start menu to reconfigure license server options.
   3. Restart the system
      If this does not resolve your issue, inform Cadence or your Channel Partner along with the following information:
      • license.dat. The default location is C:\Cadence\LicenseManager\.
      • debug.dat. The default location is C:\Cadence\LicenseManager\
      • Screen shot of the error displayed

The SERVER line in a license file contains four default items: Line Type declaration (SERVER), a host name, a host ID, and a port each separated by a space using the following syntax:

SERVER <hostname> <hostid> <port>

Following are two example or sample lines:

SERVER orcad_allegro 68L7288DD76A 5280

SERVER orcad_allegro FLEXID=9-54hd34e3 5280

In the examples:

• host name is orcad_allegro
• host ID is 68-L7-28-8D-D7-6A or FLEXID=9-54hd34e3
• port is 5280

The host name should match the name of the system hosting the license server. You can compare the host name by opening a command prompt and typing hostname. The result should match the host name given in the license file.

The host ID is either a an Ethernet address or a FLEXID dongle address.

The host ID in the license file must match the host ID of the system you are running the license server.

You can compare the host ID number on the Software Manufacturing Completion Report, which came with your software shipment, to the license server’s host ID and to the host ID in the license file.

Perform the following steps to troubleshoot dongle-based licensing:

1. Ensure the dongle is plugged in and the light is on.
   If the dongle light is not on, the proper devices are not installed.
2. Restart the server.
3. After restarting the server, verify the dongle light is on. If the light is not on, contact us to obtain correct drivers.

The Flex ID of the dongle should match the FLEXID value in the SERVER line of the license file.

To determine the FlexID of the dongle, perform the following steps:

1. Open command prompt: Choose Start and enter run.
2. Change to the location where license manager is installed. The default is C:\Cadence\LicenseManager.
   C:\>cd c:\Cadence\LicenseManager
3. Enter the following command to display the FelxID:
   lmutil lmhostid -FLEXID
   This displays the FlexID, which 9-162ff6b1 for this example, as shown in the following image.
   
   

You can also find out the FLEXID using lmtools.exe by performing the following steps:

1. Enter the command lmtools or double-click lmtools.exe in the license manager installation.
2. Open the System Settings tab.
3. Verify the FLEXID value at the bottom left matches the FLEXID listed in the license file.
   
   The debug.log file lists any licensing errors in detail.

The Software Manufacturing and Completion Report (shipped with your media or e-mail installation information) and the Product to Feature Map list the licenses each product needs.

The license server accepts only valid FEATURE lines. A FEATURE line is valid if:

• the start_date is prior to the current system date when the license server is started,
• current system date is prior to the expiration date listed on the FEATURE line,
• and the 20-character encryption code is valid.

To verify License Manager is running:

1. Start LMTOOLS either entering the lmtools command or by double-clicking lmtools.exe from the license manager installation folder.
2. Check the box for LMTools ignores license file path environment variables at the bottom of the Service/License File tab.
3. Open the Server Status tab.
4. In the Individual Daemon field, enter cdslmd.
5. Click Perform Status Enquiry.

To verify License Manager is reachable, open a command prompt and enter ping <hostname>; for example, if host name is cadence_server:

ping cadence_server