My license manager has gone away? Finding your way, and your license manager

Apr 12, 2016

We keep a short list of some of the most common support inquiries. We refer to that list whenever working on Mission Guides, manuals, and product updates. As often as possible we try to improve F-Response, or the way we teach using F-Response to avoid those common pitfalls.

We are going to cover one of the most common pitfalls with F-Response (CE, CE+C, EE) today, managing connectivity to the License Manager.

Let's start at the beginning: What does the License Manager do exactly? Well, just like it sounds the License Manager is a small network server that runs on the examiner's machine (or a centrally located server). The License Manger takes care of interacting with the physical F-Response License Dongle on behalf of remote F-Response Subject executables (Consultant, Consultant + Covert, and Enterprise).

Communication with the License Manager is small, light weight, and encrypted. When deployed the F-Response Subject executable is provided instructions as to the network address and port of the License Manager. Armed with this information the Subject, when initially started and at modest intervals while running, will communicate with the License Manager directly. This communication is necessary to confirm the license dongle is valid for the version requested, and the license has not expired.

Sounds simple right? Yes, it is, however there are a few things that can go wrong.

Problem

The Subject cannot find the License Manager.

Possible Causes and Solutions

This is almost always a networking issue preventing communication from the remote machine to your License Manager. The solution is often to review the network address and port configured for the Subject executable to use. Many times you will deploy F-Response to a remote machine and then have your machine change its network address after that deployment. In this instance the License Manager is no longer listening on the network address and port the Subject believes it to be. The simple fix is to just re-deploy the F-Response Subject to the remote machine.

Problem

The network address of the License Manager is correct, however the Subject cannot connect to it

Possible Causes and Solutions

In a word, firewall. The most common reason for an inability to connect to the License Manager on your examiner machine is a firewall, either host based (running on the examiner machine itself) or on the network is preventing the requests from the remote Subject from reaching your License Manager. The most common fix is to review the host based firewall or security products you may have installed and temporarily disable them, or allow the F-Response License Manager default port to pass through.

These two problems and solutions cover a considerable number of F-Response troubleshooting cases, hopefully having this available to refer to helps future visitors. Regardless, we take great pride in providing exceptional support, if there's anything we can answer for you, please don't hesitate to contact us, or to use the Support Chat link on the right hand side of any page on our site.

Thanks and have a great day!

Warmest Regards,

M. Shannon, Principal
F-Response