How to Configure License Server Communication Settings
Overview
BarTender License Server Communications settings can be altered to help with latency issues and connection errors when a large number of BarTender clients (over several hundred) connect to a single License Server. This can present as “Cannot find service. The request to create a reliable session has been refused by the RM Destination. Server ‘http://IPaddress/Licensing/Management_v4’ is too busy to process the request." errors or error message #1201“Failed to connect to the Licensing Server at the specified location.” when trying to add a License Server on a client computer.
Adjusting these settings can help reduce the frequency and amount of information being sent between BarTender clients and the License Server and prevent these errors.
Applicable To
BarTender 2019 and later.
Information
Adding Registry Keys
You can add several registry keys that will alter the license server communication settings to both increase the capacity of the license server to handle incoming requests and reduce the number of outgoing communications coming in from clients. Follow the instructions below:
- Replace License.Service.exe.Instance.config in C:\Program Files\Seagull\BarTender 20xx with one of the attached .config files located at the bottom of this article.
- Use the file named "License.Service.exe.Instance.config (2019)" if you are using BarTender 2019. You must rename this file "License.Service.exe.Instance.config" before replacing the original, or the registry keys will not work.
- Use the file named "License.Service.exe.Instance.config" if you are using BarTender 2021 and later.
- Insert the four registry keys shown below into the \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Seagull Scientific\Common\Preferences folder.
- Restart the BarTender Licensing Service after adding these keys.
Using the BTLM.ini File
In pre-2019 versions of BarTender, there used to be a BTLM.ini configuration file you could edit in order to set License Server communication settings. If you upgraded BarTender from an existing 2016 version or older, you will still have access to this file. If you freshly installed BarTender 2019 or later and didn't upgrade directly from BarTender 2016, this file will be missing and this information will not apply to you.
The only setting in that file still valid in BarTender 2019 and later is CommunicationTimeoutMilliseconds, which is the timeout that BarTender uses to connect to a remote server synchronously.
The registry value of LicenseOwnerCommTimeoutInSecs (mentioned in the previous section) is the connection timeout for all communications between BarTender and a remote license server. The CommunicationTimeoutMilliseconds in BTLM.ini can override that connection timeout value if CommunicationTimeoutMilliseconds is greater. Increase this value incrementally as needed, but keep in mind that CommunicationTimeoutMilliseconds has a max value limit of 60 seconds.