MATLAB: Do I receive the following entries in the log file: “Invalid license key (inconsistent authentication code)”

MATLAB

Why do I receive the following entries in my log file: "Invalid license key (inconsistent authentication code)"?

Best Answer

This error indicates there is an inconsistency in your license file with respect to the host ID. Your host ID is either the MAC address or IP address of the license server. To resolve this error, the license file must be altered such that the host ID is consistent both within the license file itself, and with the license server.
In order to troubleshoot this problem you must first confirm the host ID of the license server. See the following article for instructions on finding your host ID:
What is a Host ID? How do I find my Host ID in order to activate my license?
https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/101892
Once you have identified the host ID, open the license file and confirm that the host ID in the SERVER line and the line that contains the license number are consistent with the host ID. These two lines must also be consistent with each other.
This issue can occur when you created the license file for a license server that is using a redundant server setup but does not have a SERVER line for each server machine. The license file needs to contain a SERVER line for each machine, for example:
SERVER hostname hostID port
SERVER hostname2 hostID port
SERVER hostname3 hostID port
All of the machines in the redundant server triad setup would need to have those lines or you will encounter this error.
Note that you cannot mix IP address host IDs and MAC address host IDs, even if they represent the same computer. For example if the SERVER line uses the MAC address as the host ID, the license identification line must also use MAC address as the host ID.
If the host ID in the SERVER line is inconsistent with the host ID of the server:
Edit the SERVER line to contain the correct host ID, save the license file, then stop and start the license server.
If the host ID in the license number line is inconsistent with the host ID:
In this case, license file must be recreated. (You cannot edit the host ID in the license number line: this line is just for reference, and the host ID is encoded in the license file.) Creating a license file for a new host ID is the same as transferring the activation to a new license server, so see this article for instructions:
How do I transfer an Individual or Designated Computer MATLAB license to a new computer?
https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/96878
If the host IDs appear to be consistent:
If the error persists even if the host IDs appear to be consistent, recreate the license file anyway, as if the host ID in the license number line didn't match. Since the host ID in the license number line is just for reference, it may not reflect the actual host ID the INCREMENT lines were generated for.
This error may also indicate that the MATLAB license file is newer than the release that your current license manager binaries support. In this case, you will need to update your license manager:
How do I install or update the Network License Manager?
https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/105860
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