Licensing Issues - NVIDIA Docs

vGPU License Acquisition Failure

An NVIDIA vGPU software system may fail to obtain a license due to misconfigurations, connectivity issues, or unavailable licenses. Ensuring proper system setup and license availability is essential for successful licensing.

Next Steps

Follow the troubleshooting steps explained in the Client Licensing User Guide.

Adding a New Member to the NVIDIA Licensing Portal

Current account members can add a new member to the NVIDIA Licensing Portal by providing the new member’s contact information. The new member will receive an email to complete registration.

Next Steps

Log into the NVIDIA Licensing Portal.
Under Administration, click Account Members.
Click Add New Members and complete the form with the new member’s contact details.
Submit the form, and the new member will receive an email to set a password and complete registration.

For more detailed instructions and information, visit the full article here.

Failures to Renew Leases with NVIDIA Licensing System (NLS) for Entitlements Expiring the Same Day

This issue involves failed lease renewals and premature expiration of leases acquired on the last day of an active entitlement. Clients trying to lease from an entitlement expiring the same day may succeed initially but fail to renew and transition to an expired state.

Next Steps

Avoid acquiring leases on the last day of entitlement expiration:
1. Ensure clients acquire their lease at least one day before the entitlement’s expiration.
2. Leases acquired earlier will renew successfully and transition smoothly to the next entitlement.
If the issue occurs, reach out to NVIDIA Enterprise Support for assistance.

For more detailed instructions and additional information, visit the full article here.

NLS Compatibility Issue with vGPU 18.0+ and NVAIE 6.0+

Client VMs running vGPU software driver 18.0 or later or NVIDIA AI Enterprise (NVAIE) 6.0 or later fail to acquire a license when using NLS version 3.3.x or earlier. This happens because these older NLS versions are incompatible with the latest software releases.

Next Steps

Upgrade to DLS 3.4 or Later
1. To avoid licensing failures with vGPU 18.0 and later releases, upgrade your license server to a minimum version of DLS 3.4 before upgrading vGPU to version 18.0 or later.
2. Refer to the Migrating a DLS Instance section of the DLS 3.4 documentation for upgrade instructions.
Update the License Server File (DLS only)
1. After upgrading your DLS instance to version 3.4 or later:
  1. Download a fresh license server file from the NVIDIA Licensing Portal.
  2. Install the license server file on your newly upgraded DLS appliance.
2. Refer to the Installing a License Server on a DLS Instance section of the NLS.

Licensing Issues When vGPU Profiles Do Not Match License Types

VMs remain unlicensed despite setting up an on-premises DLS and providing entitlements. This issue can occur when the vGPU profile does not match the license type. For example, using a Q profile (vWS license) while only having vApps or vPC licenses will result in licensing failures.

Next Steps

Ensure you use the correct vGPU profiles:
1. Use A or B profiles for vApps and vPC licenses.
2. Use Q profiles for vWS licenses.
Access licensing event logs:
1. Windows: %SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Documents\NvidiaLogging\Log.NVDisplay.Container.exe.log.
2. Linux: Licensing events are logged in the standard activity log under /var/log. The log file name depends on the Linux distribution.

Tip

Look for error messages such as “borrow failed: NotFoundError(product feature map not found for product UNKNOWN)”, “Failed to acquire a license from local trusted store”, or “Valid GRID license not found. GPU features, and performance will be fully degraded. To enable full functionality, please configure licensing details”, or “Insufficient count for the requested feature.”

License Acquisition Fails on Windows or Linux VMs

VMs may fail to acquire licenses from the NVIDIA License System (NLS), while VMs running a different operating system on the same host work correctly. This issue commonly arises due to one of the following:

Time Synchronization Mismatch
When the VM’s clock is out of sync with the license server, the licensing status may show “unlicensed,” or a grace period may be active. Logs often indicate time drift errors or timestamp mismatches.

Next Steps
1. Ensure the VMs are synchronized with an NTP server.
  Windows: How to Configure NTP on Windows, Windows Time Service Tools and Settings
  
  Linux: NTP configuration varies by distribution.
2. Reboot the VM and verify license acquisition logs.
  Windows: %SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Documents\NvidiaLogging\Log.NVDisplay.Container.exe.log.
  
  Linux: Licensing events are logged in the standard activity log under /var/log. The log file name depends on the Linux distribution.
Tip

Look for error messages related to license acquisition failures. These will help diagnose whether the issue is related to time synchronization issues. Common errors include “Time sync error”, “Clock skew detected” and “Timestamp mismatch”.
Network Connectivity Issues
If the VM cannot communicate with the NVIDIA License System (NLS), license acquisition may fail. This can happen due to firewalls, network misconfigurations, or DNS issues, preventing the VM from reaching the license server.

Next Steps
1. Use ping or telnet to test connectivity to the license server’s hostname and port:
  
  ping <license_server_hostname>
  
  telnet <license_server_hostname> <port>
2. If the test fails, check for firewall rules, network security policies, or incorrect DNS settings. See Determining Whether the Forward Pointer and Reverse Pointer DNS Entries Are Correct.
3. Check firewall and proxy settings.
  Ports 443 and 80 in your firewall or proxy must be open to allow HTTPS traffic between a service instance and its licensed clients. These ports must be open for both CLS instances and DLS instances. See Communications Ports Requirements.
  
  If a proxy is in use, confirm that licensing traffic is not being blocked.
4. Reboot the VM and verify license acquisition logs.
  Windows: %SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Documents\NvidiaLogging\Log.NVDisplay.Container.exe.log.
  
  Linux: Licensing events are logged in the standard activity log under /var/log. The log file name depends on the Linux distribution.
Tip

Look for error messages related to connectivity issues. Common errors include “Unable to reach license server”, “Connection timeout”, “DNS resolution failed” and “Failed server communication. Please ensure your system has network connectivity to the license server.”
License Server Exhaustion
If all available licenses are already in use, VMs may fail to acquire a license. This can happen when the license pool is fully allocated, licenses are not being released properly, or there are configuration issues on the license server.

Next Steps
1. See Managing Licenses and Licensed Products in a License Pool for further guidance on how to manage your licenses in the NLS.
2. Check the licensing event logs for expired or inactive licenses. Expired licenses may cause some VMs to fail license acquisition.
3. Reboot the VM and verify license acquisition logs.
  Windows: %SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Documents\NvidiaLogging\Log.NVDisplay.Container.exe.log.
  
  Linux: Licensing events are logged in the standard activity log under /var/log. The log file name depends on the Linux distribution.
Tip

Look for error messages related to license exhaustion. Common errors include “No available licenses”, “License limit reached”, and “License expired or unavailable”.