Error Communicating With iLok

[rmccam]

Hi Everyone,

I'm having intermittent iLok issues, which of course are happening when I have a really tight deadline.

I keep getting various missing authorization pop-up errors for PT as well as the plugins in my session. It's a relatively new iLok3 and the blue light doesn't seem to turn off at all. I've tried all of the obvious: switching ports, using a hub, not using a hub, restarting everything, ILM "remove account data...". My licenses are not in the cloud. I can launch ILM and everything is recognized but when I tried deactivating a plugin I get a "Error Communicating With iLok" pop-up.

I should also mention that each time this happens, if I re-seat the ilok it seems fine again for 10 minutes or so.

I'm on PT Ultimate 2018.10, running HDX on Sierra 10.12.6 with ILM 5.0.3 GM. I have ZDT but it really doesn't seem like a hardware issue to me. Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Ryan

[Darryl Ramm]

You tried reinstalling the latest ILM?

Sure seems like a possible hardware issue to me. You can check by getting another iLok and trying to move licenses to that. If it does not work invoke ZDT...

[Southsidemusic]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

You tried reinstalling the latest ILM?

Sure seems like a possible hardware issue to me. You can check by getting another iLok and trying to move licenses to that. If it does not work invoke ZDT...

Agree

This is how it started twice for us and our iloks before they died and went to the ilok heaven so make sure you have ZDT and paid up with iLok so should it become worse and the ilok die then you will be up’n running in minutes!!

It sounds like a bad ilok IMO but I am not there to see what transpires but it sure sounds exactly what happened to our two last iLok deaths.

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by rmccam

if I re-seat the ilok it seems fine again for 10 minutes or so

Then take your time and deactivate your licenses one by one re-seating as many times as necessary, until your ilok is empty. Replace the key with a new one and activate licenses again. Problem solved. Hopefully you won't need to send a broken ilok key for support to do it for you.

[rmccam]

Thanks guys.

Despite having the most recent version, I reinstalled ILM and it seems to be going okay. No issues for the past couple hours.

I totally agree that it seems like a hardware issue but the consistency of the inconsistency seems odd to me. As in, I could almost set my watch to it and it seems unlikely that it's a hardware issue if it fixes itself every time I reseat it. I suspected it was something with it trying to ping home but I don't really know how that works with a hardware iLok as opposed to using cloud licensing. Maybe that doesn't even make any sense.

Regardless, things seem good now. Thanks for the suggestion of reinstalling ILM. Hopefully that was it. Fingers cross.

Ryan

[Darryl Ramm]

Do not worry about the "inconsistency of the whatever..." you may be lucky and it was just something corrupted in the ILM install. But if it starts happening again your only job is to get those license off that iLok asap. It would not surprise if it comes back, you could have a mechanical/stress/temperature related failure in the iLok. If you don't have one already now would be a good time to purchase a spare iLok.

[rmccam]

Thanks Darryl. I do have a few gen 2 spares lying around if needed.

If it comes back, I'll document it here for posterity.

Thanks again.

Ryan

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by rmccam

.... it fixes itself every time I reseat it. I suspected it was something with it trying to ping home ....

Once you've deactivated and then reactivated every License in iLok License Manager, right-click on your iLok and choose: "Synchronize".
Wait for the spinning beach ball to stop.

This will fix it - without the continuing need to reseat your Licenses.

[unkJE]

If you’re not 100% sure about “enabling TLC”, scroll down to the Zero Downtime™ image on this page: https://www.ilok.com/#!license-manager

In the centre, where it says Theft & Loss Coverage TLC, you'll see how to slide the white button on the blue background to the right, to the “ON” position in iLok License Manager.

This needs to be “Refreshed” every 3 months.

With a spare iLok on hand, Zero Downtime™ with Theft & Loss Coverage TLC enabled is the fastest way to get up’n running again, if your iLok ever “dies”. (May it never happen!!)