Event ID 9 — Terminal Services License Server Database Availability

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

When the Terminal Services Licensing (TS Licensing) role service is installed, a database is created in which to hold information about the Terminal Services client access licenses (TS CALs) that are installed onto the license server.

The location of the TS Licensing database can specified during the TS Licensing role service installation. The database location must be a local folder on the computer on which the TS Licensing role service is being installed. By default, the TS Licensing database is located in the %systemroot%\system32\lserver folder. You can confirm the location of the TS Licensing database by using Review Configuration in the TS Licensing Manager tool.

Event Details

Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 9
Source: Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-Licensing
Version: 6.0
Symbolic Name: TLS_I_RENAME_DBFILE
Message: The TS Licensing database file is not valid. This file has been renamed to "%1!s!", and the license server will start up with an empty database file. To resolve this issue, ensure that the required groups are granted the correct permissions to the LServer directory, and then reinstall the Terminal Services client access licenses (TS CALs). If the problem persists, rebuild the TS Licensing database and call the Microsoft Clearinghouse. When you call the Clearinghouse, ensure that your License Purchase Agreement information is readily available.

Resolve

Check database folder permissions and reinstall the TS CALs

To resolve this issue, do the following:

  • Assign the appropriate permissions to the TS Licensing database folder on the Terminal Services license server.
  • Reinstall the Terminal Services client access licenses (TS CALs) onto the license server.

If the issue persists after assigning the appropriate permissions and reinstalling the TS CALs, rebuild the TS Licensing database on the license server.

To perform these procedures, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

Locate the TS Licensing database

By default, the TS Licensing database is located in the %systemroot%\system32\lserver folder (where %systemroot% is the folder in which the operating system is installed, which is, by default, c:\windows).

To confirm the location of the TS Licensing database:

  1. On the license server, open TS Licensing Manager. To open TS Licensing Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Terminal Services, and then click TS Licensing Manager.
  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  3. In the left pane, click All Servers, click the name of the license server, and then on the Action menu, click Review Configuration.
  4. The database location is listed at the top of the Configuration dialog box.

Assign permissions to the TS Licensing database folder

To assign permissions to the database folder:

  1. On the license sever, use Windows Explorer to navigate to the folder containing the TS Licensing database.

  2. Right-click the folder, and then click Properties.

  3. On the Security tab, click Advanced.

  4. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.

  5. Click either Add or Edit to change the permissions. SYSTEM, NETWORK SERVICE, Administrators, and TermServLicensing should each have Full Control permissions and those permissions must apply to This folder, subfolders and files.

    Note:  To add TermServLicensing, ensure that the computer name is listed in From this location, and then in the Enter the object name to select box, type NT Service\TermServLicensing.

  6. When you are finished assigning the correct permissions, click OK.

Reinstall the TS CALs onto the license server

Note: The automatic TS CAL installation method requires Internet connectivity from the computer running the TS Licensing Manager tool. Internet connectivity is not required from the license server itself. This method uses TCP/IP (TCP port 443) to connect directly to the Microsoft Clearinghouse. You can also install TS CALs onto the license server by using a Web browser or by using the telephone. For more information about these installation methods, see "Install Terminal Services Client Access Licenses" in the TS Licensing Manager Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=101643).

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To reinstall the TS CALs:

  1. On the license server, open TS Licensing Manager. To open TS Licensing Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Terminal Services, and then click TS Licensing Manager.
  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  3. Ensure that the connection method for the license server is set to Automatic connection (recommended) by right-clicking the license server on which you want to install TS CALs, and then clicking Properties. On the Connection Method tab, change the connection method if necessary, and then click OK.
  4. Right-click the license server on which you want to install the TS CALs, and then click Install Licenses. The Install Licenses Wizard starts.
  5. Click Next.
  6. On the License Program page, select the appropriate program through which you purchased your TS CALs, and then click Next.
  7. The License Program that you selected on the previous page in the wizard will determine what information you will need to provide on this page. In most cases, you will have to provide either a license code or an agreement number. Consult the documentation provided when you purchased your TS CALs.
  8. After you have entered the required information, click Next.
  9. On the Product Version and License Type page, select the appropriate product version, license type, and quantity of TS CALs for your environment based on your TS CAL purchase agreement, and then click Next.
  10. The Microsoft Clearinghouse is automatically contacted and processes your request. The TS CALs are then automatically installed onto the license server.
  11. To complete the process, click Finish. The license server can now issue TS CALs to clients that connect to a terminal server.

If the issue persists after assigning the appropriate permissions and reinstalling the TS CALs, rebuild the TS Licensing database on the license server.

Rebuild the TS Licensing database on the license server

To rebuild the TS Licensing database, locate the TS Licensing database, and then do the following:

  • Stop the Terminal Services Licensing service.
  • Rename the folder that contains the TS Licensing database.
  • Create a new folder for the TS Licensing database.
  • Start the Terminal Services Licensing service.

After the TS Licensing database is rebuilt, reinstall the Terminal Services client access licenses (TS CALs) onto the license server.

To perform these procedures, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

Locate the TS Licensing database

By default, the TS Licensing database is located in the %systemroot%\system32\lserver folder (where %systemroot% is the folder in which the operating system is installed, which is, by default, c:\windows).

To confirm the location of the TS Licensing database:

  1. On the license server, open TS Licensing Manager. To open TS Licensing Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Terminal Services, and then click TS Licensing Manager.
  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  3. In the left pane, click All Servers, click the name of the license server, and then on the Action menu, click Review Configuration.
  4. The database location is listed at the top of the Configuration dialog box.

Rebuild the TS Licensing database

To rebuild the TS Licensing database:

  1. On the license server, close TS Licensing Manager if it is open.
  2. On the license server, open the Services snap-in. To open the Services snap-in, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
  3. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  4. In the Services pane, right-click Terminal Services Licensing, and then click Properties.
  5. Under Service status, click Stop.
  6. Confirm that the Services Status is listed as Stopped, and then click OK to close the Terminal Services Licensing Properties dialog box.
  7. On the license sever, use Windows Explorer to navigate to the folder containing the TS Licensing database.
  8. Right-click the folder, click Rename, type lserverold, and then press ENTER.
  9. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder.
  10. Type the original name of the TS Licensing database folder (for example, lserver), and then press ENTER.
  11. Open the Services snap-in.
  12. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  13. In the Services pane, right-click Terminal Services Licensing, and then click Properties.
  14. Under Service status, click Start.
  15. Confirm that the Services Status is listed as Started, and then click OK to close the Terminal Services Licensing Properties dialog box.

Reinstall the Terminal Services client access licenses (TS CALs) by using the telephone method

When you call the Microsoft Clearinghouse to reinstall the TS CALs onto the license server, ensure that your License Purchase Agreement information is readily available.

To reinstall TS CALs by using the telephone method:

  1. On the license server, open TS Licensing Manager. To open TS Licensing Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Terminal Services, and then click TS Licensing Manager.

  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.

  3. In the left pane, click All Servers, click the name of the license server, and then on the View menu, click Properties.

  4. On the Connection Method tab, in the Connection method list, select Telephone.

  5. In the Select Country or Region list, select the appropriate country/region.

  6. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.

  7. Right-click the license server, and then click Install Licenses.

  8. Click Next.

  9. On the Obtain client license key pack page, use the telephone number that is displayed to call the Microsoft Clearinghouse, and give the representative your Terminal Services license server ID and the required information for the licensing program through which you purchased your TS CALs. The representative then processes your request to install TS CALs, and gives you a unique ID for the TS CALs. This unique ID is referred to as the license key pack ID.

Important: Retain a copy of the license key pack ID. Having this information with you will facilitate communications with the Microsoft Clearinghouse should you need assistance with recovering TS CALs.

  1. In the Install Licenses Wizard, on the Obtain client license key pack page, enter the license key pack ID provided by the representative into the boxes provided, and then click Next. The TS CALs are installed onto the license server.

  2. To complete the process, click Finish. The license server can now issue TS CALs to clients that connect to a terminal server.

Verify

To verify the location of the TS Licensing database, use Review Configuration in the TS Licensing Manager tool. By default, the TS Licensing database is located in the %systemroot%\system32\lserver folder (where %systemroot% is the folder in which the operating system is installed, which is, by default, c:\windows).

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To verify the location of the database folder:

  1. On the license server, open TS Licensing Manager. To open TS Licensing Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Terminal Services, and then click TS Licensing Manager.
  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  3. In the left pane, click All Servers, click the name of the license server, and then on the Action menu, click Review Configuration.
  4. The database location is listed at the top of the Configuration dialog box.

Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the folder containing the TS Licensing database to confirm its existence and that it contains the tslic.edb file.

Terminal Services License Server Database Availability

Terminal Services