We found that while setting up new displays that we get a message that the display is unlicensed. We see the displays in the Spring Signage license section. If we tell it to check it’s license the messages goes away. If we restart the display the message comes back. We have tried to completely remove the white label and re-install it, while removing the license from Spring Signage. We re-setup the display and license the display again. Upon restarting the message is back. We also tried to change the hardware key and still have the same problem.
To Note: The problem only started once we ran out of licenses on Spring Signage, and removing some displays from the license section. So maybe somehow something on the back end with the licensing and Spring Signage.
Display log:
60729 2016-04-02 21:38:30 Client Register Error in Register: null
59903 2016-04-02 20:48:55 Client ScreenShotDispatch - Run This display client is not licensed
59902 2016-04-02 20:48:41 Client LayoutStatusUpdateDispatch - Run This display client is not licensed
59901 2016-04-02 20:46:22 Client LayoutStatusUpdateDispatch - Run This display client is not licensed
59900 2016-04-02 20:45:24 Client ScreenShotDispatch - Run This display client is not licensed
59899 2016-04-02 20:45:07 Client LayoutStatusUpdateDispatch - Run This display client is not licensed
59898 2016-04-02 20:44:01 Client LayoutStatusUpdateDispatch - Run This display client is not licensed
Status screen says:
License: True and Full
Registered: False
So that would mean that the display is not licensed in the CMS (display licence) and that it’s fine regarding Xibo for Android licence.
Does it has display licence in CMS? Are the MAC address in the CMS and in our Portal matching?
Could you please show us a screenshot of status window when the problem occurs? (here or via pm)
Side-ish note, when you reinstall (ie fully uninstall apk and then install new one) it may change the MAC address, which may cause issues with Xibo for Android licences (you’d need to unlicence the ‘old’ record to make licence available for a ‘new’ one)
If your device changes the MAC address upon reboot, then it’s a good idea to increase the ‘delay device start up’ to at least 120s or more - it should help with Xibo for Android licence problems.
That’s fine actually, it shouldn’t cause licencing issues (in theory).
So I think it would be good to see whole status screen with this issue - preferably with R60 (can be white labelled or not) - here or via pm (or via ticket)
I wonder if it has something to do with White Label version, there are separate applications as far as Android is concerned - did you have also ‘normal’ apk installed on this device and connected/licensed with CMS/Portal?
I know… odd. Probably why when we go back to the status screen it complains about the license.
I will see what I can do. They units that we see this problem on, are 200 miles away.
We started with the normal Xibo apk. Removed that and then installed the Whitelabel. We notice that we do not need to reconfigure or re-authorize the displays in the CMS when moving from the standard apk to the whitelabel. Maybe we should be removing the displays from the CMS before connecting the whitelabel??
I don’t think so, as far as CMS is concerned it is the same device (MAC) so it should be fine.
Although it seems to have some issues with CMS connection (or rather registration), perhaps try to remove it and add it back and see what will happen.
It is odd, we’d need to see status window and perhaps some CMS logs to know more.
I was trying to upload a screen shot from a whitelabel r59 unit yesterday, but the community/site would never finish the upload for some reason. It says uploading 100% down below this box, but it never finishes. I will try a PM.
On another note, I think we don’t have a good understanding on how all the licensing works. We removed about 10 displays yesterday from the Spring Signage portal and today they were all back. Even though the displays have not been online. So I think we will purge any displays not in use at this moment from our CMS and then try removing them again from Sprig Signage and see what happens.
Can you tell us when exactly a license gets assigned on the Spring Signage side, and also what if anything beside manually removing them, removes them from Spring Signage?
Spring Signage licensing is actually really simple - he says
When you install Xibo on your device it will generate a device ID, which is usually the MAC Address of the wireless/ethernet network interface.
A licence check is done by sending this ID and the licence pool email address to springsignage.com (the licence service), which returns an encrypted set of information (to verify the response). The return message is valid for 1 day and will licence the player for 30 days.
The player will work out whether it needs to check its licence:
Once on app start
Once per hour thereafter
When it runs it will only contact the licence service if:
It isn’t licensed
It last licensed over 14 days ago (this is a “soft check” - an invalid response won’t unlicence the display until 30 days have passed).
Removing
Removing a licence from the Spring Signage portal will only effect the device when it next contacts the licence service. If it contacts the licence service and there is a free licence it will always claim it back.
We think we have figured out some of the problem. I think it is more of a mistake on our side of not removing the displays, once physically replaced, from the CMS, or at least not changing them to unlicensed.
Just to clarify, the displays removed from the license on Spring Signage, were never powered backup. Some of them are older model units we have phased out and are now in our junk pile. Others were re-imaged and now out in the field elsewhere and working fine and licensed with a different license under a new hardware key.
Once we changed all the displays we physically removed to unlicensed in the CMS they did not come back after 24 hours.
The CMS does not at any point claim licenses from Spring Signage?
I know the screen shots on the PM did show a connection problem, but we did that while trying to solve the issue.
I will see about getting an updated screen shot now that we don’t have old screens returning and eating up licenses.
