This error occurs with InterBase 7.1 when attempting to start the InterBase server. There are two causes for this error.

1. IB_LICENSE.DAT file not installed.

   The IB_LICENSE.DAT file is extracted during installation from the INSTALLERDATAINSTALLER.ZIP file into the InterBase install directory (c:\Program Files\Borland\InterBase by default on Windows platforms, /opt/interbase on Solaris and Linux platforms). INSTALLER.ZIP has 6 copies of IB_LICENSE.DAT (Windows/Lunix/Solaris, Client/Server). The most likely cause of a missing IB_LICENSE.DAT file occurs when doing a custom install on a Windows platforms. Under this circumstance, the IB_LICENSE.DAT file is never install if you have InterBase 7.1 previous to Service Pack 2. It is also not installed due to a symbolic link not getting created properly in various Linux platforms.

   On Windows, the simplest solution is to do a full install instead of a custom install. If you do not want to do a custom install, you must extract IB_LICENSE.DAT from the $USER_HOME$\Desktop\license\server\Windows directory of the INSTALLER.ZIP file into the InterBase install directory.

   On Solaris, the IB_LICENSE.DAT file is extracted from the $USER_HOME$/Desktop/license/server/Solaris directory of INSTALLER.ZIP.

   On Linux, IB_LICENSE.DAT file is extracted from the $USER_HOME$/Desktop/license/server/Linux directory of INSTALLER.ZIP.

2. Registration failed for some reason.

   As part of registration and/or starting InterBase, a BORLAND.LIC file is created in the InterBase install directory. Among other things, this file contains the node id of your computer and a random number that you enter when registering via web, email or phone. If the node id or the random number do not match, InterBase will not start. The remainder of this FAQ will cover various ways either your node id does not match, or the random number does not match.

   1. Problem: Random number generated as a negative number on Linux. When registering via web, email or phone the random number generated is frequently negative, which is invalid.

      Solution: Either register direct, or download service pack 2, rename BORLAND.LIC and REG*.TXT in your InterBase install directory and install again.

   2. Problem: Somehow you change your node id. The only way we have seen people do this is in some combination of changing their ip address on Linux. If you change your node id and have already started InterBase, any time you start InterBase in the future it will fail.

      Solution: rename BORLAND.LIC and REG*.TXT in your InterBase install directory and register again.

   3. Problem: You are on Windows and have no C drive.

      Solution: InterBase will not run in this environment because it uses the volume id of your C drive as your node id.

   4. Problem: Under some unknown circumstances, InterBase computes the volume id of drive C incorrectly. Solution: This is next to impossible to determine if this has occured to you. However, these steps will insure it is the not the problem.
      1. Run ibnode from an MSDOS command prompt in the InterBase bin directory. Example:
         

         C:\Program Files\Borland\InterBase\bin>ibnodeid
         281e27e6

      2. Examine the contents of node.tmp in the InterBase home directory. Example:

         C:\Program Files\Borland\InterBase>type node.tmp
         281e27e6

         If there is no node.tmp in the InterBase home directory check to see if there is a NODE.TMP at the root, ex. c:\NODE.TMP. If this is the case copy c:\NODE.TMP to C:\Program Files\Borland\InterBase

         If the output of ibnodeid and NODE.TMP are not the same, then this is your problem. However, even if they are the same, it still could be your problem.

      3. Look at your vol id of c:. Example:

         C:\Program Files\Borland\InterBase>vol c:
         Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 281E-27E6

         If the serial number is not the same as above, this is your problem. However, even if it is the same, it still could be your problem.

         To confirm this is not your problem, do the following:

      4. If NODE.TMP does not have output of ibnodeid, execute from a MSDOS command prompt:

         C:\Program Files\Borland\InterBase\bin>ibnodeid>..\NODE.TMP

      5. Make NODE.TMP read only using Windows Explorer.
         
      6. Rename BORLAND.LIC and REG*.TXT in your InterBase install directory.
      7. Register again.

   5. Problem: You register via phone, web or email more than once, and when you start the InterBase server the BORLAND.LIC file is not the file that got created when your registered to receive your REG*.TXT file.

      Solution: Rename BORLAND.LIC and REG*.TXT and register again.