QA00000103763_CST Studio Suite license error “Invalid host. The host id of this system does not match the host id specified in the license file”

QA00000103763_CST Studio Suite license error “Invalid host. The host id of this system does not match the host id specified in the license file”

Question:
While pointing CST Studio Suite to a Flexnet license server, I am getting a following error. How to fix this?
Error:
Invalid host. 
The host id of this system does not match the host id specified in the license file

Answer:
This license specific error message is especially related with the Node-Locked (Machine based) product types e.g. like S2F-N.

Node-locked means that the particular feature should be used on the particular machine only which is specified in the license file.

Eg:  FEATURE frontend cstd 20xx.xxxx xx-may-20xx 1 HOSTID=5xxxxxxxxxx9 \

      ISSUED=xx-may-20xx START=xx-may-20xx SIGN2="xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx \

      yyyy yyyy yyyy yyyy \"

In the above example, use of a feature frontend is restricted only to the machine having a host id 5xxxxxxxxxx9.

A few possible causes of this error message are:
  1. When on a particular machine, user tries to point CST Studio Suite to a Flexnet license server having a node-lock features, but that machine’s host id fails to match with the host id mentioned in the feature (in license file). A solution is to either point to a correct license server or get a new node lock license file for that particular host.
  2. While ordering a license file you mistakenly provided an incorrect host id or provided a host id of other machine. In this case, order a new license file with a correct host id for which node lock license is needed.
  3. The error could also occur if any configuration especially changes in hardware or any software/IT changes of your machine which might have changed the machine's host id. In this case, please get the new license file using a new host id.