PowerPath: “lmutil.exe lmremove -h PowerPathMP <user> <host> <display>” fails with lmremove: Cannot remove a linger license. (-100,398)
Summary: A administrator has, by mistake, applied a license to a server which already had a license. Attempt to get the license back with "lmremove" fails with "lmremove: Cannot remove a linger license. (-100,398)" ...
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Symptoms
2 licenses have been applied to the same server.
DELL EMC Product : PowerPath/VE with a license server (any release)
A license has been applied to a server which already had a license. The second license becomes "linger" and can't be released. Attempt to release the license with an "lmremove" command fails with "lmremove: Cannot remove a linger license. (-100,398)"
DELL EMC Product : PowerPath/VE with a license server (any release)
A license has been applied to a server which already had a license. The second license becomes "linger" and can't be released. Attempt to release the license with an "lmremove" command fails with "lmremove: Cannot remove a linger license. (-100,398)"
Cause
lmremove is intended to be used to release stuck or non-lingered licenses.
Resolution
There is nor real solution, unfortunately, lmremove will not release licenses before their linger has expired. This is intended behavior. (Consider the case where a nefarious person sets up a cron job to release licenses every minute).
lmremove is intended to be used only to release stuck or non-lingered licenses.
With PowerPath implementation of the tool, by design, the linger value is set for the product by default, to 45 days. It is not possible to manually return the license from the client machine before the expiration date and, as a consequence, the only option left is to wait for the lingering period to expire.
lmremove is intended to be used only to release stuck or non-lingered licenses.
With PowerPath implementation of the tool, by design, the linger value is set for the product by default, to 45 days. It is not possible to manually return the license from the client machine before the expiration date and, as a consequence, the only option left is to wait for the lingering period to expire.
Additional Information
The starting date together with the lingering period are visible in the "lmstat" output.
Another case of linger licences is covered in"lmutil lmstsat" lists all the licenses are in use but PPMA does not see equal number of PowerPath/VE (ESXi) hosts connected to it and cannot register new PowerPath/VE hosts
Another case of linger licences is covered in"lmutil lmstsat" lists all the licenses are in use but PPMA does not see equal number of PowerPath/VE (ESXi) hosts connected to it and cannot register new PowerPath/VE hosts
Affected Products
PowerPath/VE, PowerPath/VE for VMwareProducts
PowerPath/VE for VMwareArticle Properties
Article Number: 000057409
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 17 Oct 2025
Version: 3
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