Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows Node offline: InternalServerError Response Could not connect to the license service

Benoit_C — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:57:04 GMT

After installing, upgrading to Qlik Sense Enterprise April 2019 or later, or changing the Central node hostname (or hostname for the postgreSQL server) the Qlik Sense node(s) remains offline.

Review the SERVERNAME_System_Repository log files located in C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Log\Repository\Trace\

Verify if one of the below errors can be found:

There was an error contacting the license service. Keep retrying... (1 failed requests) GET /v1/licenses/overview StatusCode: InternalServerError Response: Could not connect to the license service.

There was an error contacting the license service. Keep retrying... (60 failed requests) GET /v1/licenses/overview StatusCode: InternalServerError"

The Windows Event (Application) log may report the following:

The description for Event ID 300 from source Qlik Sense Service Dispatcher cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.

The following information was included with the event:
Unexpected termination (0) for process 0
Facility = Resource Distribution
ExePath = Node\node.exe
Script = ..\ResourceDistributionService\server.js

Environment:

Qlik Sense Enterprise, April 2019 and later

Resolution:

A number of possible root causes have been identified.

Is the license service running?

Open a cmd prompt with elevated permission and run:

netstat -aon | findstr 9200

If port 9200 is running, verify that the PID listed connects from Licenses.exe, which shows the service is up.

Also check if the Qlik Sense node's License service is trying to connect to the correct FQDN and Port where the postgreSQL databases (Licenses and QSMQ) are located.

The update is made on the RIM node server's License service settings file C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense\Licenses\appsettings.json. Update both "host": fields with the new FQDN of the Central node.

Network Connectivity between services

The services may not be communicating correctly due to network configuration issues, such as a proxy between the nodes. This will probably result in the logs containing "Unexpected character encountered while parsing value" in the error line.

On the Qlik Sense nodes do the following:

Make sure that you are logged-in with the Service account.
Open Internet Options
Click on the Connections Tab
Click on LAN Settings
If Use a proxy server for your LAN is checked, ensure that bypass proxy server for local addresses is also checked. Ensure that the internal server names of the Qlik Sense nodes are added as exceptions as well, so no proxy is used between them.
Click OK
Restart all Qlik Sense Services

Note: Even if the other RIM are set up with a proxy server or proxy PAC and that works. Please disable it for testing purposes on the non-working node. If your problem is fixed by this action you will need to engage your proxy support team.

Qlik Sense License Database

Special characters are used in the username or password of the Qlik Sense license database. This has been recorded as defect ID QLIK-96329, which is fixed in:
- Qlik Sense Sept 2019 release.
- Qlik Sense June 2019 Patch 1
- Qlik Sense April 2019 Patch 2
The owner on the license database tables is not the user who is used to connect to the database by the license service sub service (Qlik Sense Dispatcher). See Fatal exception during startup must be owner of relation LocalConfigs for the query that changes the ownership on the tables to the user.
The environment hosting Qlik Sense is missing one of the following packages:
- Visual C++ redistributables 2013, 2015-2019 versions.
- Data Access Components 2016

Cryptographic Settings not compatible with the Qlik Sense Licensing service

It can also be that the server's cryptographic settings are not compatible with the Qilk Sense Licensing service. A stable fix for this is planned by RnD for the February 2020 release of Qlik Sense.

Workaround 1:

Download the latest version of IIS Crypto GUI
Run it on the impacted server
Click the Best Practices button
Click Apply
Restart the server

This will align your Server, protocol and client cryptographic settings with common best practices, should allow the repository to communicate with the licenses server.

Workaround 2:

! This workaround is only applicable if a LEF is used to license Qlik Sense. If a Signed License key is used, the workaround cannot be used.
The following two parameters need to be added to the Repository Service in the Windows Registry:
-licensetestmode (April and June 2019)
-testmode=license (September 2019 and later)

Open regedit.exe and browse to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\QlikSenseRepositoryService
Open the imagepath parameter.
This will read:

"C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense\Repository\Repository.exe" -iscentral -floatingcentral

For April and June 2019 change it to:

"C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense\Repository\Repository.exe" -iscentral -floatingcentral -licensetestmode

For September 2019 and later change it to:

"C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense\Repository\Repository.exe" -iscentral -floatingcentral -testmode=license

All registry changes the entire server must be restarted for the changes to take effect.

Should neither of the above methods help, please contact Qlik Support at support.qlik.com. When submitting a ticket, include the Qlik Sense Repository log files and the License log files.

Re: Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows Node offline: InternalServerError Response Could not connect to the license service

christopherkramer — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:43:57 GMT

I just had a qlik server that had these error logs. No Licenses.exe was running.

I found it helpful to look at

C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Log\Licenses\*.log

In my case, it complained about a missing entry in pg_hba.conf

Then that was helpful: https://community.qlik.com/t5/Official-Support-Articles/Qlik-Sense-Enterprise-on-Windows-PostgreSQL-postgresql-conf-and/ta-p/1713744

In my case, the servers ipv6 address had changed. Qlik writes the ip addresses in pg_hba.conf when it installs the database. The postgresql DB wont work for other ip addresses. I ended up adding this to bind pg to all ipv6 addresses:

host    all             all             ::/0                    md5

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