Testing Old-Type SAP License Keys 
Caution
You cannot administer digitally-signed SAP license keys of the new type at operating system level.
If you cannot log onto your SAP system, you can use the saplicense option -test pf=<Profile> (IBM i: '-test pf=<Profile>') for troubleshooting purposes.
When you call up this option, the saplicense program determines the hardware key of the message server, simulates a logon to the SAP System, and carries out the necessary license check. You can follow all of these steps on the screen.
At the operating system level, log on as <sapsid>adm (UNIX and Windows) or <SID>OFR (IBM i) to the computer running the central SAP instance.
UNIX and IBM i: Start your SAP System and the database with startsap.
Microsoft Windows: Start your SAP System and the database with the SAP Service Manager.
Call up saplicense as follows:
UNIX and Microsoft Windows: saplicense -test pf=<profile> IBM i: saplicense '-test pf=<profile>'
You must specify the profile file. Specify the profile file (with the complete path) of the SAP System you want to test.
Example
For an SAP System with the name PRD (instance number 00) on the host sapr3, you would enter the following:
UNIX and Microsoft Windows: saplicense -test pf=/usr/sap/PRD/SYS/profile/sapr3_PRD_DVEBMGS00 IBM i: saplicense '-test pf=/usr/sap/PRD/SYS/profile/sapr3_PRD_DVEBMGS00'
If the test is successful, the following message is displayed:
test result: license test ok
The following message specifies the license key used for the test:
LICENSE system: PRD hardware key: D1889390344
expiration_date: 99991231
installation no: 0005500021 key: 9KJDYITLVLPRZS9WXVS8SNTN
productid: R3_ORA
If you receive an error message during the license key check, you can use the data output by the program to determine the cause of the error. (Connection setup to the message server, connection to database, and so on). Depending on the message, check whether the message server is running, or whether the database has started, and so on.
You can use the TRACE=2 option to carry out a detailed error analysis. The command syntax is as follows:
saplicense -test pf=<Profile> TRACE=2
IBM i: '-test pf=<profile> TRACE=2'
saplicense then creates the file dev_slic in the current directory. This file contains detailed error messages.