Error "Licensing Service Unavailable" When Activating Tableau Server Online via a Forward Proxy Server Without ATR Enabled

Issue

When activating a Tableau Server online without ATR enabled using a forward proxy server, the following error might occur:

Licensing Service Unavailable

Additionally, the following error might appear in the logs:

Tableau could not connect to the licensing server or FlexNet Operations Server. Verify the product key is correct and the primary or online licensing server can be accessed by ports 27000-27009.

Environment

Tableau Server versions:
- Tableau Server 2023.1.3 or later
- Tableau Server 2022.3.7 or later
- Tableau Server 2022.1.15 or later
Non-ATR (legacy Flexera activation)
Windows
Online Activation

Resolution

After performing Step 2 as described in the Tableau Online Help - Configure Product Key Operations with Forward Proxy, please also perform the following to adjust the Activation Service before proceeding to step 3 in the Online Help.

Right-click Tableau Server Activation Service, click Properties. On Tableau Server Activation Service Properties page, select the Log On tab.
On the Log On tab, change Local System account to your Run As service account. Enter the password and then click OK.
In the Services (Local) Microsoft Management Console, right-click Tableau Server Activation Service, and then click Restart.

After you have completed your product key operation, you must also change the log on account for Tableau Server Activation Service back to the Local System account account.

As a result, perform the following steps after performing step 4 as described in the above online help.

Right-click Tableau Server Activation Service, click Properties. On Tableau Server Activation Service Properties page, click the Log On tab.
On the Log On tab, select Local System account, and then click OK.
In the Services (Local) Microsoft Management Console, right-click Tableau Server Activation Service, and then click Restart.

Please note that the Tableau Online Help will be updated in the near future to include the steps in this article.

Cause

To access and subsequently configure product key information for your Tableau Server installation, not only the Tableau Server Administrative Controller but also Tableau Server Activation Service, must run under the Run As service account to go through the configured proxy server.

Because the behavior has changed in more recent versions (see Environment), the Activation Service must also be adjusted when using a proxy server.

Additional Information

Configure Product Key Operations with Forward Proxy

From the following Tableau Server versions, the ActivationService is installed even when the ATR activation method is not used which was not the behavior with previous versions:

Tableau Server 2023.1.3 or later
Tableau Server 2022.3.7 or later
Tableau Server 2022.1.15 or later

All licensing requests goes through ActivationService except LBLM and the ActivationService will be the only service that can talk with Flexera Trusted Storage used in legacy non-ATR activations.