Applications Systems

Polled Application Incorrectly Shows as Unlicensed in SAM

After the first polling cycle in Server & Application Monitor (SAM), one or more applications may incorrectly display an "unlicensed" status. This is a transient condition that resolves automatically on the next polling cycle.

First published date

5/19/2026 10:21 PM

Last published date

5/19/2026 10:21 PM

Overview

After installing SAM and assigning applications to monitored nodes (or generating data via the Data Generator), the first polling cycle may report certain applications as unlicensed, even when a valid license is in place. The following error message may appear:

"Due to licensing constraints, SAM is not actively retaining data from this monitor. To obtain a larger license, call SolarWinds Customer Service."

Product section

Server Application Monitor

Cause

This message does not indicate an actual licensing problem. The issue occurs only during the initial poll after installation or assignment and is not caused by insufficient licenses. The application status corrects itself on the subsequent polling cycle without any manual intervention.

Resolution

  1. Verify that the affected application was recently assigned to a node or that SAM was recently installed.

  2. Allow the next scheduled polling cycle to complete.

  3. Confirm the application status updates to Licensed after the subsequent poll.

  4. If the unlicensed status persists beyond two polling cycles, review the license assignment in Settings > License Manager to confirm the node and application are covered under the current license.