PowerEdge R240 iDRAC9 Enterprise License Import Fails After Motherboard Replacement (LIC016)

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone familiar with Dell PowerEdge/iDRAC licensing can help clarify this issue.

I recently replaced the motherboard on my Dell PowerEdge R240 because the original board was faulty. Before swapping the board, I exported the existing iDRAC9 Enterprise license from the old motherboard.

After installing the replacement board, I moved the service tag jumper and successfully changed the Service Tag to match the original system. I then returned the jumper to the default position, booted the server, accessed iDRAC, and attempted to import the previously exported Enterprise license.

However, every time I try to import the license, I get this error:

“The feature dependencies of the license are not met. (LIC016)
Recommended Action: Import the license(s) that meet the license features dependencies.”

I also tried restoring it through Lifecycle Controller using the Platform Restore feature, but I get the same result there as well.

So now I’m wondering:

• Did I miss a required step after changing the motherboard?
• Does iDRAC9 Enterprise licensing depend on more than just the Service Tag?
• Is there another base/dependency license required before importing the Enterprise license?
• Or does Dell need to reissue/rehost the license after a motherboard replacement?

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!