Resolving 'No Matching Upgrade License Keys Were Found'

1. Problem Description

The Siemens Automation License Manager (ALM) returns the dialog "No matching upgrade license keys were found" when an engineer attempts to perform an upgrade license transfer in a SIMATIC NET license migration scenario. The error is typically encountered when moving from a legacy Softnet S7 license (V6.x) on Windows XP SP1 to a Softnet IE PG/PC license for TIA Portal V13 SP1 on Windows 7, but the symptom is the same across any TIA Portal V13, V14, V15, V15.1, V16, V17, V18, or V19 upgrade flow in which the source license product or source license version does not match the upgrade license ordered in the Siemens Mall (online catalog).

The dialog appears in the ALM Transfer License wizard (typically launched by right-clicking a target license key and selecting Transfer License Key, or by attempting to consolidate two keys onto a single target computer). It blocks the consolidation step. The source key and the upgrade key both appear individually in the ALM view, but the wizard refuses to combine them.

This article documents the diagnostic path, root cause, resolution procedure, and verification checks for engineering teams who encounter this specific error while migrating SIMATIC NET Softnet licenses across hardware generations (XP → Win7 → Win10 → Win11).

2. Root Cause Analysis

The ALM upgrade mechanism is strictly conditional. The wizard performs a three-way check on (a) source product family, (b) source product version, and (c) target upgrade product family/version, all derived from the Certificate of License (CoL) embedded in each key. If any of those three dimensions disagree, ALM refuses to bind the upgrade and surfaces the generic dialog.

The two most common causes observed in field escalations are:

1. Product family mismatch — the source key was issued for one SIMATIC NET product (e.g., SOFTNET-S7 for PROFIBUS/MPI S7 communication) while the upgrade key was purchased for a different product (e.g., SOFTNET IE PG or SOFTNET-IE S7 for Industrial Ethernet communication). These are not variants of the same product; they are separate SKU families with separate CoL numbers, and an upgrade cannot cross between them.
2. Version gap too large — the Siemens upgrade licensing matrix only permits a one-step upgrade. A V6.x license cannot be directly upgraded to V13, V14, V15, V15.1, V16, V17, V18, or V19 in a single transition. The supported upgrade window at the time TIA Portal V13 SP1 was released was V11 → V13 and V12 → V13 only. Earlier versions (V5, V6, V6.1, V6.2) had to be replaced by a new full single or floating license, not an upgrade license.

3. Affected SIMATIC NET License Products

The Siemens SIMATIC NET license catalog contains several parallel product families that are easily confused during license ordering. Confirm the product printed on your CoL before contacting Siemens Support or the regional sales representative.

Each row above is a distinct license product family with its own upgrade chain. A SOFTNET-S7 CoL cannot be upgraded by a SOFTNET-IE-PG upgrade license, and a SOFTNET-IE-PG CoL cannot be upgraded by a SOFTNET-IE-S7 upgrade license, even though the names share the Softnet prefix.

4. Compatible Upgrade Paths in TIA Portal V13 / V13 SP1

The Siemens upgrade matrix for the Softnet families at the TIA Portal V13 SP1 release baseline is summarized below. An X indicates that an upgrade license purchased in the Siemens Mall will satisfy ALM's source/product/version check.

The same one-step upgrade constraint has applied to each subsequent TIA Portal release since V13. For example, at the V17 release window the supported upgrade pairs were V15.1 → V17 and V16 → V17; at the V18/V19 windows similar one-step rules apply. Always verify the current matrix against the Siemens Mall entries before ordering.

5. Prerequisites

Before performing the license consolidation, ensure the following are in place on the engineering workstation:

• Automation License Manager installed. The ALM version shipped with TIA Portal V13 SP1 (or the latest service pack compatible with your TIA Portal installation) is required; older ALM versions do not recognize V13 license keys.
• Local administrator privileges on the source and target PC. ALM performs registry and service writes that require elevation.
• Source license key still installed on the original Windows XP SP1 computer (or accessible via license server if floating).
• Target CoL printed or PDF copy for both the source and the upgrade license. The CoL lists the License Number, License Key, Product Name, and Version.
• Siemens Industry Online Support account with entitlement to view the order history for your company if the CoL cannot be located.

6. Diagnostic Procedure — Confirm the CoL Pair

Open ALM on the computer where both licenses are visible (the user's notebook in the source case). For each license key listed in the ALM tree, perform the following:

1. Right-click the license key → Properties (or Information depending on ALM version).
2. Note the Product field verbatim (e.g., SIMATIC NET IE SOFTNET-S7 V6.2).
3. Note the License Number (e.g., 0111502634).
4. Note the Version field.
5. Note the License Type (Single, Floating, Upgrade).

Repeat for the second license. Compare the two Product strings. If they differ — for example one is SOFTNET-S7 and the other is SOFTNET IE PG — this is the immediate cause of the error and the licenses are not combinable. If they match but the source version is V6.x and the upgrade target is V13, the version gap is the cause.

7. Resolution Procedure

The corrective path depends on which dimension failed in the check above. Three concrete branches follow.

7.1 Branch A — Source V6.x to V13 SP1 (Version Gap)

1. Confirm the source CoL version (V5, V6, V6.1, V6.2) cannot be paired with a V13 upgrade license per the Siemens upgrade matrix.
2. Return the V13 upgrade license via Siemens Industry Online Support → Support Request, citing the order number and requesting a refund or a credit toward a full single/floating license. Note that Siemens licensing policy is order-specific; in many regions the upgrade license value is applied toward the full license price minus an admin fee.
3. Order a new full single or floating license for the correct product family (e.g., SOFTNET IE PG V13 SP1, article family 6GK1704-... per the SIMATIC NET catalog current at time of order).
4. Install the new license via ALM → License Key → Install, pointing to the new .lic file supplied by Siemens.
5. Deauthorize the old V6.x key on the Windows XP SP1 system and remove it.

7.2 Branch B — Product Family Mismatch (e.g., SOFTNET-S7 vs SOFTNET IE PG)

1. Determine the target product family actually required by the engineering workflow. SOFTNET-S7 covers PROFIBUS/MPI; SOFTNET-IE-PG covers Industrial Ethernet PG functions; SOFTNET-IE-S7 covers IE-based HMI/PG/OP for S7-300/400 with TIA Portal V13+.
2. Cross-check with the WinCC version used. WinCC flexible 2008 SP4 and earlier use SOFTNET-S7; WinCC (TIA Portal) V13+ uses SOFTNET-IE-S7.
3. Order the upgrade license for the matching product family. Confirm with the Siemens Mall product page that the upgrade license's "From Version" and "To Version" both refer to the same product family as your source CoL.
4. If the wrong upgrade was purchased, exchange it through your regional Siemens sales contact with reference to both CoL numbers.

7.3 Branch C — Correct Pair but Wrong ALM Version

1. Confirm ALM version with Help → About in the ALM console.
2. Match the ALM version to the TIA Portal release per the compatibility table in the TIA Portal Installation Manual. ALM V5.3+ SPx supports TIA Portal V13 SP1; ALM V6.0+ supports V14 and later.
3. If ALM is older than the TIA Portal version, reinstall TIA Portal and accept the bundled ALM, or download the latest ALM standalone installer from Siemens Industry Online Support entry 102736142.
4. Re-attempt the transfer.

8. Ordering the Correct License in the Siemens Mall

The Siemens Mall is the official online catalog at mall.industry.siemens.com. Use the search filters to navigate the SIMATIC NET → Communication → Software section. The license ordering workflow:

1. Log in with the company Siemens account (the company that holds the original CoL).
2. Navigate to Industry Online Support → My Products to confirm the company's existing license holdings.
3. Use the search term "Softnet" or the catalog tree path Automation Technology → Industrial Communication → SIMATIC NET → Software.
4. Filter by License type = Upgrade and confirm the source-version → target-version pair matches your source CoL.
5. If no upgrade license is offered for the desired pair (for example V6.2 → V13), the Mall will list only full single/floating licenses — this is the platform confirming the matrix rule.

For an offline quote, contact your regional Siemens sales representative and provide both CoL numbers. Siemens will issue a written confirmation of which license to order and whether the upgrade license is convertible to a full license credit.

9. License Transfer Workflow in ALM

Once a compatible upgrade pair is in hand, the consolidation procedure is:

1. Open ALM on the engineering workstation.
2. Confirm both source and upgrade keys are visible in the tree (local disk or network license server).
3. Right-click the target computer node → Connect Target Computer with License Server if using a floating license server, or skip if local.
4. Right-click the upgrade key → Transfer License Key.
5. Select the source computer as the origin and the target computer as the destination.
6. When prompted to select a source upgrade key, choose the matching source CoL from the list. ALM will now accept the pairing because both product family and version satisfy the matrix.
7. Click Transfer. The upgrade key combines with the source key into a single license entry on the target PC.
8. Verify the result by launching TIA Portal V13 SP1 and opening the project; the licensed Softnet features (e.g., Online → Accessible Nodes over IE) should be active without trial-mode banners.

10. Verification Checklist

After the corrective license is installed and the transfer is complete, run the following checks:

• ALM console shows exactly one license entry for the product family, with version = target version (e.g., V13 SP1).
• TIA Portal V13 SP1 opens without prompting for a missing license on Softnet functions.
• Online → Accessible Nodes in TIA Portal enumerates the connected S7 PLCs over Industrial Ethernet.
• WinCC (TIA Portal) runtime on the same PC starts Softnet communication without entering demo mode.
• No yellow "license missing" icon in the TIA Portal status bar.
• License audit via ALM → View → Audit View shows the license assigned to the correct computer, with owner matching the CoL.

11. Troubleshooting Matrix

12. Field-Proven Caveats

• Windows XP SP1 to Windows 7 migration: ALM does not migrate license state automatically with the OS upgrade. The user must deactivate the source key on the old machine (via ALM → Transfer License Key) before the OS image is retired, or the key becomes orphaned on the old hardware profile and requires Siemens Support intervention to recover.
• VM-based engineering workstations: If the old XP system is a virtual machine and the license was bound to the VM hardware UUID, the key survives a VM export. ALM does not bind by MAC address alone for Softnet keys; it binds by the ALM computer ID stored in the registry of the host OS.
• Multiple upgrade licenses on one source: A single source license can only be upgraded by one upgrade license. If two different upgrade licenses were purchased (e.g., one for IE-PG, one for IE-S7), only one can be paired with the source; the second must be returned or applied to a different source CoL.
• CoL printed but license lost: Siemens Support can reissue a license key file from the CoL number, but only to the original CoL holder company. Expect identity verification delay of 1–3 business days.
• Same product, different major version path: PowerPack upgrade licenses (the V13/V14/V15/etc. jump) are distinct SKU families. A PowerPack license for V14→V15 cannot upgrade a V13 CoL; the V13→V14 upgrade license must be obtained first.

13. Reference Documentation

Engineers encountering this error should consult the following Siemens Industry Online Support entries. These are the authoritative procedural references for Automation License Manager operations:

• Automation License Manager overview and downloads (SIOS entry 102736142)
• TIA Portal V13 SP1 installation and licensing notes
• SIMATIC NET Softnet license catalog reference (SIOS entry 109767175)
• Procedure for transferring license keys between PCs
• Siemens Industry Online Support product search

For purchase and license-ordering questions, contact your regional Siemens sales representative or open a Support Request via the SIOS portal. Always include both CoL numbers, the desired target product, and the desired target version in the request.