Infor LN 'unable to create a session': causes and how to fix it
infor unable to create a session
Also searched as
- infor ln unable to create session bshell
- infor ln cannot start session
- infor ln studio unable to create session
Short answer
This message means the client reached LN but the server could not start the session process (a bshell) or could not load the session. Work from the server side: check the bshell log, licence and user limits, the user's authorizations, and whether the session or its dependent objects exist and are compiled.
Applies to: Infor LN 10.x on-prem and private cloud, LN UI, Web UI and LN Studio.
Diagnose in this order
- 1Note whether it fails for one session, one user, or everybody. Everybody points to infrastructure, one user to authorization or licence, one session to the object.
- 2Check the bshell logs on the application server (under the BSE log directory) for the time of the failure. A start-up error is usually printed there.
- 3Confirm the bshell can actually spawn: free disk space and memory on the application server, temp directory writable, and process limits for the OS account.
- 4Verify the user is within licence and concurrent session limits and that the license manager is reachable.
- 5Verify the user's authorization for the session (session authorizations and the user template).
- 6Open the session code in Studio or the session definition session and confirm it exists, is in the right package VRC and has a compiled object.
- 7Retry from a different client (LN UI versus Studio) to separate client problems from server problems.
Infrastructure causes
If many users fail at once, the usual suspects are exhausted process resources, a full BSE temp or log volume, a stopped or unreachable license manager, or a bshell server that was restarted without its dependent services. Windows application servers may also hit desktop heap or service account permission problems.
A change window earlier that day is the best clue. Look for OS patching, a changed service account, or a moved BSE path. The bshell log records the failing start-up step more reliably than the client dialog does.
User and licence causes
Per-user failures usually trace to an expired or locked user, a missing authorization, or hitting the licensed concurrent user ceiling. LN will not always say 'licence' in the client message, so confirm in the licence usage view before changing anything else.
See the related page on 'not authorized to run session' for the authorization path. Copying a working colleague's user template is the fastest way to confirm an authorization cause.
Object causes
A single session failing after a deployment often means a missing or uncompiled object, a wrong package VRC for the user's package combination, or a script that errors in its start-up section. Recompile the session and its libraries, then retest.
For custom sessions built in Studio, check that the session was converted to runtime and that the customization is in the VRC the user's package combination resolves to.
Try it here, free
Infor LN Session Test Script Template
UAT test script for an LN process or session with prerequisites, numbered steps, expected results and tester sign-off.
Common pitfalls
- !Restarting the application server before capturing the bshell log, which destroys the evidence.
- !Treating a licence issue as an authorization issue and editing roles unnecessarily.
- !Recompiling objects in production without a change record.
- !Assuming the client dialog text is the real root cause.
- !Ignoring disk space on the BSE log and temp volumes.
How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this
An on-prem assistant given read access to bshell logs and the LN authorization tables can triage this: it matches the timestamp to the log line, checks whether the user and session authorizations exist, and gives the admin a ranked list of causes. It does not change anything. Netray builds this as a private retrieval layer, so logs never leave your network.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the LN bshell logs?
They sit under the BSE directory on the application server, in the log folder, with names that start with log.bshell. The exact path depends on your installation, so check the BSE environment variable of the service account that runs LN.
Does this error mean a licence problem?
Sometimes. If all users fail after a threshold of concurrent sessions, check licence usage. Otherwise the cause is more often server resources or an object problem. Do not assume.
Why does it only fail in Studio?
Studio opens sessions for development and needs developer authorizations and the right VRC. A user who can run a session may not be able to open it in Studio.
Will recompiling fix it?
Only if the cause is a missing or stale object. Confirm from the log before recompiling.
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