While testing the Automatic Synchronization and Compilation process, in the “MFE ASC Error Report”, situated in the Log folder, an error shows that a BMS source compilation failed with RC=12.

At the same time in the Automatic Synchronization and Compilation trace, the following message can be found: Failed software copy protection validation.

The message visible in the trace is connected with the Product License. In Mainframe Express the CICS Option licensing is included in the Mainframe Express Licensing, which means that at the moment of the compilation there wasn’t a valid Mainframe Express License. This may happen if a limited number of licenses is used by several users.
For example, the customer has 4 licenses with a 24 hour license that renews every 24 hours per license.

And if at the moment of the compilation process all four licenses are in use, then message “Failed software copy protection validation” will be issued in the trace and the source won’t be compiled.

The solution is to restart the Automatic Synchronization and Compilation process when there is a valid Mainframe Express license available.