Cannot start a remote pyWorkbench server

[ahjorthp]

🔍 Before submitting the issue

• I have searched among the existing issues
• I am using a Python virtual environment

🐞 Description of the bug

Hi.

I am trying to start a remote workbench server on another machine on the network using this code:

from ansys.workbench.core import launch_workbench

host = "server_machine_name_or_ip"
username = "your_username_on_server_machine"
password = "your_password_on_server_machine"
wb = launch_workbench(host=host, username=username, password=password)

But I get this error:

ERROR:root:wrong credential
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "", line 1, in
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\ansys\workbench\core\public_api.py", line 312, in launch_workbench
return LaunchWorkbench(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\ansys\workbench\core\public_api.py", line 132, in init
raise Exception("Filed to launch Ansys Workbench service.")
Exception: Filed to launch Ansys Workbench service.

So it seems to be wrong credentials, but they should be correct.

I am using ansys-workbench-core version 0.7.0 and have workbench 2024R2 installed on the server machine. Do I need to start something on the server machine? How do I know which ansys-workbench-core version is compatible with an Ansys version?

Thanks in advance,
Anders

📝 Steps to reproduce

from ansys.workbench.core import launch_workbench

host = "server_machine_name_or_ip"
username = "your_username_on_server_machine"
password = "your_password_on_server_machine"
wb = launch_workbench(host=host, username=username, password=password)

💻 Which operating system are you using?

Windows

📀 Which ANSYS version are you using?

2024R2

🐍 Which Python version are you using?

3.11

📦 Installed packages

ansys-api-mechanical==0.1.2
ansys-api-platform-instancemanagement==1.1.3
ansys-api-workbench==0.2.0
ansys-mechanical-core==0.11.18
ansys-mechanical-env==0.1.12
ansys-mechanical-stubs==0.1.6
ansys-platform-instancemanagement==1.1.2
ansys-pythonnet==3.1.0rc6
ansys-tools-path==0.7.1
ansys-workbench-core==0.7.0
appdirs==1.4.4
certifi==2025.4.26
cffi==1.17.1
charset-normalizer==3.4.2
click==8.2.1
clr_loader==0.2.7.post0
colorama==0.4.6
grpcio==1.73.0
idna==3.10
importlib_metadata==8.7.0
platformdirs==4.3.8
protobuf==5.29.5
psutil==7.0.0
pycparser==2.22
pywin32==310
requests==2.32.4
tqdm==4.67.1
urllib3==2.4.0
WMI==1.5.1
zipp==3.23.0

[franknli]

@ahjorthp Does ANSYS 25.2 work for you?

[ahjorthp]

@franknli I get the same error when using Ansys 25.2.

Here is the output, when using ansys-workbench-core==0.7.0:

wb = launch_workbench(
... host = r"DKNEWTON-RDS005.emea.group.grundfos.com",
... username = "65876",
... password = r"xxx",
... show_gui=False,
... version="252")
ERROR:root:wrong credential
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "", line 1, in
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\ansys\workbench\core\public_api.py", line 312, in launch_workbench
return LaunchWorkbench(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\ansys\workbench\core\public_api.py", line 132, in init
raise Exception("Filed to launch Ansys Workbench service.")
Exception: Filed to launch Ansys Workbench service.

and here for ansys-workbench-core == 0.9.0:

from ansys.workbench.core import launch_workbench

wb = launch_workbench(
... host = r"DKNEWTON-RDS005.emea.group.grundfos.com",
... username = "65876",
... password = r"xxx",
... show_gui=False,
... version="252")
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\wmi.py", line 1320, in connect
obj = connect_server(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\wmi.py", line 1453, in connect_server
ConnectServer(
File "", line 3, in ConnectServer
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\win32com\client\dynamic.py", line 356, in ApplyTypes
result = self.oleobj.InvokeTypes(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
pywintypes.com_error: (-2147352567, 'Exception occurred.', (0, 'SWbemLocator', 'Access is denied. ', None, 0, -2147024891), None)

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\ansys\workbench\core\workbench_launcher.py", line 137, in launch
self._wmi_connection = self._wmi.WMI(host, user=username, password=password)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\wmi.py", line 1354, in connect
handle_com_error()
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\wmi.py", line 258, in handle_com_error
raise klass(com_error=err)
wmi.x_access_denied: <x_wmi: Unexpected COM Error (-2147352567, 'Exception occurred.', (0, 'SWbemLocator', 'Access is denied. ', None, 0, -2147024891), None)>

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "", line 1, in
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\ansys\workbench\core\public_api.py", line 177, in launch_workbench
return LaunchWorkbench(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\ansys\workbench\core\public_api.py", line 112, in init
port = self._launcher.launch(version, show_gui, server_workdir, host, username, password)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Python\pyWorkbenchTest2\venv311\Lib\site-packages\ansys\workbench\core\workbench_launcher.py", line 141, in launch
raise Exception(
Exception: Failed in initializing WMI service on the remote machine DKNEWTON-RDS005.emea.group.grundfos.com. Make sure that the remote host is a Windows machine and that the correct credential is used.

[ahjorthp]

I have tried to do above with an admin user account, and then it works, so it seems to be related to user rights. Do you know how to allow the VMI service on the remote machine to be started using a normal user?

[franknli]

@ahjorthp This may be related:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/system-management-components/scenario-guide-troubleshoot-wmi-connectivity-access-issues#set-dcom-security-to-allow-a-non-administrator-user-to-access-a-computer-remotely