Why does the ‘License Server Reachability’ test need to connect to https://www.baidu.com/?

The test to reach https://www.baidu.com/ is merely a diagnostic step to indicate if general internet access is available to DDM. Due to some websites being blocked in some countries, the Baidu search engine is used.

It is important to note that access to the general internet is not mandatory for DDM to function. It is however important that the DDM server has access to the License during activation and the Update server to be able to receive new versions. Below are the details of these servers:

License Server: https://software-license-ddm.audinate.com (port 443)
Update Server: https://software-updates-ddm.audinate.com (port 443)
 
If you expect general internet access on the DDM server and the reachability test shows that it cannot connect to https://www.baidu.com/, there is likely a network configuration problem or a firewall that may be blocking access. Please consult your IT department.