clients can't find server

[reandy]

We are upgrading from Version 5 Lookout to Version 6.02 Build 1, and we have come up with a few issues.

We first tryed to make a simple server application with a couple of pots, and some displays that show values of intergers in the plc's. The SLC-500's work fine, but we can not get the PLC-5 to talk. Like I said, we are upgrading, and we have not had this issue in version 5. So, not sure what is up there.

Next, we made a simple client application, with a couple of pots that link back to the pots on the server, and all i'm getting is red x's on the client. Again, we find these tasks simple to do in version 5, and havn't been able to figure out what might be wrong when we use version 6

We have tried using the servers name in the url, and also an ip address, neither worked.

We also noticed that we are not able to filter the alarms in version 6, even if I have it selected for alarms only (not events and alarms) I still get events in the alarm window.

Also ran into difficulties in converting the citadel database to work with our new version 6 (version 5 citadel). The database conversion (using MAX) starts just fine, but 'hangs' about half way thru.

We are going to have to get these issues resolved before we finalize our upgrade to Version 6.

Is anyone else having similar problems?

Rich Anderson

Anamax Group

[Ryan.S]

Are you running Lookout 5 and 6 on the same computer?

It's weird that you get those problems with Lookout 6.0.2.

As you said, the client pot gets X. Does the pot in server process also show the error?

Which object are you using? SLC500 or PLC5? or both?

Message Edited by Ryan.S on 11-08-2006 05:12 PM

[reandy]

We removed Lookout 5 from the computer we installed on.

The pot on the server process shows no error

The SLC500 object works fine.

the PLC5 doesn't work

[reandy]

Humm, I should have clarified. We removed Lookout V5 BEFORE we installed V6

[Ryan.S]

What's your OS?

PLC5 -  What's the alarm? communication fail? Make sure the configuration is right first. If you use serial, please log diagnostic files for the serial port.

Client connection -  Have you activated the client connection license? Any alarms on server side or client side?

Alarm filter - The Lookout client software is not able to filter alarms. But for Lookout server, it should work.

I think you'd better try to install Lookout 6 on another clean machine, because those problems don't seem to be bugs, and I assume your operations are right.

[reandy]

It was a brand new pc out of the box, no software installed on it.

it is running WinXP

The PLC-5 is connected via ethernet. I have made these before on V5 with no problems, and I don't think NI changed it so i have to 'do a new trick' to get it to work.

Define "Client can not filter alarms"? In version 5, the client is able to 'supress' displaying 'events' in the alarm window. In the "show" section of the Alarm Filters, you can select Events, Both, or Alarms. This has always worked. This does NOT appear to work in V6. Why would I want the operator to have his 'alarm count' increase each time he starts a machine "event from pushing the button".

We will get another fresh PC and install Vesion 6 on it and try again. However, that is how we started in the first place.

[reandy]

Oops, I should clarify, the first time we tryed V6 was on a box that had V5 on it. We removed V5 and put on V6, problems

We got a brand new pc, and installed V6 on it, problems.

Because we don't have any 'new' pc just sitting here. I will take the origional, wipe the hard drive, reinstall WinXP, and try the 'first' one again

reandy

[Ryan.S]

It's a bug in Lookout 6.0.2 Client software. The free client software cannot filter alarms.

Can you ping that PLC sucessfully? You can also try "telnet ipaddress 44818" to see if anything blocks the communication. There should be no error.

Message Edited by Ryan.S on 11-16-2006 09:15 PM

[reandy]

We can ping the PLC successfully. It is communicating to our workstation that has RSLogix 5 on it.

The PLC communicates with Version 5 Lookout no problems.

If we pretend that the IP address of this PLC is 10.20.30.40 then

from the command prompt...

ping 10.20.30.40

produces good replys

from the command prompt...

telnet 10.20.30.40 44818

produces: Connecting to 10.20.30.40...could not open a connection to host on port 44818 : Connect failed.

Also note, that running this command from a command prompt on our PC running V5 Lookout produces the same Connect failed.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Rich

[erblock]

This is how I set up my PLC stuff....

Server Process; Named "PLC" for example:

Assume PCL object named PLC1 and you want to write/read from PLC1.R1000 for example (not AB specific here, I use GE-Fanuc).

Create DataTable object...say Table_PLC1 and edit the database to define a cell for connection to the PLC object....let's name that data member PLC1_R1000 and define the cell location as R1000, so the full data member definition path is Table_PLC1.PLC1_R1000 or equivalently is defined as Table_PLC1.R1000.

Now edit connetions on the PLC1 object and select the R1000 data member.  Now define a connection to that member as Table_PLC1.R1000 and save.

Now create a Pot object, say Pot_PLC_R1000, select remote type and enter path as Table_PLC1.R1000

Now edit connections in table object Table_PLC1 and select R1000 data member.  Connect Pot_PLC_R1000.value to that member and save.

Client process; Named "Client1" for example:

Make sure you define a Symbolic Link object in the client process, named "PLC" for instance and define the path as \\server_name_or_IP_address\server_process_name or for example \\PLCserv\PLC or \\10.0.0.1\PLC.

Now Create a Pot in the client process named Pot_PLC_R1000 and remote it to [PLC]\Pot_PLC_R1000.value.  You can control from the client with this pot or you can just drag or insert displayable object linked to this client pot (for display only)

Similarly, create a local client Hypertrend object and define traces to the data table object on the server, for example:

[PLC]\Table_PLC1.R1000.

So in review.  In the server process, first connect the Table object cell to the appropriate PCL object data member, then connect the sever Pot.value to the table object cell.  Lastly, in the client, through a symlink, link a local client pot remotely to the server pot.value.

Hope this helps...

Ed