Redlion G3 HMI - File Synchronisation

I am in the middle of commissionin a hydro-electric site, when the customer has suddenly dropped an Extra on me, he has been reading the manual which comes with the Crimson 3 software, and fancies using the File 'Synch Manager' to transfer all the data-log files onto a remote site.

I have never used this function before, and unfortunately I don't have access to the remote server, and have only email contact with the customer's IT guy. So it is not easy to sind out if it is working.

I have enabled the "Record Log File", but when I have opened it, all I have is a continous stream of this (see extract below):

2012/06/15 08:55:05 >>> USER Username
2012/06/15 08:55:05 <<< 331
2012/06/15 08:55:05 >>> PASS Password
2012/06/15 08:55:05 <<< 530
2012/06/15 08:55:15 <<< 220
2012/06/15 08:55:15 >>> USER Username
2012/06/15 08:55:15 <<< 331
2012/06/15 08:55:15 >>> PASS Password
2012/06/15 08:55:15 <<< 530
2012/06/15 08:55:26 <<< 220
2012/06/15 08:55:26 >>> USER Username
2012/06/15 08:55:26 <<< 331


What does this mean?? Is working or not??

Can anyone help urgently? As I am only going to be onsite for a few more days, and I have to get this working before I leave.

HELP!!!!!

The sync manager requires an FTP site to which your log files will be sent at a minimum interval of 1 hour.

Have their IT folks set up an FTP location that can be accessed by the G3 (on the same or routable subnet). They should be able to provide you with the credentials to fill in the page (Login Username, Login Password, Server IP address or name).

Enable Sync Manager and Enable Log File Syncronization and I also recommend enabling the Record Log File option to help with troubleshooting if there are issues. I think that is what you already have and are trying to decode it...

Once you think you have it all working, you should be able to use a browser (on a PC on that netowrk) to see the FTP site and view the contents. I use the same username and password provided for the G3 to verify this.

When I first set this up, I had trouble getting access to the FTP site by using its name. I think that since my Network Port Settings had the G3 itself assigned as a Manual Configuration (fixed IP), that even with the proper DHCP values and setting the Sync Manager as a Fixed Name, it didn't want to work. I had to use the Fixed IP address setting on the sync manager after confirming that the FTP site would not be dynamically assigned.

When I had problems (using the FTP host name instead of fixed IP), I didn't understand how to decode the log file, but I do recall contacting Red Lion early on and asking for their help, along with my IT guy who told me that the G3 appeared to be logging in successfully but not dropping off any data. After switching to a fixed IP, it worked and hasn't stopped since (about two years ago).

The files that get logged will be those that are already in your Data Logger set up...I will assume you already have at least one Log file set up there as well as a CF card installed.

Hope this helps,
Paul

Thanks for the help. Paul (OkiePC)

Unfortunately, it looks like I am alreday doing what did, in that I am using a Fixed IP address for the server.

I have been able to access the server using Internet Explorer, with the same Fixed IP address, Username & Password. But there is nothing there.

I have several data-logs on the G3 HMI's compactflash, but nothing seems to be arriving at the server.

What is strange is that according the Record ftp log file, Hmi seems to be trying every few minutes rather than once an hour.

Another option is to use websync running on any PC or server.
Websync should be located in the following path
C:\Program Files\Red Lion Controls\Crimson 3.0\Utils

The Crimson 3 manual doesn't include any information about how it works, but below is copied from the Crimson 2 manual
"
USING WEBSYNC
The WebSync utility—which will be stored in the directory specified when the software was installed—can be executed to synchronize a directory on a PC with the contents of an operator panel’s data logs. You may decide to configure an application, such as the Windows Scheduler (or perhaps a cron daemon), to run this utility on a regular basis, or you may use a command line switch to instruct WebSync to perform the polling automatically. You may also decide to host WebSync on a central server so that the log files can be made available to selected users on your corporate network.
WEBSYNC SYNTAX
WebSync is invoked from the command line using the following syntax… websync {switches} <hostname> …where <hostname> is replaced with the IP address of the panel to be polled.
OPTIONAL SWITCHES
The switches field may contain one or more of the following options…
• –terse can be used to suppress progress information.
• –poll <n> can be used to poll the terminal every n minutes.
• –path <dir> can be used to specify dir as the directory to hold the log files.
• -ras <name> can be used to invoke a dial-out connection to access the unit.
• -user <name> can be used to specify the username for the connection.
• -pass <pass> can be used to specify the password for the connection.
CONFIGURING DATA LOGGING NOTES FOR EDICT USERS REVISION 12 PAGE 199
• -num <num> can be used to override the phone number for the connection.
EXAMPLE USAGE
As an example, the following command line… websync –poll 10 –path C:\Logs 192.9.200.52 …will read the log files for all data logs on the terminal with the IP address of 192.9.200.52, and will store these logs under subdirectories of the C:\Logs [FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]directory. WebSync will continue to execute, and will repeat the polling process every ten minutes. The polling interval must obviously be set such that it is much less than the sampling rate times the number of samples in a file times the number of log files to be retained. If this constraint is met, the directory on the PC will accumulate copies of all the log files from the terminal. "
[/FONT][/FONT]
I have a server setup to run this as a scheduled task at startup.

Marc_U said:

What is strange is that according the Record ftp log file, Hmi seems to be trying every few minutes rather than once an hour.

Click to expand...

I believe that this is the same symptom I was seeing. The G3 recognized that it had not performed the sync and kept trying every few minutes according to my IT guy. I know that at some point, I power cycled the G306 and that the IT guy did something on his end about the same time (reboot virtual host?)...

Another thing I seem to remember, at one time in my trials and errors, I had enabled the FTP server in the G3...I think the Red Lion folks told me that must be turned off in order for Sync Manager to work.

I remember at that time wishing I knew exactly why it started working..

I know that this probably seems like a daft question, but I am not familar with ftp servers, and how they may differ from normal computers.

But I have just tried accessing the ftp server with my laptop's file manager, using the Username & Password, I've been given by the IT guy (who's now on holiday today).

I can access the server, and view a Test.txt file there, but I cannot change the file, or create a folder or something there. I just get a message saying "Access is denied".

Would this be the same for the HMI? It is being denied access to transfer files to the server. ??!!???

I just tried using Windows Explorer for the 1st time instead of a browser. Using the credentials supplied to me for my G3, I can create a New Folder...so, yes, it may very well be a user rights issue.

Okay the IT guy has changed the access rights now. But it still won't work.

I am still getting the same messages in the Log file.


Just a question the User-name has a backslash in it.

lithgows\ftpjura

The IT guy says that this standard, like the @ in emails.

Could that \ (backslash) be causing the problem?


Are there any symbols that can cause a problem?

Have you called Red Lion yet? Talk to them on the phone, now that you've gotten what should be all the basics covered.

I opted to email Redlion instead, and this was their response:

One issue is you are using a domain login, and you used a backslash in the user ID. Use a forward slash / instead.

myDomain/myLogin

Also, make sure you have given that domain user ID required access to the ftp server.

Finally, check the ftp.log at the root of the CF to see if any there are other errors, and address as required. When you get it working, turn of the log file so it does not get too big and cause issue, that is for debugging only.

Click to expand...

Ironically at almost the same time I got an email from the IT Guy saying that he had managed to set the default ftp server to "lithgows", so I could just use the username 'ftpjura'.

And with that done, plus thanks to your help Paul (OkiePC) , especially the warning about FTP Server switched off.

It all worked.

Many Thanks,

Marc

You are welcome, and glad you let us know the outcome. Your thread will surely expand our gotchas list and save some searcher much heartache...

Unfortunately, the Sync Manager after running with no problems for almost 3 months, has suddenly stopped working.

According to the site IT guy, nothing has changed his end, and as far as I can see, logging into the HMI remotely, the HMI is working, and creating fresh dada log files to be synched.

The Sync Manager alone just seems to be not working.

Has anyone else experienced this problem, or have any suggestions?


Unfortunately the site is in a very remote location, such that I am unable to go to site to investigate. I have suggested rebooting the HMI, but I have dependant on others who are non-technical, but are onsite to do that.

Marc_U said:

Unfortunately, the Sync Manager after running with no problems for almost 3 months, has suddenly stopped working.

According to the site IT guy, nothing has changed his end, and as far as I can see, logging into the HMI remotely, the HMI is working, and creating fresh dada log files to be synched.

The Sync Manager alone just seems to be not working.

Has anyone else experienced this problem, or have any suggestions?


Unfortunately the site is in a very remote location, such that I am unable to go to site to investigate. I have suggested rebooting the HMI, but I have dependant on others who are non-technical, but are onsite to do that.

Click to expand...

If you can't get onsite your only hope is to enable the record log file and see whats happening. If you have left the record log file enabled since the beginning that could also be your problem. If the file gets too large it will cause problems.

Thanks
Jeremy

JeremyH said:

If you have left the record log file enabled since the beginning that could also be your problem. If the file gets too large it will cause problems.

Thanks
Jeremy

Click to expand...

So, we should turn that off once we have it working? I have been recording a log file for almost two years on a G306 . . .

Yes it is recommended to only use that option for trouble shooting or else the file will just continue to grow.

Thanks
Jeremy