Slow Clients and Heartbeat

This question is very touching subject at my job, and I was seeing if anyone out there has ever dealt with something like this.

I have a Redundant Server Setup, one Primary and one Secondary.

I also have 2 HMI Clients that serve up the same project.

We also have a heartbeat that runs in the VBA code that always write a 0 to 2 PLC Tags to differentiate between Left and Right.

Now every now and then, the heartbeat will stop sending 0 for a few seconds, and cause an alarm saying there is a heartbeat issue.

I am at my wits end with this. The VBA is Simple:

Case "dchmileft"
MyTagGroupNav.Add ("/PaceView/DataServer::[CLX6]HMI_Left_Heartbeat")
Set Heartbeat = MyTagGroupNav.Item("/PaceView/DataServer::[CLX6]HMI_Left_Heartbeat")
Set LoggedInLevel = MyTagGroupNav.Item("LoginLevelDCHMILeft")
Case "dchmiright"
MyTagGroupNav.Add ("/PaceView/DataServer::[CLX6]HMI_Right_Heartbeat")
Set Heartbeat = MyTagGroupNav.Item("/PaceView/DataServer::[CLX6]HMI_Right_Heartbeat")
Set LoggedInLevel = MyTagGroupNav.Item("LoginLevelDCHMIRight")

Private Sub Heartbeat_Timer_Change()
On Error Resume Next
Heartbeat.Value = 0
End Sub

Heartbeat_Timer is a numeric display that references System\Blinkfast tag.

Is there anyone out there that has a similar setup and had problems with their heartbeat? or anyone have a better solution for a heartbeat, I would love to hear it.

I'm assuming from the code, that you are using that ridiculous pile of **** FTView SE.

If so, then there isn't much you can do; FTView doesn't work in any kind of deterministic fashion. Lengthen your timeouts perhaps. On the computer running the VBA (and hopefully it is only one), go to services, and DISABLE Windows update, and any virus protection/scanner you might have. Actually, set EVERYTHING not related to Rockwell that is unnecessary to DISABLED.

I suppose you can try also changing the update rate on the display running the VBA, but that is usually only a suggestion to FTView which is ignored 90% of the time.