Cloning a PC, and keeping Factory Talk SE

Hi,

We have two PC's that are on their way out, and looking to replace them.

We have an IT tech here, but he cant seem to sort it. So maybe someone on here will know?

If we clone the origional hard drive, I guess we will need a new windows program and licence, but how do we keep factorytalk SE? we have no dongle, so i'm guessing its a file somewhere?

I dont really want to buy two more copies of FT-SE.

Cheers

Rob

If you don't have any dongle out there, you could always virtualize the physical machine and use a specific virtual machine each time to program with FT-SE when you would need it. This would be free to test and if it works is the most scalable solution as you would be able to use the virtual machine for years and move it from as many computers you would have in the future...

Hope this helps...

Would this be reliable?

The machine runs factorytalk view SE 24 hours a day, and is only turned off for maintenance, Its probably only been switched off 10 times in around 6 years.

Its a points controll system running on a 24 hour Train Depot (one in manchester, and one in york.

It is called Factory Talk Activation Manager. Without a dongle, the license is a file that works in the way that it contains a code that is linked either to the serial number of the HD, or the MAC address of the ethernet card.

You dont have to buy new licenses. The proper way to do it is to "rehost" each license from the old PC to the new PC. Rehosting is a function in Factory Talk Activation Manager. Read the online help there.

Cheers

I dont have the origional disk, or any paper activation/dongle/anything, apart from the computer with the software running on it. (the computer isnt connected to the internet either)

I am no expert in logix/factory talk/or computers, lol

Anyone care to do a step by step explination of what i need to do?

What version?
It is possible that you have the older (and more reliable) EVRSI licensing... Look for a hidden file in the root directory, EVRSI.SYS. If you have that, you can probably download the EVMOVECF.EXE application from Rockwell and move the license off to a new drive or flash drive, then put it back on the new computer.

I'm not sure on the version, but the system was installed around 2006..

licence

Questions/comments:
1) do you have a support contract with Rockwell?
2) you will have the licence numbers and these can be reset by Rockwell if you do not have the orignal documents - they can check their records to see if your company actually purchased the software. then the licence can be reset/rehosted, but you may have to update to a later version of the software.
3) virtual machines will run fine, as long as the settings are correct for networking. They are a bit slower, but do work well.

Ive managed to find some information.

I dont know if we have a support contract.

whats happened is, in around 2006, the depots were built, a company put in all the points control system, then went bust, and we had no support.
Fast forward to 2012, I joined the company, things started going wrong with the system, and the company want it modifying.
We have no real computer experts here, I am the plant and equipment engineer, so I got the task of sorting it.

I've managed to find a paper file with some info:

Control net CNB Firmware rev 5.50.10
Ethernet comm module Firmware rev 3.9
Panel View Firmware rev 4.00.01
Control Logix PLX Firmware rev 15.50.3

I've also found the Scada running time software licence numbers.


the file says there is a CD with licence images... but that is nowhere to be found.

Rob,

A way I have found recently is to use a programme called Belarc Advisor - free download from http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Get this download and copy this to your PCs that are on the way out and run the programme. It will complete with a web-page formatted report and if you look through the report, it should tell you what software is loaded on the PC and also tell you the version and the licence numbers, as well as all the hardware information of the PC.

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/archive/index.php/t-80513.html


please get info from their

Regarding the virtualization, you could try it for free and easily with any PC you have in the office first.

Take a look at this link http://www.vmware.com/products/converter/ where you will see all the needed software to test.

Then you could download VMware player (free also) to start your virtual machine.

If you want a solid rock option then probably you would need an ESX server which is used to virtualize servers and to have reliability and save energy in lots of companies.

All this will only be useful to you if the virtualization is not breaking anything regarding your PLC software... You could try to make a parallel installation of the software you need (get it from any resource) and test it, if it works then you will know this could be an option...

Good luck!

If the system was installed in 2006 and the related PanelView Plus terminal is running version 4.0 firmware, it is likely that the RSView SE installation is also version 4.0.

Version 4 still used the older EVRSI activation method, so you should be looking for the EVRSI.SYS hidden file on the C: drive of the computer. There are numerous tutorials on the RA website about how to use EVRSI, especially the EVMOVECF.exe utility that supports flash memory devices as well as the old-style floppy disks.

Since almost eight years has passed, any sort of support contract will have lapsed. You can get in touch with Rockwell Automation in the UK to look up those serial numbers and get a support contract re-established.

When a system's backups are lost or corrupted, you run a significant chance of losing the whole thing if a controller or computer fails, or if an inexpert person accidentally hits "download" instead of "upload".

I very strongly recommend that you hire a contractor to evaluate the system and get proper backups of the controller logic and the RSView SE project done. Forum user daba can probably recommend someone in your area, as can RA's sales and support offices.

Rockwell Automation's Northern UK sales office is:

Northern Sales Office
Suite 29-30, Edwin Foden Business Centre
Moss Lane
Sandbach,Cheshire CW11 3AE

Main Telephone Number:+44 (0)1270 752 350
Fax Number:+44 (0)1270 752 399

it's possible for end user to go Windows CE HMI ?

if you can move the factory talk license file, you could use a disk imaging package like acronis. that's what we use

regards,
james