Migrating FactoryTalk View Projects to Windows 7 64 bit

Rob S.

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Join Date
Sep 2008
Location
Maryland
Posts
739
Good Morning ,

I have searched ,but I have not found much related to migrating FactoryTalk 32 bit applications to a Windows 7 64 bit system. Searching the internet , it sounds like you still need to use a 32 bit system to do the conversion. Is that true ? It is sometimes hard to find a 32 bit system to do this conversion , especially if you are at a customers location. Have you folks discovered a work around for this problem ?

FactoryTalk Studio.....
The target HMI project is a legacy project ( FactoryTalk v6.00 or earlier )

Thanks in advance
 
Thanks Sir. I did see that one , but they also recommend doing it with a 32 bit machine.
I am having a hard time finding a 32 bit machine. If I would find a 32 bit machine , would I need FactoryTalk on that machine ? It seems like I would.

Thanks,
 
I believe if you follow the instruction for setting up and running in windows xp mode, link from the above website you can run the 32bit coversion you need.

I just looked at my pc's xp mode and it does seem to be running in 32bit mode. I know it is more trouble to setup the xp mode than it would to just have a real 32bit OS pc to do it.

I pretty sure you do not have to install FTV just the legacy tool converter and have your FTV projects copies
 
Yes, you need a 32 bit machine.
Yes, a VM with Windows 7-32 or XP works fine.
Yes, you will need FTView legacy database conversion tool on both 32 and 64 bit systems.
You may need FTView Studio on the 32 bit VM (of at least 6.1) if working with older applications.

You may also be better off converting the entire application to anything but FTView, but that is only my opinion.
 
I am in the process of converting a few FactoryTalk View 32 applications to
the Windows 7 - 64 bit. I was going to use the Virtual XP mode on my laptop,
but some reason it wanted my Windows User Name and Password , and I have no idea what that is. So I found an old XP 32 bit PC in the basement that works well . I downloaded the FactoryTalk View legacy migration tool , and went thru the process and it seems like it went well. But , I took notice that I need to use Application Manager on my XP 32 bit system before I take it back over to the 64 bit system. I don't have any FactoryTalk View software on the XP 32 bit system , just the FactoryTalk View legacy migration tool . Can I download only Application Manager to my XP 32 bit system , or am I doing something wrong ? I have been following the process as described .

Automation Blog

How to Migrate FactoryTalk View Projects to Windows 7 64 bit

Step 5) Once the Database(s) have been exported, create an APA (application archive) for your project(s) using the Application Manager.

Step 6) Copy the APA file(s) to your Windows 7 64 bit machine, and restore it/them using the Application Manager.

Thanks so much , and have a great Thanksgiving
 
When ever I need one converted I call A/B and with my tech connect contract they do it for me and send it back to me. It has all ways taken them less than 10 minutes to do.
 
its not hard to do. it is extremely annoying. They really need to come up with a better method. I also have a XP VM for this purpose
 
I was on a roll , till I came to the Application Manager needing to be on my separate XP 32 bit machine. I couldn't use my XP mode on my laptop because I don't know my windows password. Does anybody know a workaround for the XP Mode and the password issue ? I don't remember none of these problems with Siemens .

Thanks all for your help.
 
Rob S. said:
...I downloaded the FactoryTalk View legacy migration tool , and went thru the process and it seems like it went well

Rob,

Firstly, can you fill in this blank for me?...

How did you "get" a project onto the 32-bit XP machine, in the correct format, before using the FactoryTalk View Legacy Tag Database Conversion Tool on it?

If you had an MER or APA file, for instance, you would have needed the Application Manager on the 32-bit XP machine to Restore it to an MED file and all of its sub-folders, before using the Conversion Tool on it?

The Conversion Tool looks to the <HMI projects> folder by default for applications that it can export a database from. All of the projects on a workstation have a root folder under the <HMI projects> folder which contains all of that project's data. Within each project folder you will see numerous folders and the MED file.

The MED file is the saved project's core file, but it calls in all its relevant data from the other folders; Tags, Graphics, Global Objects/Connections, Parameters, Macros, Security, Alarms, etc.

When you Archive an application, using the Application Manager, it is the MED file and all the data in the sub-folders that is packed into an APA file.

Likewise, when you compile an MER file, using View Studio, to run on a terminal, that will be convertible back to an MED and its data, you are similarly packing the same data in.

The archived APA file is the method used to transfer an entire application from one workstation to another. So how did you get from either an MER file, APA file, or MED file and sub-folders to the 32-bit XP machine without using Application Manager?

Did you just copy the entire project folder under <HMI projects> from one machine to the other or what am I missing here?

Rob S. said:
...I took notice that I need to use Application Manager on my XP 32 bit system before I take it back over to the 64 bit system. I don't have any FactoryTalk View software on the XP 32 bit system , just the FactoryTalk View legacy migration tool...

Despite the advice given in this thread, if you read Shawn Tierney's article carefully, he mentions near the beginning...

Shawn Tierney said:
...So what do you do if you have dozens of FactoryTalk View projects that you need to migrate to Windows 7 64 bit? Well, if you still have access to a 32 bit Windows OS with ViewStudio installed, the work around is pretty easy...

Rob S. said:
...Can I download only Application Manager to my XP 32 bit system...

To my knowledge, there is no way to individually install Application Manager on a workstation without installing View Studio itself. The Application Manager, Documenter, and certain other tools, are installed with View Studio as a package. Without the complete package, certain installed components will undoubtedly be missing if say you were to copy the "Application Manager.exe" file and its accompanying "ApplicationManagerServer.dll" file file to another workstation and attempt to run it.

Other tools, such as the Database Conversion Tool and the Machine Edition Transfer Utility (METU) are separate installs and can be downloaded from Rockwell.

But my curiosity still stands regarding which method you used to get a project onto the 32-bit XP machine?

Answering this might just answer your question on how to get around not having Application Manager to transfer the project over to the 64-bit machine?

If you found a way to go one way, why can you not do the same to go back?

I eagerly awaiting your reply, or for someone else to slap me in the face with a branch off one of the trees I currently cannot see in this woods?

Regards,
George
 
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I downloaded the Legacy Database Conversion Tool to my Window 7 64 bit
laptop. Once I downloaded it , I put the Legacy Database Conversion Tool on a USB stick and moved it to the XP 32 bit machine . Once I did that , I was able to open the Legacy Database Conversion Tool on the XP 32 bit machine. To get the project I went to the Windows 7 64 bit , I went to......

C: / Users / Pubic / Public Documents / RS View Enterprise / ME / HMI Projects / 1348 Molder

I copied that folder on a USB stick and used that stick on the XP 32 bit machine. I opened the Legacy Database Conversion Tool on the XP 32 bit
machine and under the browse in Legacy Database Conversion Tool I drilled
down in the USB stick and used the ........

C: / Users / Pubic / Public Documents / RS View Enterprise / ME / HMI Projects / 1348 Molder

Path to do the conversion. I got a result on Notepad saying the conversion was a success.
 
Ah OK, so you did just use the project folder. Not many know to do that as the folder structure is not so well known and the Application Manager is usually the more obvious method.

The only reason you are advised to us the Application Manager on the 32-bit XP machine is to simply pack up the project, for which you've just converted the database, into an APA archive file for ease of transfer back to the 64-bit machine. Where you then Restore it using Application Manager again.

The Application Manager does not do anything special or specific here to complete this conversion process. It is simply a method of more easily transferring applications using one file.

So, and as I said, if you got it to the 32-bit machine using "some" method, then what is stopping you from using the same method to return it?

The project folder on the USB flash drive should now have the converted tag database in the Tags folder. Simply copy the project folder back to where you got it from on the 64-bit machine and you should be good to go.

Regards,
George
 
That is what I thought , also. But when I tried to open it again in FactoryTalk View in the 64 bit system , I got the Legacy Database Message again. I will try
It again in the morning .

Thanks for your help , Sir .
 
Export or Conversion?...

Rob,

Sorry, I've just noticed something you wrote and then something I wrote which is not correct...

Rob S. said:
...I opened the Legacy Database Conversion Tool on the XP 32 bit
machine and under the browse in Legacy Database Conversion Tool I drilled
down in the USB stick and used the ........

C: / Users / Pubic / Public Documents / RS View Enterprise / ME / HMI Projects / 1348 Molder

Path to do the conversion. I got a result on Notepad saying the conversion was a success...

Geospark said:
...The project folder on the USB flash drive should now have the converted tag database in the Tags folder...

You do not have FactoryTalk View Studio v6.1 or later installed on the 32-bit OS. You only have the Conversion Tool.

So, with that in mind...

The Tool is only used on the 32-bit OS to export the older tag database. You do not/cannot perform the conversion on the 32-bit OS. You perform the conversion when you bring the exported Legacy Tag Database over to the 64-bit OS.

I did not spot that you wrote "conversion" the first time and I also incorrectly stated that the "converted" tag database is now on the USB flash drive. It is not. What you should have on the USB flash drive is the exported Legacy Tag Database, ready to be transferred to the 64-bit OS for conversion.

At this point I'm not sure if what you did was an export on the 32-bit OS by selecting in the Tool...

Export Legacy Tag Database

...got a successful result...

...and are incorrectly calling it a "conversion" here...

...or you actually attempted a conversion on the 32-bit OS by selecting in the Tool...

Create FactoryTalk View Tag Database in new format

...and got some kind of successful result?

I would think not. You cannot convert a Legacy Tag Database on a system that does not have FactoryTalk View v6.1 or later installed.

Why?

Because only FactoryTalk View v6.1 or higher will have the newer SQL Server Express Tag Database software installed. This is what you are converting to. Without it on the 32-bit OS, you cannot convert.

So, can you confirm which option you selected in the Tool?...

If it was "Export...", then have you now got a *.CSV file in the project folder on the USB flash drive? CSV is the format the Legacy Tag Database is exported to.

If you had selected "Create...", then you need to start again.

I'm not sure what happens when you try to "Create..." from a Legacy Tag Database where SQL Server Express is not installed. I would imagine you should get some kind of error?

If you did do a "Create...", then I would check the project folder on the USB flash drive just in case some CSV file or log file or other was added. If there is anything created there then they are of no real use. I would just delete them. But I would note what text might be inside them, just out of curiosity, before deleting them.

When you do the export, and you have a correct CSV file in the project folder on the USB flash drive, you can then return the project folder to where you got it from on the 64-bit OS. Then run the Conversion Tool on the 64-bit OS and select the "Create..." option and the same project for conversion. The Tool should then use the CSV file to convert the tag data into an SQL Server Database file.

Then the project can be successfully opened on the 64-bit OS.

To recap...

The FactoryTalk View Legacy Tag Database Conversion Tool is used on a 32-bit OS to export a Legacy Tag Database from a pre v6.1 application project and save it in a CSV file format.

The CSV file is transferred with the project to a 64-bit OS where FactoryTalk View Studio v6.1 or later is installed, having SQL Server Express also installed.

The FactoryTalk View Legacy Tag Database Conversion Tool is then used on a 64-bit OS to convert the CSV file tag data into an SQL Server Database.

The project can now be opened using FactoryTalk View v6.1 or later, but it can no longer be opened on an older system running FactoryTalk View Studio v6.0 or older.

Sorry for missing that and the added confusion.

Regards,
George
 
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