RSLinx Classic Driver Transferring

I've run into a real PITA trying to set-up company laptops to be compatible with our new FT AssetCentre security scheme.

We have a server PC running RSLinx Classic Gateway 2.59 and FT AssetCentre 4.10. This server resides on a VLAN with about 60 Nodes. Each node is a 1756-ENBT in a CLX rack. A separate ENBT exists in each rack that communicates with a Local Subnet (PV+'s, CLX PLC's, and PFlex Drives). The local subnet IP's are the same from Node to Node, and are isolated by the backplane from the plantwide VLAN.

We have an Ethernet Devices driver in Linx Classic, and an Ethernet driver in Linx Enterprise all set-up and mapped out with the remote subnets, and it all works fine.

The problem is this: since AssetCentre has to grab all the .ACD and .MER files over the VLAN, then the project comms path reflect this. Until now, all the technicians have been using programming ports on the local subnets. They will now need to go online via the VLAN, either wirelessly, or from dedicated drops we have for this purpose. Which of course means that the Linx Classic and Enterprise driver configs needs to be set-up on all company (and contractor) programming PC's. In the case of some of our contractor's, they may need to switch Linx configurations when working at other plants.

Approximately 80% of the devices are located on the subnets, and the RSLinx Classic Backup/Restore Utility does not preserve the remote subnet mapping
I have RA Tech Support working on a work-around at the moment, and the guy I spoke to said he would enter this issue as a "defect" with their internal engineering group to see about a permanent fix. But I thought I'd run this past the experts to see if any of you guys have had to deal with a similar situation. Setting up this driver takes hours of tedious work, and is not sustainable on a regular basis.

What really gets me is that transferring the Enterprise config file from one PC to another (the "RSLinxNG.xml" file) restores all subnet mapping. I tested this today to verify. Seems like a major oversight to build a backup/restore feature into the linx classic software and not have it restore EVERYTHING.

Sorry for the long-winded question. If you need me to provide any more details about the topology, I'd be happy to do so.

Thanks in advance.

Dustin

Dustin,

I've run into this same issue. Luckily all of our CLX and HMIs are on our plant network and we have limited devices I need to backup on the device level local networks.

Unfortunately I don't know of a way around this. I had considered editing the exported file to try and manually insert the local subnets but I'm not sure how easy that is of if the backup utility would even recognize it.

We are using the RSLinx back-Up and restore feature of RSLinx for years already due to this oversight as you mentioned.

Scorcel said:

We are using the RSLinx back-Up and restore feature of RSLinx for years already due to this oversight as you mentioned.

Click to expand...

You haven't been able to find a work-around either, I'm guessing?

Getting closer to a working solution here, but still not quite there. THE RA engineer suggested moving the harmony files from the source to target PC, in addition to moving the .rsx backup file. This did not work for restoring subnet mapping on the target PC, but it did preserve the subnet mapping of the original configuration when restored on the target PC.
I'm thinking there is another file that would have to be transferred from host to target to make this a valid "transfer" utility. It does work as a "full" backup, but it's still not all that I am after. I will keep posted if a working solution is found.

Cheers,
Dustin

bmacattack33 said:

Getting closer to a working solution here, but still not quite there. THE RA engineer suggested moving the harmony files from the source to target PC, in addition to moving the .rsx backup file. This did not work for restoring subnet mapping on the target PC, but it did preserve the subnet mapping of the original configuration when restored on the target PC.

Click to expand...

I am having this exact same issue. Few questions:

1. You mention moving the Harmony files. Are you refering to the registery entries or some other files?

2. When you restored these to the target PC, you said it did not work for restoring the subnet on the target PC, but preserved the subnet mapping of the orignal config. Do you mean it didn't work on the target but could acts as a backup for the original / source PC?

Rockwell needs to fix this mess. I have been asking for 4 years...guess it isn't going to happen.

Thanks!

dno012 said:

I am having this exact same issue. Few questions:

1. You mention moving the Harmony files. Are you refering to the registery entries or some other files?
2. When you restored these to the target PC, you said it did not work for restoring the subnet on the target PC, but preserved the subnet mapping of the orignal config. Do you mean it didn't work on the target but could acts as a backup for the original / source PC?

Rockwell needs to fix this mess. I have been asking for 4 years...guess it isn't going to happen.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Hi,

1. The Harmony files are two files located at C:/Documents and Settings/All Users/Application Data/RSCommon
Both files are actually named "harmony". One has an .rsh extension, can't remember the other.

2. Yes, exactly right. By backing up the harmony files and rsx files, a complete driver config can be restored on the original PC. Just not transferable to another PC
Supposedly has something to do with the harmony files being attached to the computer name

I agree, it is insane that Rockwell has not fixed this. The (somewhat) good news is that Linx 3.51 makes it easier to build the remote subnet map. Instead of adding IP addresses one at a time manually, you can select addresses several at a time from a list of available addresses.
I was told that a major revision to linx is due out in a year or so that will fix these issues. We'll see

Cheers,
Dustin

Late edit:
I posted the wrong path to the harmony files. The correct path (for an XP install on the C drive):
C:/Program Files/Rockwell Software/RSCommon

Slightly OT

Quick question, if anybody knows, I can't find an answer on RA.com-
Is RSNetworx v21 compatible with WinXP sp3? I need to install Linx 3.51 on a machine at work, but it doesn't play well with Networx 11.04, so I need to upgrade that. I know Logix v21 won't install on XP, but can't find any info on RSNetworx.

Thanks in advance

Yes.
http://compatibility.rockwellautomation.com/Pages/ProductReplacement.aspx?crumb=101

Attached...

Thanks dmargineau,
I was searching in the "Product Compatibility" portion of the site, didn't think to try "Replace a Product".

Good to know, on both counts.

Dustin

I hear ya....
RA has been "rearranging" their website on a daily basis...

Follow-up:

It seems that this problem has been resolved with RSLinx 3.60.

After building the configuration on several machines using RSLinx 3.51 and restoring the subnet mapping manually on each one, I upgraded to 3.60 a few months ago. Since the trees were already built, I didn't notice that the issue had been fixed, until I set-up my new laptop.

On my new machine I installed Linx 3.60 first, and then did a Restore of my .RSX file from my old machine, and Voila!, all my subnet mapping came with it!

Glad to see the boys at Rockwell have gotten this fixed. This is going to save me HOURS of manual labor in the next few weeks.

Really heartening to hear that this was "fixed" WITHOUT THEM TELLING YOU !!

I am assuming you had an open support ticket with them on this issue.

If you did, then it is unforgivable that they didn't inform you of a resolution to your problems, but went ahead and released a new version of Linx and left it up to you to discover it resolved your issues.

Not good customer service if that is the case....