RSLinx on VMWare

surferb · Oct 14, 2007

I've been told by a customer that RSLinx doesn't work on VMWare but KepServer EX does. Any ideas if it's a configuration problem like which OS gets control of resources. I'd be surprised if it couldn't be made to work. I'd be even more surprised if Rockwell officially supports virtualization. Unfortunately, I don't have a suitable test setup available to give it a try :-(

Ken Roach · Oct 14, 2007

All of Rockwell's software specialists use RSLinx Classic on VMWare every day, and several major Rockwell Software customers rely on VMWare for their servers and clients on large distributed HMI systems that use RSLinx Enterprise.

Of course there are things that don't work well: VMWare is hard to configure to pass USB or PCMCIA connectivity, for example.

Ordinary Ethernet and RS232 connections are no more difficult for RSLinx than any other program using a hardware virtualizer.

surferb · Oct 14, 2007

Thanks!

I'm familiar with configuring which OS gets USB control - that's what I referred to as "resources" earlier. I hadn't considered PCMCIA.

So I can tell my customers that RSLinx Classic should work easily out of the box, or be made to work without too much headache, with RS232 or Ethernet on VMWare?

Ken Roach said:
All of Rockwell's software specialists use RSLinx Classic on VMWare every day, and several major Rockwell Software customers rely on VMWare for their servers and clients on large distributed HMI systems that use RSLinx Enterprise.

Of course there are things that don't work well: VMWare is hard to configure to pass USB or PCMCIA connectivity, for example.

Ordinary Ethernet and RS232 connections are no more difficult for RSLinx than any other program using a hardware virtualizer.

Operaghost · Oct 14, 2007

I use VMWare Workstation extensively. In fact, I am typing this message from a virtual machine. I rarely ever use the Host O/S to do anything but run my vms. From my experience with RSLinx Classic and RSLinx Enterprise:

Ethernet is a no-brainer. It's no different than non-VM.

RS232 - see ethernet

USB - I have to admit I have never used RSLinx with anything USB. But I have never had any USB device NOT work. Remember this is just me, someone else may tell you differently. VMWare version 6 added USB 2.0 support which I am VERY grateful for!
PCMCIA is not supported at all by VMWare. This is not an RSLinx or AB issue. This is VMWare intentionally declining to support ANY PCMCIA device.

OG

Magic 8 Ball · Oct 15, 2007

We set up laptops for class use and I ripped all the VMware out of them because they didnt work reliably.

As in couldnt connect to a plc.. random lockups on boot up.. random lockups during programming software execution.

If you have the time to troubleshoot it, you can use anything.

I prefer to turn it on and use it without extensive communications retooling.

For classroom use when just running the software on VM and not trying to connect to the real world it works about 75 % of the time.

When I set a laptop up it could be used for training purposes or it can be used in the field on an impromptu service call.

Since ripping out VM ware my troubleshooting calls have dropped to zero on the laptops.

When trying to install a Rockwell package, The AB supoport answer was, get rid of VM ware...and it worked.

But I had to low level format the drives to get rid of it all.

surferb · Oct 16, 2007

Thanks all - my answer is now crystal clear with confidence!

ghettofreeryder · Oct 16, 2007

Ken Roach said:
All of Rockwell's software specialists use RSLinx Classic on VMWare every day, and several major Rockwell Software customers rely on VMWare for their servers and clients on large distributed HMI systems that use RSLinx Enterprise.

Of course there are things that don't work well: VMWare is hard to configure to pass USB or PCMCIA connectivity, for example.

Ordinary Ethernet and RS232 connections are no more difficult for RSLinx than any other program using a hardware virtualizer.

Rockwell has software specialists??? HAHAHAHAHAHA. too bad there tech support is retarded

CroCop · Oct 16, 2007

ghettofreeryder said:
Rockwell has software specialists??? HAHAHAHAHAHA. too bad there tech support is retarded

That's plain ignorant to say.
I've been rather impressed with the tech support I've gotten from Rockwell.

Magic 8 Ball · Oct 16, 2007

I Have had problems with the Rockwell support people located in India and Poland... VanCouver just hangs up on people.

Ken Roach · Oct 16, 2007

If you are going to insult a group of people in public, please understand that you are addressing at least one of them directly and be prepared for the possibility that he might take offense.

Your own intelligence may be evaluated by your use of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

End of thread, guys. Let's not feed the troll.

surferb · Oct 16, 2007

Yeah - be nice! Every company has higher level and lower level support. I've gotten through to the actual Rockwell developers before (I think), and they were very knowledgable. They knew exactly what my issue was - had known about it already, and had scheduled a fix in the next patch. That was several years ago. I've been told by several integrators that their support quality has been increasing since then.

Ken - please don't take offense. You know that you're quite welcome here. But please don't end my thread also. I got a great answer to my question and the additional information has been invaluable.

Ken Roach said:
If you are going to insult a group of people in public, please understand that you are addressing at least one of them directly and be prepared for the possibility that he might take offense.

Your own intelligence may be evaluated by your use of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

End of thread, guys. Let's not feed the troll.

TimWilborne · Oct 16, 2007

Ken Roach said:
End of thread, guys. Let's not feed the troll.

Normally I would have a hard time holding back, but I will have to agree with Ken this time. Ignore the ignorant troll

escott · Oct 20, 2010

Rslinx 2.56 in vmware player with XP Host

I see from your thread this should work for me except:

When I do a auto browse I only see a EIP Driver that I have on my host machine and not the ENBT module I have on my network.

From My host machine I can see the ENBT module.

( I can also ping it from the Vmware session)

any thouhgts on what I may need to change in my network settings on either the host or the xp guest vmware machine

Thanks,
Eric.

Money4Nothing · Jan 25, 2012

I have a Windows 2007 Host and a Win XP guest. I'm trying to connect to my Ethernet IP network through RSLinx, but I can't see anything. I configured my host's LAN, the NAT virtual adapter, and my guest's LAN all to the same 192.168.0 subnet, but I'm not getting any communication.

I'm trying to connect to a 1756-E2N which is addressed to the same subnet.

Is there a different way I should configure this?

Using VMWare Workstation 7.1 and RSLinx 2.58

Thanks,
$

jac · Jan 25, 2012

I always Bridge the adapter so the VM gets its own address. That being said I see no reason for NAT not to work.
Can you ping the 1756-E2N from a cmd prompt?

RSLinx on VMWare

surferb

Lifetime Supporting Member

Ken Roach

Lifetime Supporting Member + Moderator

surferb

Lifetime Supporting Member

Operaghost

Member

Magic 8 Ball

Member

surferb

Lifetime Supporting Member

ghettofreeryder

Member

CroCop

Member

Magic 8 Ball

Member

Ken Roach

Lifetime Supporting Member + Moderator

surferb

Lifetime Supporting Member

TimWilborne

Lifetime Supporting Member

escott

Member

Money4Nothing

Member

jac

Member

Similar Topics