Wonderware disaster recovered (almost)

[OkiePC]

Customer lost the hard drive in their scada pc running Wonderware. They were able to use thier nearest geek squad to get a backup of all the recoverable data. They still had original install discs and licenses for their system. I was able to get a new PC up and running and figured out how to get it all to work and it is now shipped back to their site and is communicating to all their PLCs.

They do have a development license and I have remote access to the system.

I have two remaining issues:
1) Wonderware security. When they try to log on in the windowviewer application, they press a button labelled "Log On" and nothing happens. I drilled in using windowmaker and find that the animation link assigned to that button is Sendkeys %(SYL) which I interpret to mean ALT+"SYL" but I am at a loss as to where to go from there. How do I find out what the target of this key combo is? The "Log off" button is simlar: Sendkeys %(SYO). I find no window that looks like a custom login page or anything like that.

2) When the PC first starts, the DASABTCP driver does not activate. I have to go into SMC and drill down to the driver level and activate it.

Item 1 is more crucial right now.

Thanks.

 

[OkiePC]

Okay I figured out part of it. I went back to Windowviewer. When I press ALT, S, Y, L, I am selecting the main menu "Special", "Security", "Log On". I don't know why the button doesn't work as designed, but at least now I can explain to the customer how to log on using the built in main menu.

Item two is something I will scour the www for but if any of you wonderware gurus has some insight for me, I will be very grateful. Ignition is SO much easier...

 

[Paullys50]

I don't have a WW system to reference at the moment, but I believe the DASABTCP driver needs to be told to start-up automatically, if you go to it in the SMC just right click on it, might have to go down a few levels but should be some options that is 'obvious'.

 

[Paullys50]

You might have to stop the DASABTCP driver first...

 

[OkiePC]

Thanks Paully!

Right click menus show "Auto Service", "Manual Service", "Not a Service". It was on manual and I switched it to "Auto Service" just now. That may take care of it.

A new problem has been revealed. The historian which I assume is responsible for providing data to the trend. It is complaining "Please verify that the MSSQLSERVER service is running and the Configuration Editor user credentials have been added to the Sql Server "Log In" and "SysAdmin" group -"...

I followed Intouch guidelines when installing MSSQL, but nowhere in Wonderware did I tell it what the sa password was...

 

[OkiePC]

I think I found what I need to do here:
https://knowledge.insourcess.com/Wo...l_Guides/Historian_2012_R2_Installation_Guide

Since I missed this step during installation, it took me a bit to find the "Configurator" utility. It is under All Programs > Wonderware > Common.

I followed the guide in the link above, it ran a whole bunch of SQL scripts and completed successfully. I did all this logged into windows with admin account. Now to go back in as a normal operator and see what's till broken.

EDIT: well now the historian appears to be running fine, the data servers started when I logged in as an operator. The trend data still shows "unavailable" but I may need to give it some time. I will peek back in this evening to see if there is data on the charts of if I have another hurdle before I put a bow on this thing.

 

[Paullys50]

Glad you've got it recovered!

 

[OkiePC]

Arghh. The trend... I broke it more.

I opened up Windowmaker to see if I can figure out how the trend pens are linked to the source data. I didn't change anything (on purpose). But now the pens tags are missing entirely and I don't know what they were. There are 8 boxes under the trend that used to say something like "SBR Step" "Influent wet well level" etc, but now they all say "Tag description". Before I breathed on it, at least the pens had a description I could refer to and see about manually putting them back in. Shoulda took a screen shot but I didn't.

 

[NetNathan]

Sounds like they are using a way of assigning pens to tags with scripts under buttons.
Probably because the tag does not make sense to operator. ie..."Influent wet well level" tag may be named something different...like using P&ID designation.

 

[Bit_Bucket_07]

Customer lost the hard drive in their scada pc running Wonderware. They were able to use thier nearest geek squad to get a backup of all the recoverable data. They still had original install discs and licenses for their system. I was able to get a new PC up and running and figured out how to get it all to work and it is now shipped back to their site and is communicating to all their PLCs.

They do have a development license and I have remote access to the system.

I have two remaining issues:
1) Wonderware security. When they try to log on in the windowviewer application, they press a button labelled "Log On" and nothing happens. I drilled in using windowmaker and find that the animation link assigned to that button is Sendkeys %(SYL) which I interpret to mean ALT+"SYL" but I am at a loss as to where to go from there. How do I find out what the target of this key combo is? The "Log off" button is simlar: Sendkeys %(SYO). I find no window that looks like a custom login page or anything like that.

2) When the PC first starts, the DASABTCP driver does not activate. I have to go into SMC and drill down to the driver level and activate it.

Item 1 is more crucial right now.

Thanks.

1. Sendkeys no longer works with any version of Windows greater than XP. The interface needs to be upgraded. Sendkeys isn't necessary to create a logon dialog.

2. You must set the IO Server service to start automatically. You can do this through SMC or by opening "services" and checking it to start automatically. Simply activating the service doesn't set it to start automatically after reboot.

 

[Bit_Bucket_07]

Arghh. The trend... I broke it more.

I opened up Windowmaker to see if I can figure out how the trend pens are linked to the source data. I didn't change anything (on purpose). But now the pens tags are missing entirely and I don't know what they were. There are 8 boxes under the trend that used to say something like "SBR Step" "Influent wet well level" etc, but now they all say "Tag description". Before I breathed on it, at least the pens had a description I could refer to and see about manually putting them back in. Shoulda took a screen shot but I didn't.

If the trend chart enables runtime pen selection, then it will remember the pen selections through a shutdown and restart. You can also configure default pens when you create a trend chart with the TC wizard. That said, there is a lot of flexibility in InTouch trending, and I've seen people do some unusual things.

 

[OkiePC]

If the trend chart enables runtime pen selection, then it will remember the pen selections through a shutdown and restart. You can also configure default pens when you create a trend chart with the TC wizard. That said, there is a lot of flexibility in InTouch trending, and I've seen people do some unusual things.

I keep making it worse on the trends. I have a sneaking suspicion that the backup I restored was not the latest and greatest. The wonderware app was the only thing running when the hard drive cratered so it might have been unrecoverable. When I got the portable drive that best buy used to recover what they could, the only app I found on the recovery media was in a folder labeled "backups".

I found some literature to guide me in setting up historical trending and added tags in SMC, but probably now have a historical database with a different name or some such basic problem. When I try to add tags, I think I am picking from real time tags and trying to add them to a historical trend. The trend stays blank and the peaks on the legend buttons stay stuck as "unavailable".

After I fix whatever linkage between the historical tag database and the wonderware app I destroyed, I might be able to work with the operators to rebuild the trend from scratch. I need to have them go over all the pages with a fine toothed comb and see what else might be missing or different.

Thanks for all your tips! I have never had any wonderware training, although back in the 90s I did some mods to one. It was so painless back then, I didn't learn anything I can recall today.

 

[lostcontrol]

Okie,
I want to help & am sure we can guide you.
Can you get us/me a copy of the application.?
There are some oddities that occur with backups sometimes, but with a bit of knowledge they can be easily corrected.

 

[godcixelsyd]

Out of curiosity, did this go from one version of windows to another? Like XP to 7?

 

[OkiePC]

Same OS. I believe the running Wonderware app was upgraded from an earlier intouch version. The installation dvds are Wonderware 2012. When I click File, About Windowviewer I get version 10.6

I appreciate the help. I am not sure if it is okay to send the application to anyone. I didn't create it. There is a screen that shows the name of the original integrator. I think I will give them a call and see if perhaps they'd be willing to pitch in and help.

EDIT: What is the best way for me to search the file system for any and all wonderware applications?