# Wonderware MBTCP DAServer 1.1 ReadMe

Last revision: 8/30/2004

This document contains important information about the Wonderware™ MBTCP DAServer™ 1.1. Please carefully review this document for known issues in this version and changes, if any, to the MBTCP DAServer documentation included on this CD.

System Requirements

Installation Information

Known Issues – MBTCP DAServer

Release Summary

MBTCP DAServer Documentation

# System Requirements

The MBTCP 1.1 DAServer supports the following Operating Systems:

- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 4
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server with Service Pack 4
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 4
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1
- Microsoft Windows XP Embedded with Service Pack 1

Internet Explorer 6.0 is recommended on the computer where the product is installed.

## Hardware Requirements

To run a DAServer, we recommend as a minimum the following hardware configurations:

- PC with 2 gigahertz (GHz) or higher processor clock speed
- 1 gigabyte (GB) of RAM or higher (512 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
- 8 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space
- Super VGA (1024 x 768) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor
- CD-ROM or DVD drive
- Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

## Modbus Controller Hardware and Firmware

Information on the versions of the Modbus controllers’ hardware and firmware supported by the MBTCP 1.1 DAServer can be found in the MBTCP DAServer User's Guide, Appendix A.

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# Installation Information

Detailed installation instructions are included in the MBTCP DAServer Installation Guide. It is recommended that you read the MBTCP Deployment Guide and Installation Guide prior to beginning the installation process. In addition to the procedures described in the DAServer Installation Guide, the following installation requirements and other requirements pertaining to the installation and uninstall orders have to be followed.

- Local administrator privileges are required to install a DAServer.
- If there are prior versions of DAServers installed on the computer, MBTCP DAServer is able to detect them and performs an upgrade on this product. That is, MBTCP DAServer 1.1 will allow customers to upgrade from previous versions of other DAServers without an uninstall of those DAServers. In addition, components, which are common to all DAServers on the system, such as the DASEngine and DAServer Manager, will also be upgraded.
- During installation, the UI states that the feature will be installed on the local disk drive. This is not forced, and you can install on a network drive. However, installing on a network drive is not a valid configuration option. Local installation is a requirement.

## Installation Order Requirements

The installation for the DAServers and other Wonderware FactorySuite™ products on the same computer must follow the order as outlined. A DAServer must always be installed last.

- (If required) - InTouch™ 7.11 followed by application of the latest available InTouch patch
- (If required) - Legacy I/O Servers™
- DAServer(s)

This installation order will ensure that any differences, which may exist in the common components included with individual product releases, will install and run without version conflicts. In case of any future patch on the installed Wonderware FactorySuite products, follow the particular installation instructions from the patch.

## Uninstall Order Requirements

After installing a DAServer on a computer with other Wonderware FactorySuite products, the following applies:

- If any Wonderware FactorySuite product is uninstalled from the computer, all other Wonderware FactorySuite products must be uninstalled and reinstalled.

Note: ArchestrA™ products, such as InTouch™ 8.0 or greater, do not require any installation/uninstall order with the DAServers.

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# Known Issues – MBTCP DAServer

## Wonderware DAServer Compatibility with Other FactorySuite Products on the Same Computer

At the time of this release, InTouch, Version 7.11 with Patch 05a or greater, and Wonderware FactorySuite 2000 I/O Servers, previously released with support for Windows 2000 or greater, are the supported Wonderware product combinations on the same computer with the DAServers. Please check the FactorySuite Product version-compatibility matrix at www.wonderware.com/support/mmi to determine if the product-version combination associated with this install is supported.

## Non-Wonderware Product Issues

### L00021068:

Although Wonderware DAServers can communicate with multiple client protocols at the same time, you should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the technologies used for any particular protocol. For example, the OPC Data Access protocol is based on Microsoft COM/DCOM technology. The DCOM technology has an inherent pinging mechanism that requires six (6) minutes before a DCOM connection is declared as timed-out. As a result, there may be a chance that when the DAServer is connected remotely with an OPC client and the network is interrupted, a delay of six (6) minutes may be experienced in the OPC client program before declaring the connection to the DAServer a failure.

Please note that this is expected; the DAServer remains active and continues to provide data connectivity to other clients that have good network connections. More information on the DCOM pinging mechanism can be found in Sections 2.5 and 2.5.1 of the specifications Distributed Component Object Model Protocol ... DCOM/1.0 from Microsoft.

## Installation

### Long Computer Name:

The computer name used by NetBIOS is limited in length to MAX_COMPUTERNAME_LENGTH (for instance, the limitation is 16 characters for Windows NT 4.0). That is why, when installing a DAServer on a computer with a long name (that is, "My_Very_Long_Computer_Name"), you may have issues accessing the DAServer diagnostics.

### WWLogger:

After installing this DAServer, the pre-existing WWLogger™ output will be redirected to the new Log Viewer.

### First Activation:

When installed on a Windows 2000 operating system, the first time the DAServer is activated, a "server busy" message may appear. Subsequent activation of the DAServer will not produce this message.

## Uninstall

### L00005951:

Uninstalling an activated DAServer does not give any warning message, and the active connection with the client would be lost.

### L00009971:

Canceling an uninstallation process may cause the DAServer to be set to "Not a Service" mode if two DAServers are present on the same node.

## The DAServer Manager

CPU Utilization:

The DAServer performance may be impaired if the CPU utilization reaches and remains at 100%; the DAServer may then become user-unresponsive.

### Keyboard Navigation:

If using only the keyboard for navigation after starting the DAServer Manager, you will not be able to get to the dialog boxes and other boxes on the configuration view. Also, once in the dialog boxes, using the mouse, you can only move in the downward direction using the TAB key. Pressing the SHIFT+TAB keys to go back does not work.

Keyboard interfaces on all faceplates may not work in accordance with Microsoft conventions. Using the mouse to navigate in the DAServer Manager is recommended.

### Hot Configuration:

Modifying the Default Update Interval, while the DAServer is communicating with a PLC, will not take effect until the current update interval has completed.

### Watchdog Item:

The historically reserved item "Watchdog" can be added, but will log the following two messages:

- Unable to add item '<PORTName>.<PLCName>.Watchdog' with access path 'xyz'
- ProtCreatePoint::AddItems() method failed (hr=0x1) for item name='watchdog'

These messages are spurious, as the item itself will work.

### Device Groups:

Attempting to rename a Device Group with the same name but different case (upper or lower) will fail. Device Groups are case insensitive and, therefore, treat upper and lower cases of a character as the same character.

### L00003667:

System items do not show in the DAServer Manager Diagnostics, unless subscribed to by a client.

### L00004239:

The DAServer Manager does not automatically refresh when the DAServer on a remote node is uninstalled or has gone off-line/online.

## DAServer-Generic

### L00010798:

The Warning message in Log Viewer to indicate clamping of values because of a type conversion is sometimes incorrect. The text for "...from x to y failed..." very often has illegible characters for "x."

### L00012809:

The $SYS$WriteComplete system tag does not display the correct value following an InTouch reinitialize I/O during a recipe download.

### L00020512:

Transaction status (completed/error) was not passed to the OPC Plug-in during a node tear-down and rebuilt, resulting in the OPC Plug-in timing out 10 minutes later. After the node was rebuilt, a Read transaction was completed successfully with 0 (zero) items according to the server diagnostics. However, the OPC client did not get any acknowledgement until 10 minutes later when the OPC Plug-in timed out.

## MBTCP-DAServer-Specific

### L00023595:

If you generated a configuration from the previous version of MBTCP DAServer, upon upgrading to Version 1.1, please confirm the setting for "Use Concept data structures (Longs)" and "Use Concept data structures (Reals)." If the "Use Concept data structures" check box is checked, MBTCP DAServer Version 1.1 will return the data exactly to what is shown in the Concept programming software. If the "Use Concept data structures" check box is unchecked, MBTCP DAServer will return the data with the register values reversed.

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# Release Summary

The Wonderware MBTCP DAServer is a Microsoft Windows application program that acts as a communications protocol server. It allows other Windows programs access to data in the (Schneider’s) Modicon-family of controllers, including the TSX Premium, TSX Quantum, and TSX Momentum that are connected to the DAServer through the computers’ Ethernet ports and the Modbus TCP/IP protocol. The MBTCP DAServer also provides connectivity to the Modicon Micro, Compact 984, and TSX Momentum controllers through a Modbus Bridge (174CEV30010 or 174CEV30020) or an NR&D Pen-T Bridge. The Generic 4-Digit, 5-Digit, and 6-Digit Modbus controllers are supported by means of either the TCP or Serial RS232/RS485 connection through a Modbus Bridge.

While this DAServer is primarily intended for use with the Wonderware FactorySuite™ 2000 and FactorySuite A2™, it may be used with any Microsoft Windows program capable of acting as a DDE, FastDDE, SuiteLink™, or OPC DA client.

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# MBTCP DAServer Documentation

The MBTCP DAServer documentation set includes the following guides:

1. DAServer Installation Guide. This online Help provides information on installing the DAServer, including options for installing all components of the system or just individual ones. These include the DAServer Manager (including configuration components of the DAServer), the DAServer (including OPC protocol capabilities), and the DDE/SuiteLink Plug-In (for communicating with the legacy Wonderware products). This Help file can be accessed from CD-DASMBTCP as Install-MBTCP.chm.

2. Change Network Account Online Help. This Help documentation describes the tool you can use to manage credentials for node-to-node communications between ArchestrA™ components. This documentation can be accessed from the application's Help.

3. Protocols Guide. This guide, provided in PDF format, provides background information on the main protocols used between components of the Wonderware products. A protocol is the set of rules and standards for enabling computers to connect and exchange data over the network. This guide also includes information on setting up and using some of these protocols. The Protocols Guide is available in the CD-ROM directory\UserDocs\English.

4. MBTCP DAServer User's Guide. This guide describes the user interface and functions of the Wonderware MBTCP DAServer.

5. DAServer Manager User's Guide. This documentation describes the runtime Configuration, Diagnostics, and Activation/Deactivation aspects of a Data Access Server (DAServer). These aspects of any DAServer are maintained through the generic component called the DAServer Manager.

6. License Utility Guide. This guide describes the FactorySuite 2000 (Version 7.1) licensing strategy and explains how to use the License Utility to install license files and browse valid license files on the network.

7. LogFlag Editor User's Guide. This documentation describes the user interface and functions of the LogFlag Editor utility. This utility can be opened only from the Log Viewer, a part of the System Management Console suite of utilities.

8. Log Viewer User's Guide. This guide provides information about the Logger™ and the Log Viewer snap-in to the System Management Console.

Documents numbers 3 through 8 are provided in the PDF form and can be printed; they are available in the CD-ROM directory\UserDocs\English. Also, information included in these guides is provided in online Help, which can be accessed from the MBTCP DAServer's Help.

## Viewing PDF Documentation

The documentation describing how to use this product is included on the CD in PDF format. Viewing these guides requires the installation of the Adobe's Acrobat Reader. This utility is not included on this CD, but it can be downloaded for free from the Adobe Web site at the following Web address:

www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

After downloading the file from Adobe, you must run the executable to install it on your computer. Follow the typical installation routine. After installation, you can either open the Acrobat Reader and select a user's guide from the File menu, or double-click a user's guide on the CD in Windows Explorer.

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