Troubleshooting Projects

The following are the most common errors and problems that occur during Server, Client/FEP project configuration. This section provides information related to their causes and methods to resolve them.

It is recommended to see the SMC.log file available at
[installation drive:]\[installation folder]\GMSMainProject\log for all SMC-related troubleshooting issues and to ensure that the MS Windows Pmon Service for a project is started.

Managing Issues when Starting, Editing, Restoring, Upgrading, Activating, and Deleting Projects

The following table should help you while starting up, editing, restoring, upgrading, activating and deleting a project.

Problem

Troubleshooting

Creating the project failed. When selecting a project, the Start icon is not enabled and project displays the status: Running- incomplete.

Check whether the Win CC OA Console or Win CC OA Log Viewer is open. If yes, close them.

Ensure that the project folder is not open in Windows Explorer, and that its content is not being used by any application.

Creating the project failed with the message Project with the given name already exists.

  1. Open Win CC OA Project Administration from the Windows Start menu.
  2. Select and right-click the project with the same name and select Delete Project.
  3. Select Delete directory and click OK.
    NOTE: The following name is a reserved name and must not be used as a project name while creating a project:
    — GMSMainProject

Cannot access Desigo CC client application on the client/FEP stations.

  • The project folder is not automatically shared. Ensure that the project folder you created is shared and accessible to the logged-on user on the client/FEP stations. For more information, see Sharing the project folder on Server.
  • The Windows domain user on the client/FEP should have the required Read/Write privileges to the folders (documents, devices, graphics, libraries, profiles, and shared) on the server.
  • Ensure that the changes on the server project (for example, deleting an existing project and creating of a new one) are synchronized with the client project. You may also check if the virtual directories are updated whenever there are changes on the server project.

Starting, Upgrading, Adding to a project fails.

  • Applicable only when the default value for the system account is changed to the domain user.
    The password for the Pmon Service GMS_WCCILpmon_[Project Name] user of the project must always be the same as the Windows password of the domain user configured as the default account. Every time you change the domain user password for Windows, you must manually change the password of the Pmon service. To update the password of the logged-on domain user for the Pmon service, perform the following steps:
    • Open the Windows Task Manager and click Services, to open the Services window.
    • Locate the GMS_WCCILpmon_[Project Name] in the Name column. Right-click the project and select Properties.
    • Select the Log On tab, and provide the valid password for the user.
    • Click OK.

Saving the System account user fails with a message The System Account User does not have the Log On As a Service right.

  • Make sure that the System account user has:
    — Log on as a service right and
    — Administrative rights. You can provide administrative rights to a Windows user from
    Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage User Accounts > Properties > Group Membership.

You selected a project in the SMC tree that has a corrupt project database, indicated by the status stopped - last repair failed.

Perform the steps to repair the project database of the stopped project.

You want to change the language setting after the project is created.

  • Do one of the following:
    — Edit the StartSMC.bat file present at [Installation Drive]:\[Installation Folder]\GMSMainProject\bin by adding a /librarian switch.
    — Start the SMC by clicking the StartSMCEngineering.bat file that already contains the /librarian switch.
  • Save and start the SMC. Stop the project, click Edit and select the desired language.

You are working with the Web application, but the Web application user does not have permission on the virtual directories of the server project. An error message displays Client Profile cannot be retrieved.

  • Check whether the Web application user has permission on the virtual directories of the server project. If not, set these permissions. On the client/FEP SMC for the Web application user, you must manually set permissions.
  • Check whether the CCom port certificate provided in a project is valid (does the full computer name displays in the Subject name field of the certificate provided). If not, configure a valid certificate. You may also use the wildcard (*) in the certificate name.

If the destination machine, where you are restoring the project backup contains BACnet field points for the extension module standard third-party BACnet, is not the same machine you performed the backup.

  • You must adjust the BACnet stack settings in the BACnet driver and BACnet network for smooth communication. For more information, see the Configuring the BT BACnet Stack section.

After restoring the project backup, the Project status is Outdated – check on upgrade – inconsistent progs file.

  1. Open the Manager Details expander.
  2. Identify the manager (in red) that is inconsistent in the progs file.

You cannot work with projects in SMC; the Projects node does not display any existing projects.

  • Contact your local customer support.

If the running project suddenly displays the Project Status as Outdated – Too old to upgrade.

  1. Close SMC.
  2. Go to [Installation Drive]:\[Installation Folder]\[Project Name].
  3. Rename the config file, for example, config_old.
  4. Rename the config. bak file available to config.
  5. Launch SMC and start the project.

On change of the installation drive, you cannot start the old projects created on a different installation drive.

  1. Launch the SMC.
  2. Select the project node under Projects.
  3. Click Activate to activate the project on a different drive than the installation.
  4. Click Start.

Cannot start the project and the Data manager is in the Initializing state.

Verify the Pmon user has Read permissions along with Write and Modify permissions on the project folder of the project you are about to start. To set the write and modify permissions, perform the following steps:

  1. Close SMC.
  2. Go to [Installation Drive]:\[Installation Folder]\[Project Name] and right click on it.
  3. Select Properties. The [folder name] Properties dialog box displays.
  4. Select the Security tab and click Edit.
  5. Click Add to add the project’s Pmon user to the group.
  6. Select the Modify and Write permissions for the project’s Pmon user.
  7. Click Apply and then OK to set the permissions.
  8. Launch SMC and start the project.

Troubleshooting Distributed Systems Setup

The following table may help you to resolve possible errors during working with the distributed systems.

Problem

Cause

Resolution

Only one system is visible in the Views list box of the System Browser, even if the distributed environment is configured using SMC.

  • No time synchronization between the distributed systems.
  • Align the computer clocks of the distributed systems using the Date and Time settings from the Control Panel of your computer.

Not able to log into the Partner system in distribution after changing the System Name or System ID.

  • System name and/or System ID of the project in distribution are changed.
  1. Stop all systems in distribution.
  2. Delete cashed identification container files (with extension *.bin on Server) on all systems in distribution at the path
    [installation drive:]\[installation folder]\[project name]\data.
  3. Start the systems.
  4. Manually change graphics references, macros and so on from all partner systems.

Binding/security mismatch between sender and receiver error displays when:
- you try to synch the distribution between systems in distribution or
- access Server system from Client in the Client/ Server setup or
- access Server system from the remote web server (IIS) hosted on Client/FEP system.

  • GMS SMC Project Data Service is not started in the Services expander on the Server or
    is not accessible from the distribution partner/client/remote web (IIS) server system.
  1. Check if GMS SMC Project Data Service is started in the Services expander. If not, then start the service manually.
  2. Next, check if you are able to access the URL
    http://localhost:8888/SiemensGmsSmcProjectDataService
    from Partner system in distribution or Client or remote web server (IIS) machine.
  3. Check machine and port of GMS SMC Project Data Service both are accessible from the Partner/Client/remote web server (IIS) machine and check that the firewall is not blocking the service port.
Logon Box Does Not Display on Launching Client Application on Client or FEP Station

Problem: When you launch the Desigo CC client application on the client or FEP station, the logon box, does not display.

Solution:

  1. On the client or FEP, select C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc and open the hosts file. You need administrator rights to do this.
  2. At the end of this file, add an entry in the following format:
    [IP address of the server system] [Full name of the server system].
    For example, if your complete hostname is ABCXY022PC.don01.company.net and the IP address of the server is 123.456. 789.10, you must add the entry as follows 123.456. 789.10 ABCXY022PC.don01.company.net.

3. Save the hosts file. Updating the hosts file with the IP address and full name of the server resolves this issue.

4. Launch the Desigo CC client application on the client or FEP station.

 

Troubleshooting the Environment Change for Already Shared Projects

Problem: You have shared a project with local/domain user while working in domain environment. You have changed from domain environment to workgroup. The old sharing is not visible in Project Shares expander in SMC. The same is applicable if you are working in workgroup and change to domain environment.

Cause: On environment change from domain to workgroup or vice versa, SMC fails to map this path to any existing shares of the project, thus displaying that the project is not shared.

Solution 1: Change the project’s share name and then share the project again by adding the user.

  1. Select the project under Projects node in SMC tree.
  2. Open the Project Shares expander.
  3. Change the share name to a unique name other than the default.
  4. Click Add to add the user you want to share the project with.
  5. Click Save.

Solution 2: Removing the project shares for the project using Windows files shares and share the project using Project Shares expander in SMC with the user.

  1. On the disk, go to the project folder path
    For example, [Installation Drive]:\[Installation Folder]\[Project Name].
  2. Right-click the project folder to open the Properties window.
  3. Select the Sharing tab and then click Advanced Sharing.
  4. Remove the existing shares by clearing the Share this folder check box.
  5. Click Apply.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Share the project using Project Shares expander in SMC.

 

Unable to Set Security Permissions on Websites/Projects Folder

Problem: You want to create a website and the website creation fails or you want to share the project folder and the sharing fails. You have opened the SMC log and the SMC log displays: Unable to set security permissions.

Solution:

  1. On the Desigo CC server, in Windows Explorer, navigate to the GMSProjects folder.
    NOTE: We recommend to set permissions on the parent folder of the project or Websites, thus solving the problem as one time activity.
  1. Right-click GMSProjects folder, and select Properties.
  • The [folder name] Properties dialog box displays.
  1. Select the Security tab and click Advanced.
  • The Advanced Security Settings for [folder name] dialog box displays.
  1. In the Advanced Security Settings for [folder name] dialog box, click Change Permissions.
  • A Windows Security message displays.
  1. Click Reorder.
  1. In the Advanced Security Settings for [folder name] dialog box that displays, click check box for Replace all child object permissions with inheritable permissions from this object.
  1. Click Apply.
  • Security permissions are set.
  1. Click OK till you close [folder name] Properties dialog box.

 

Cannot Configure Domain User as a System Account User

Problem: On a Domain Controller Machine, you are unable to configure Domain user as a System account user.

Cause: The Domain User has no User Principle Name (UPN) logon settings.

Solution: Check if Domain user on the domain controller machine has a UPN; otherwise perform the following steps to add UPN settings:

  1. On your Domain Controller, open Active Directory Users and Computers from
    ControlPanel > All Control Panel Items > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Users and Computers or
    Go to Start > Run, and type dsa.msc and press Return.
  1. In the Active Directory Users and Computers window that displays, locate the domain user account, right-click and choose Properties.
  1. In the [domain user] Properties window that displays, select the Account tab.
  1. In the Accounts tab, under User logon name, ensure that both fields that make up the UPN are populated.
    For example, where the pre-Windows 2000 account format is:
    domain1\svcDatabase, the UPN format would be: svcDatabase@domain1.local, where domain1.local is the fully qualified domain name.
Cannot work with Project, Website, Web Application, History Database Created Manually or Using Post Installation Step

Problem: Upon sudden restart of the machine during post-installation step execution or during creation of a project, website, web application, HDB, after a windows update, or an automatic reboot; the project, website, web application, HDB created does not work properly.

Cause: Machine reboot, windows update, power failure and so on.

Solution: Check if the project node, website or web application node is present in the SMC console tree. If present, perform the following clean up steps by deleting them from the SMC console tree:

  • You have identified the related artifact such as the project/website/web application created manually or using post installation step that does not work properly.
  1. In the SMC tree, select the project, website, web application, or HDB.
  1. Perform either of the following:
  • To delete a project, website, web application, click Delete .
  • To delete an HDB, click Drop
  1. Manually create the project, website, web application, HDB or re-run the installer to run the post installation steps as required.

 

Data Decryption fails after a project is copied from one machine to another or after restoring the project

Problem: Data Decryption fails after a project is copied from one machine to another or after restoring the project.

Cause: On the source machine (Server), the domain user account password in the Password field in the LDAP tab is encrypted using the system key of the source machine. When the project is copied to the destination machine, the same encrypted domain user account password of the source machine displays in the Password field. Hence on clicking the Check Connection button, the connection fails and as a result the data decryption fails as well.

Solution:

  1. On the destination machine, ensure that the correct password of the domain account user is provided in the Password field.
  2. Clear the existing password displayed in the Password field and re-enter the password of the domain account user.
  3. In case of project restore, ensure that you have exported the system key on the source machine and thereafter on the destination machine import the same key file available on the disk of the source machine from which you want to restore, secure and sensitive data. For example, if you are restoring a project backup of System A to System B, then you must import the same key from System A to System B so that you can use the same credentials set for System A. You must import the key before starting the project. For more information, see Import Key and Export Key in Security Expander.
Unable to View Graphics or Objects in a Distributed System

It is possible that the IIS user of the web server on a remote system cannot access the project on the local system.

Solution:

Follow the instructions to add the IIS user to the local project share from the System Management Console (SMC). This procedure should be followed for each distribution client.

Steps:

  1. In the SMC tree, select Projects > [project].
  1. Open the Project Shares expander and perform following steps:
    a. Select Share Project check box.
    b. Edit the Base share name, if required. By default, the selected project’s name displays.
    c. Click Add to add the IIS users from the domain that need permission to access the project from the various clients.
    d. In the Select User dialog box, enter the user name or group from your system who need access to the project either from the Current station or Other Domains.
    e. Click Check name.
    f. Click OK.
  • The user or user group is added in the Project Shares expander.
  1. Click Save .
  • The Base share path is added for the shared server project.
  • The individual project subfolders (devices, documents, graphics, libraries, profiles, and shared) are shared and appropriate security permissions are configured for each subfolder.