Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Cannot get the Site license to run after downloading and installing it. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista 5.X LMTOOLS Cause TAC Vista 5 license needs to be recognized by the licensing server (FLEXnet License Server). Sometimes, license needs to be set up manually using the LMTOOLS software. Resolution Please follow the steps below to manually read the site license. Stop and close TAC Vista Server, Workstation, etc.   Generate the License file at schneider-electric.flexnetoperations.com and insert the .lic file into C:/Program Files/Schneider Electric/License Files folder (default path, for TAC Vista 5.1.3 and prior, the default path should be C:/Program Files/TAC/License Files) .   Open the LMTOOLS utility from the Start menu: All Programs/Schneider Electric/TAC Tools 5.x.x/LMTOOLS (for TAC Vista 5.1.3 and prior, use path: All Programs/TAC/TAC Tools 5xx/LMTOOLS).   Under "Service/License File" tab, make sure the "Configuration using Services" choice is selected and "TAC License Server" choice is highlighted.       Under "Config Services Tab", ensure the path to licenses file is correct (C:/Program Files/Schneider Electric/License Files, by default). Browse to the folder if necessary by using the "Browse" function. Make sure "Start Server at Power Up" and "Use Service" choices are checked.   Under "Start/Stop/Reread" tab, check "Force Server Shutdown" box. In order click, "Stop Server" (wait a few seconds, there will be no message when the server stops), "Start Server", "ReRead License File". You should receive a message stating the ReRead License File Completed.   Start any TAC application other than Vista Server (for example: TAC Menta). You will be prompted to "Specify the License Server System" or "Specify the License File". Select "Specify the License Server System" and enter the computer name preceded by an "@" symbol. If the License Server resides on the local machine, type "@localhost". Note: In more recent versions of License Server, the "@" symbol is optional. If in doubt, putting it in will work with all versions. If you are NOT prompted to "Specify a License Server" in Step 7, Please follow the instructions in Switching from the Demo license to the site License in Vista 5.1.7 or older. At this point the License should read correctly and the licensed Vista products should execute. If the license continues to fail, reboot the computer and try to open a Vista product again (for example: TAC Menta). If the license if still failing, please verify the above steps again before contacting Product Support. For additional information about the LMTOOLS software. Please go to What options are NOT supported by Signal XP?.

Issue When logging into Xenta server using Internet Explorer 8 a certificate error is displayed as displayed below: When logging into the web server of a Xenta controller using Internet Explorer 8 an error message is shown stating that there is a problem with the website's security certificate. The error reads: There is a problem with this website's security certificate. The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address. Security certificate problems may indicate an attempt to fool you or intercept any data you send to the server. We recommend that you close this webpage and do not continue to this website. Click here to close this webpage. Continue to this website (not recommended). More information How to install a self signed certificate. Product Line Satchwell MicroNet, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Internet Explorer 8 Xenta 511, Xenta 527, Xenta 555, Xenta 701, Xenta 711, Xenta 721, Xenta 731, Xenta 913 SSL Cause The default certificate in the Xenta web server is a self-signed certificate. Since the certificate is not issued by a recognized Certificate Authority the web browser (in this case Internet Explorer 😎 cannot validate the authenticity of the certificate and suggests that the user not continue to the website each time the user tries to access it. Resolution Click "Continue to Website" to continue to the screen shown below. Click on "Certificate Error" which is found on the right side of the address bar at the top. A dialog similar to the one below will open. Click "View certificates". The certificate dialog will appear. Click "Install Certificate." The Certificate Import Wizard will open. Click Next. Allow Windows to automatically select where to store the certificate. Proceed to Finish the Certificate Import Wizard. A notification appears indicating that the certificate was imported successfully. Restart Internet Explorer for the change to take effect. Note: The certificate will need to be installed in each client computer that accesses the Xenta server but once this complete it does not need to be done again. The exception to this is if the web address of the Xenta server is changed or if Internet Explorer is uninstalled then reinstalled. The alternative is that a certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) may be purchased. These certificates are pre-installed into the web browser and will automatically prevent certificate errors from occurring on all client computers that access the web server. Note that these can be quite expensive and unless the Xenta web server is being hosted on the internet they are not necessary. See "This Connection is Untrusted" certificate error when logging in to a Xenta Server using Firefox for information on installing certificates into Firefox. Update: Starting in September 2014, all major browsers will be disabling 1024-bit roots within their trusted roots stores. Any SSL certificates chained to a 1024-bit root will no longer work on any browsers that takes this action or one that relies on another's root store (the self-signed certificate is 1024-bit). This means that you will still get the security warning even if you have installed the self-signed certificate.

Issue Xenta Programmable Device is Offline in Vista, but Online in LonMaker. For LonWorks Devices refer to LonWorks Device is Offline in Vista but Online in LonMaker or NL220. Product Line TAC Vista Environment LonMaker, NL220 Vista Workstation Xenta programmable controllers Xenta 280, 281, 282, 283, 300, 301, 302, 401, 401:B Cause In an LNS system, Xenta programmable controllers have different methods of communication to the LNS server and the Vista server.  Communication with the LNS server indicates the wiring is connected, the neuron ID is set correctly, but does not guarantee communication with the Vista server.  An online condition for Vista is dependent on Xenta Group bindings and network description files in the device and the Xenta Group Master being online. Resolution Ensure that Vista Workstation is in Operating Mode vs. Engineering Mode. Refresh the Folders View - Highlight the root directory "TAC Vista" press "F5" or click the refresh icon. Ensure the device is physically Online in LonMaker even though the drawing displays as green. Check the status by right clicking on the device, select Properties. Commission Status should say "Current", and State should say "Online". Alternatively, right click on the device and select Manage / Test.  The state should read "configured online" if the device is online in LonMaker. Make sure that your Master Device in the corresponding Xenta Group in the System Plug-in is online. If the Master Device is online and displaying values, it is always necessary to download the application and parameters to the Xenta group after adding a new device. The entire Xenta Group must know there is a new device for proper communication to occur.  Download the applications and parameters to the entire group in the TAC System Plug-In. If all the above is true and there is still no data then use Verifying Xenta Group Bindings in an LNS system to verify that the Xenta Group Bindings are correct. If not, in the Vista system plug-in, click on the LNS Network tab choose Create Group Bindings and click Yes on the Resynchronize drawing to database (Fix-up Drawing). Ensure the Xenta Group name is less than 20 characters without any spaces. Note: Channel names can contain spaces (NL220) but still must stay under the 20 character limit. 

Issue Making a cable / adapter by using the cable guide as a reference can be confusing. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Menta Download Wizard Cause Without knowing to use a Ribbon (Rollover) Cable, or the correct pins of RJ45 and DB9, it can be difficult to build this cable and adaptor. Resolution Note: Pay particular attention to the pins numbers, this view is the inside of the adapter! This is the pinout to be used in conjunction with a "ribbon" type cable. A Ribbon (Rollover) Cable has inverse ends. For example, Pin 1 of one RJ45 will be Pin 8 at the other end, Pin 2 will be 7, Pin 3 will be 6 and etc..                                    Here is a Diagram which highlights the path of TxD RxD and GND from the PC to the Xenta Controller. Use and Ohm meter to check the continuity of connections. If you are having communication problems, please see Verifying Serial Port Communications with loopback test   for further troubleshooting tips.                Alternatively, a cut ethernet cable can be wired to a DB9. DO NOT use an Ethernet Cable with the above adapter. 1. Use a standard 586B RJ45 ethernet cable pictured below.                2. Connect RJ45 jack to a DB9F according to the following diagram.

Issue Receive the following errors when trying to restore a SQL database: ERROR MESSAGE #1 Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 The database was backed up on a server running version 10.50.1600. That version is incompatible with this server, which is running version 10.00.1600. Either restore the database on a server that supports the backup, or use a backup that is compatible with this server. Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. ERROR MESSAGE #2 Server: Msg 3241, Level 16, State 7, Line 1 The media family on device [path of backup] is incorrectly formed. SQL Server cannot process this media family. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. ERROR MESSAGE #3 Server: Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 The backed-up database has on-disk structure version 661. The server supports version 539 and cannot restore or upgrade this database. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. ERROR MESSAGE #4 Server: Msg 3241, Level 16, State 7, Line 1 The media family on device [path of backup] is incorrectly formed. SQL Server cannot process this media family. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. ERROR MESSAGE #5 Server: Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 The backed-up database has on-disk structure version 655. The server supports version 539 and cannot restore or upgrade this database. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. ERROR MESSAGE #6 Server: Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 The backed-up database has on-disk structure version 611. The server supports version 539 and cannot restore or upgrade this database. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. Product Line Other, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000 Enterprise, Standard, Express, MSDE Cause You cannot restore a backup created with a newer version of SQL Server on an instance running an older version of SQL Server. Unfortunately, the error messages that are displayed may not always tell you that it is a versioning problem. Here are various combinations of SQL versions and there associated error messages: SQL Server 2008 R2 to SQL Server 2008 Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 The database was backed up on a server running version 10.50.1600. That version is incompatible with this server, which is running version 10.00.1600. Either restore the database on a server that supports the backup, or use a backup that is compatible with this server. Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. SQL Server 2008 R2 to SQL Server 2005 Server: Msg 3241, Level 16, State 7, Line 1 The media family on device [path of backup] is incorrectly formed. SQL Server cannot process this media family. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. SQL Server 2008 R2 to SQL Server 2000 Server: Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 The backed-up database has on-disk structure version 661. The server supports version 539 and cannot restore or upgrade this database. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. SQL Server 2008 to SQL Server 2005 Server: Msg 3241, Level 16, State 7, Line 1 The media family on device [path of backup] is incorrectly formed. SQL Server cannot process this media family. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. SQL Server 2008 to SQL Server 2000 Server: Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 The backed-up database has on-disk structure version 655. The server supports version 539 and cannot restore or upgrade this database. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2000 Server: Msg 3169, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 The backed-up database has on-disk structure version 611. The server supports version 539 and cannot restore or upgrade this database. Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally. Resolution Possibly the quickest and simplest solution may be to uninstall any software including SQL currently installed, then re-install any software along with the correct version of SQL. If this is not an option, then Microsoft does provide information on how to upgrade different versions of SQL. Links are provided below: How to: Upgrade to SQL Server 2005 (Setup) How to: Upgrade to SQL Server 2008 (Setup) Also check Software and Firmware compatibility matrix for older versions of the traditional product lines for supported Operating Systems and SQL versions.

Issue Procedure for installing PCC-10 or PCLTA20/21 network cards on a Windows 7 PC Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Menta LonMaker Windows 7 Cause Installation procedure differs from earlier versions of driver software. Resolution The PCC-10 and PCLTA-20/21 network cards work on Windows 7 (32 bit) PCs when the OpenLDV 4.0 driver is installed. This driver is installed automatically when Lonmaker Turbo SR4 is installed, but if this version of Lonmaker is not present the driver must be installed manually.  The latest drivers can be obtained from the Echelon download site: http://www.echelon.com/support/downloads Note: The PCLTA-20/21 card is only supported on 32bit windows operating systems. For 64bit systems use a NIC-USB as mentioned in this article: Computer will not recognize NIC709-USB. Install the drivers before fitting the card in the PC. Please note that OpenLDV4.0 requires .NET Framework 3.5 SP1.  This is not included as a subset of .NET Framework 4 or later, so must be installed separately.  You can have multiple versions of .NET framework installed on the same PC. The following description is for the PCLTA-21 but the PCC-10 is similar. To change the system image or perform diagnostics, you must go to Control Panel and open the Lonworks Interfaces application: Click Start on the taskbar, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then open the LONWORKS Interfaces application. Click the PCLTA-21 interface in the list view on the left side of the user interface to display the interface's properties in the details pane in the right side. The details pane lists the PCLTA-21 card's system image and transceiver properties. To change the system image used by the PCLTA-21 card, click anywhere in the NI Application property, click the box to the right, and then browse to and select the desired system image from the LonWorks\Images\PCLTA21 folder. Note: For more information on configuring, testing, and diagnosing the PCLTA-21 network interface, see the LonWorks Interfaces online help.

Issue "An unexpected error occurred" shown while downloading a LonWorks device through a Xenta Server Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Xenta Server (511, 527, 555, 701, 711, 721, 731, 913) TAC XBuilder TAC Vista Server Cause There are a couple of reasons that you can get this error message. One is that SSL 3.0 is not enabled in Internet Options for the Windows user running TAC Vista Server. This will keep Vista Server from being able to download a Xenta controller using a Xenta Server.  It will also not let you download and XBuilder project to the Xenta Server, and you can not connect to the browser of the Xenta Server using Internet Explorer. The other reason could be, that while running Vista Server as a service, the Windows account running the service is Local System and that this account does not have SSL 3.0 enabled. This could also occur if you have enabled "System cryptology: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encrypting, hashing and signing" in the local policy setting. Resolution Enabling SSL 3.0 Go to Control Panel and open Internet Options. Choose the Advanced tab and scroll to the bottom of the Settings list. Near the bottom you will see Use SSL 3.0.  Make sure the Use SSL 3.0 box is checked. Configuring the Windows account running TAC Vista Server Download the TAC Vista Run Mode tool and run it. Under the Service Logon section choose Local User for the Logon Type, select or write the Windows user name and password. It has to be the account you are currently logged in with, or another user having enabled SSL 3.0 and has administration rights. Restart the service.   Check the local security policy for FIPS Open Control Panel - Administrative Tools -Local Security Policy (or type secpol.msc in Start-->run) Go to Local Policies-Security Options Find System cryptology: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encrypting, hashing and signing Change to disable, apply-OK Restart XBuilder

Issue Xenta Server reports it is in FAILSAFE mode without shorting out terminals 9 and 10. After connecting via HyperTerminal, restarting and trying to reset the IP address, the screen continues to scroll back to dsh/> Xenta Server has gone offline and can not connect directly to it using Ethernet. The Run light is flashing Green on first start up but then reverts to red and the LON light also flashes red. During boot up it pauses and reports an error (via HyperTerminal) in loading the RAM disk.  IP Address is set to 172.22.1.5 and can not change it.  Not able to load any firmware into the device – error received. "Error: Could not create remote directory." Product Line Satchwell MicroNet, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Xenta Server 527, 511, 555 Xenta Server 701, 721, 731 Cause Unknown corruption of the Xenta Server hard drive / flash drive, possibly due to electrical noise. Resolution To attempt to recover this device, try to format the device’s flash drive. To achieve this you can follow these steps using HyperTerminal or an equivalent application: (For further assistance with connecting to Xenta Servers and HyperTerminal refer to Connecting a serial cable to a Xenta 5/7/9xx controller).   Login and type the command FORMAT.  (May require device to be placed physically into the fail-safe mode by shorting terminals 9 and 10). The format command can take up to 3 minutes to complete but you should see the confirmation through HyperTerminal while this is occurring. If you have placed the device into Fail-safe mode, remove the link on terminal 9 & 10. Restart the device, by either cycling the power or typing the command RESTART through HyperTerminal. Set the IP address and IP settings (command SETIP). Install the latest firmware. You can download the latest firmware from The Exchange Extranet; ensure that you use the correct version since there various versions for the Xenta Servers. Run the firmware download to the device. During the download you may receive an error regarding "Failure to get the hardware version from the target device…", select OK Continue the installation The download will then occur, it will take some time and may appear that the software is not responding but this is normal. Be patient and if you don’t receive any errors then all should be ok. The device should now restart, after a 1-2 minute window the “RUN” LED should be a solid green. If after following these procedures, the device is still not responding as expected please send into Repairs via your normal repair process.

Warning Potential for Data Loss: The steps detailed in the resolution of this article may result in a loss of critical data if not performed properly. Before beginning these steps, make sure all important data is backed up in the event of data loss. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with any complex steps detailed in this article, please contact Product Support for assistance. Issue Error: "Could not create remote directory" or "Failed to establish connection with the target device" when trying to upgrade/downgrade a Xenta 5/7/9xx controller     Product Line TAC INET, TAC Vista, Satchwell MicroNet Environment Xenta Servers Xenta 511, 527, 527-NPR, 555, 701, 711, 721, 731, 913 XBuilder Cause This error can be caused by any of the following reasons: Trying to downgrade a Hardware version 2.x Xenta Server device to System Program version 2.10 or older Internet Options are configured to use a proxy server IP communication is not properly established due to incorrect IP settings, a bad cable or a faulty device The controller is 5.1.8 or lower and Microsoft KB 2661254 or KB 2661254-V2 is installed on the PC. In this upgrade Microsoft has changed the criteria for the certificate Key. Service packs are available on the extranet to correct this issue. Download blocked because of other Windows updates SSL 2 and 3 is not activated Resolution First, establish that the System Program that you are attempting to load is compatible with hardware version of the device. The older HW 1 versions can be upgraded to System Program 5.1.2 or older. Only system program versions 2.2.0 and newer can be loaded into devices that are hardware version 2.X. Hardware Version System Program 1.0 5.1.2 or older 2.X 2.2.0 or newer 3.X 5.1.6 SP1 or newer Note: Hardware version 1 devices are not labeled as HW 1 since only one version of hardware existed at the time. Hardware devices can be identified by the lack of any hardware version printed on the Neuron ID sticker. Note: If running the firmware update software, ensure you are running as an administrator. Next, check to verify that IP communications are configured properly and are functional: Check the IP address defined in XBuilder Verify a good connection to the IP port of the controller (10Base-T port on the far right) with a crossover cable. If that is all good, then a reformat of the controller may be necessary. Connect via Hyperterminal to the unit and at the dsh> prompt type format and press enter command . This will recreate the directory structure of the controller and allow you to attempt the upgrade/downgrade again. Finally, verify that the Internet Options are not configured to use a proxy server or, if they are, temporarily change them as follows: To temporarily change this setting follow these steps: In Internet Explorer select the Tools Menu and select Internet Options. Or select Internet Options from your Control Panel. Go to the Connections tab. Click the LAN settings button. Uncheck the Use a proxy server for your LAN box. Click Ok in the LAN settings window and the Internet Options window. Complete the System Program download. Return to the Internet Options window and re-check the Use a proxy server for your LAN box in the LAN Settings found in the Connections tab. Another Matrix explaining the compatibility of each with Vista versions can be found in Xenta-Server-firmware-versus-Vista-Server-versions If you have the Xenta FW 5.1.8 or lower and KB 2661254 or KB 2661254-V2 were installed during a Windows Update you will need install the service packs. These new service pack builds have been released and are available on the extranet. See TPA-VSTA-12-0028.00 - TAC Xenta Servers, Not Possible to Download Firmware for more info. Another issue has been reported to support relating to the bit length of the Xenta server boot certificate. The Xenta server installer uses a 512 bit key length of the boot certificate, and Windows in some instances can be configured for a 1024 bit length certificate. If the issue still exists after removing the above mentioned Windows Updates, or if you are getting this error and the Windows Updates are not on your machine. Download the attached tool, Allow Weak Certificates.zip, and execute the file, chose "Allow Weak Certificates", and "Update".   Here is what the tool set: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography\OID\EncodingType 0\CertDllCreateCertificateChainEngine\Config] "EnableWeakSignatureFlags"=dword:00000002 "minRSAPubKeyBitLength"=dword:00000200 If taking the preceding steps fails to resolve the issue then see the following articles for additional steps that can be taken: Xenta Server "Run" light is solid red, with no communication via Ethernet,  Fail to upgrade the TAC Xenta Server system software (firmware)  An unexpected error occurred while downloading using a Xenta Server

Issue When SmartStruxure and TAC Vista is installed on the same PC, the license system for one of the products doesn't work properly and you get no license. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC Vista Environment Flexera license system Cause SmartStruxure and TAC Vista uses the same license system vendor and also the same vendor daemon. That causes a conflict, and a special configuration is needed. Resolution To move a TAC Vista license to the EcoStruxure Building Operation(EBO) license server See video:       Or follow the steps below: Disable TAC Vista's license server and host the TAC Vista licenses in the SBO license server. Stop and disable the service "TACLicenseServer". This is done through "services" (Start-->run-->services.msc) on the PC. Make sure the correct license setup is made for TAC Vista. Refer to No license after reboot when TAC Vista Server (TACOS) runs as a service for further explanation. Create a folder for the TAC Vista licenses as a subfolder in the SBO license server installation folder. Give it the name "licenses" and place all TAC Vista customer licenses here. Do not place demo licenses in this folder. Open the SBO license server web page (http://localhost:8888) preferably with Chrome or FireFox Click on "Administration" Sign in using "admin" as user name. If you have logged in before, use the password you have defined. If not, enter "admin" as password and create a password as indicated in step 6a and 6b. If it is the first time you log in, enter a new password and click "Save". If it is the first time you log in, now click "OK". Click on "Vendor Daemon Configuration" Click on "Administer" Click the field "License File or Directory" and enter the folder name "licenses" on a new line. Scroll down and click "Save" Restart the SBO license service (Building Operation 1.6 License Server) Additional notes If your TAC Vista license is locked to a dongle, you need to replace the SBO vendor daemon file (taclic.exe) with the on from the license server hotfix produced for TAC Vista 5.1.9. Please contact Product Support Services for assistance and refer to this article.

Issue Registering/Unregistering TAC Vista Server as a Windows service will allow the server to start automatically and run in the background of the PC (it won't show up on the Windows taskbar). This is not the same as having it run on Startup (for information on that, please see Configuring Vista Server to run on Startup). Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Server Microsoft Windows -- All versions Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause Reference Chapter 16.3 of the TAC Vista Technical Manual "Running TAC Vista Server as a Service in Microsoft Windows XP" for more information. When you log out of Microsoft Windows or restart the computer, all running processes, for example, Vista Server, are shut down. These processes are not resumed at log on or at restart. You have to start Vista Server manually again. To get Vista Server to remain running at log off and automatically start up when the computer restarts, you can run Vista Server as a service. Running a program as a service means that it runs in the background, but it is not visible on the Windows task bar. Before you start Vista Server as a service, you must first install and configure your Vista Servers and your network and have everything running satisfactorily. It is not advisable to start Vista Server as a service until you have completed all the settings (including security and authority) and the TAC Vista system is running well. Resolution Register Vista Server to run as a Windows service Go to Start > Run Register the service by typing: Tacos.exe /service When you register TAC Vista Server as a Windows service, it will default to run under the "Local system" account.  This is not supported by TAC Vista Server. Right-click on My Computer and select Manage. Browse to Computer Management (local) > Services and Applications > Services Find TACOS, right-click and select Properties On the Log On tab, specify "This account:" with admin authority.  It is ideal to use a domain account with local administration authority if your system is a member of a domain. At this point, if you would like to start the service, highlight TACOS in the Services window and select Start the service. If you choose to run Vista Server as a service in a multi-computer network, we recommended that you run every Vista Server as a service. Change from running as a service to running as interactive Go to Start > Run Unregister the service by typing: Tacos.exe /unregserver You must then register the server back to interactive by typing: Tacos.exe /regserver Helpful Utility This utility will read in the current run mode of the Vista Server and allow you to switch between running as a service and an application. It also lets you set the user to run the service under. Click the image to the right to go to a Community post containing the utility .exe file. Accessing Vista Server Menus and Dialog Boxes Once the service has started, it is not possible to use the Vista Server menus and dialog boxes. To be able to use these, you have to unregister the service and start Vista Server in the normal way. LonTalk Adapter from Loytec When TAC Vista is running as a service and you are using a LonTalk adapter from Loytec, you must ensure that the program LConfig is also running as a service. You do this when you configure the network interface card. TAC Vista Tools and Microsoft Windows Vista Some of the tools installed in the installation folder of TAC Vista cannot run if TAC Vista is running as a service in Windows Vista. These are TAMIAN, CIPCL, SYSDOC, TADRAW, and DBGEN. Related Articles: Unable to save periodic report to network drive when Vista is running as a service Regional settings might differ when TAC Vista server runs as a service Dependencies for Vista Server running as a service Upgrading Vista while running Server as a service

Issue How to set the IP address of a Xenta 5/7/9xx through serial communication. Product Line Satchwell MicroNet, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Xenta Servers Xenta 511, 527, 555, 701, 711, 721, 731, 913 Cause If the IP address of a Xenta 5/7/9xx is not known initially, then no configuration can be done through the IP interface. The IP address must be set through serial communication. Resolution IP setup for a Xenta server (Xenta 5/7/9xx) through serial communication for step-by-step instructions for this process.

Issue Sometimes just looking at the error message you get from e.g. TAC Vista or SmartStruxure when you try to send an email and it fails can lack information. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista SmartStruxure WireShark Cause It is not necessarily all SMTP error messages and their explanation that are implemented in the software. Resolution For general information on WireShark usage read Using WireShark to analyse communications on an Ethernet network. If McAfee antivirus with HIPS is installed on the PC, use RawCap to capture the communication, as you will not see traffic originating from your PC online in WireShark. Additional reference for this article: Enhanced SMTP status codes   First of all when working with WireShark logs, it's a good idea to filter and focus the communication type you want to look at. In this case it's SMTP, so simply type smtp in the display filter and hit enter.   The easiest way to isolate a single smtp "conversation" between client and server, is to find one of the packets in the conversation, and in the "Analyze" menu click on "Follow TCP Stream".   This will give you the complete conversation in a separate window.   When you have used "Follow TCP Stream" be sure to set the display filter to "smtp" again when closing the window.   This is what happens if authentication is needed by the SMTP server but the client is not using authentication.   Here is the same attempt to send an email, but this time the client has enabled authentication   A little trick when using authentication is that WireShark can actually decrypt the Base64 encoded username and password. Simply right click on any SMTP packet, click "Protocol Preferences" and click "Decrypt AUTH parameters".   He are the packets decrypted   An error not easily detected by e.g. TAC Vista is error 535 "Incorrect authentication data". As stated in the enhanced status code table linked above, it simply means that either username, password or both is incorrect.   Though the product used may not have support for SSL and TLS, you can encounter SMTP server requiring it. Here is an example of a SMTP requesting SSL     For further info on troubleshooting sending emails from TAC Vista, please read Troubleshooting Sending Emails from a Vista Server.

Issue [Invalid Address] Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Workstation Xenta Programmable Controllers Xenta 280, 281, 282, 283, 300, 301, 302, 401, 401:B Invalidate Resolved Addresses Cause If you view a controller in Vista Workstation and point values read [Invalid Address] instead of showing values, there are a number of troubleshooting techniques to rectify this. Unfortunately, [Invalid Address] is a bit of a "catch-all" error code. Since it can be difficult to determine the cause of the error, these troubleshooting suggestions will have varying degrees of success. The best course of action is to try each of these methods in the order of least to most disruptive. As new techniques and procedures are discovered, they will be documented here. Resolution Check the label for N/P Designation If a programmable controller has read [Invalid Address] on every point since it was installed (it has never worked properly) then there is a chance that this is not a Network Presentation controller. These are referred to as stand-alone controllers and each of the 280 and 300 series have a non-network presentation variety. Check the label on the controller to make sure it says "302/N/P" or "282/N/P." If it just says "302" or "282" then this controller cannot communicate on a network and will never report values to a front end. Also see Xenta 280 or 300 Controllers without /N/P (networking and presentation) designation cannot communicate in a Network. In the Vista Workstation Right-click on the controller and choose Advanced Operations > Invalidate Resolved Addresses Proceed? Select Yes. Right-click on the controller and choose Advanced Operations > Read Address Proceed? Select Yes. Wait up to about 30 seconds for the values to populate. Download the Controller In the System Plug-in, Download Applications and Parameters to the controller Recommission the controller In the System Plug-in, TAC Network > Commence Communication (skip to this step for LON controllers) You may want to follow this action with another attempt at the steps outlined in the section above "In the Vista Workstation" Repair or recommission the Routers in the NL220 or Lonmaker database repair or recommission the Routers. Re-Do Group Bindings & Commence Communication: In the System Plug-in, LNS network > Create Group Bindings In the System Pug-In right click on the TAC Network and commence communication Re-doing group bindings ensures that the LNS network interface, and LON to IP routers receive message can 0 for the main xenta address broadcast in the network. Monitor Sets If your monitor sets have become corrupted, then every controller you download from that point on will say [Invalid Address] on every point. Monitor sets are actually stored on the hard drive of the PC, not in the LNS database. If you have made backups and passed them back and forth between PCs, as you often do during the commissioning phase, this invites corruption of monitor sets. There were some known issues with monitor sets in LNS version 3.24 that have since been corrected in LNS version 3.26. This can be downloaded from Echelon's website in LNS Server/Turbo Edition Service Pack 7. Go to http://www.echelon.com Navigate to Support > Support Resources > Downloads Log in with a user name and password. If this is the first time logging in, register for a free user name and password. Search for software in the Recommended Downloads category Find LNS Server/Turbo Edition Service Pack 7 (this is the latest at the time of this article, a newer one may exist and should be downloaded) Prior to restoring a backup, you may want to resynchronize the drawing making sure to check the option for "Sync monitor sets between drawing and database." Usually restoring the last good backup will fix up the monitor sets. If you do not have a recent backup, there are a couple of procedures that may help resolve the corrupted monitor sets issue.   Note: Viewing and altering monitor sets is only available in Echelon LonMaker. There is no analogous menu item in Newron's NL220. Do not download any more controllers. Check your monitor sets in LonMaker by navigating to LonMaker > Network Service Devices Click on the NSS which should have the same name as the network Select the Monitor Sets button If you get "Monitor set cannot be found. (Subsystem: NS, #160)" then your monitor sets are corrupt. Close down Vista Server & LonMaker (if you don't you will get an error when you try to validate that says "The Network Interface, database directory, or NSS type, conflicts with the already active network. (Subsystem: NS, #149)") Navigate to Start > Programs > Echelon LNS Utilities > LNS Database Validator Navigate to the LNS Network to Validate Check the Repair Database checkbox Hit the Validate button If that does not find and repair the monitor sets, the following steps may help. Make backup of the LNS database. Start LonMaker. Do not start Vista Server. Go to the monitor sets (LonMaker > Network Service Devices > NSS > Monitor Sets) and right-click and delete the monitor sets Run the System Plug-in and create a brand new Vista database in a different location than your current database. Stop the Vista Server and start it again Check the monitor sets again, they should be right now Stop the server again and change back to your original Vista database Non-Latin Characters If you use a signal name or description in the XBuilder Device Editor with non-Latin characters (like Swedish åäöÅÄÖ) you will get [Invalid Address] when you view the signal in Vista. Value pages are displayed correctly. Do not use non-Latin characters for signal name or description. This issue has been confirmed in versions 5.1.2 - 5.1.4, and will be fixed in a future release. Classic Networks View the Address Tab under the controller's properties in Vista Workstation Check Address Table slots 0 and 1. If the "Domain Index" and "Member or Node" have been manually altered, set them back to 0. An applicationless controller will display [Invalid Address] in a classic network, whereas in an LNS network, it would simply fail to commission due to its applicationless state.  Direct download the controller through the Menta serial cable to see if it resolves the error. Xenta 700 Menta values See Xenta 700 Menta Object Values report [Invalid Address] in Workstation, Read operation failed. Delete, Destroy, Redo This is your last resort. If you have tried everything else possible, it is time to remove this controller from the database and start from scratch. The exact steps and methodologies may change based on your network and controllers, but basically you need to remove any mention of this controller and add it back in as though it were a brand new device. Decommission the controller Delete the device Delete the device template In the System Plug-in, remove the device from the TAC Network Update the Vista Database Create a new controller Browse in a Menta file Update Vista and download

Warning Potential for Data Loss: The steps detailed in the resolution of this article may result in a loss of critical data if not performed properly. Before beginning these steps, make sure all important data is backed up in the event of data loss. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with any complex steps detailed in this article, please contact Product Support Services for assistance. Issue Failed to read events from the event log database. Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista Workstation Cause This error is sometimes displayed upon login to the TAC Vista Workstation. It indicates there is a problem with the connection between the Vista Server and the SQL database that stores event data. Resolution Before making any further tests, make sure you have MSXML 4.0 SP3 installed and then check if it works. It can be downloaded here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=15697 The first thing to check is the SQL connection. Open the TAC Vista Server Setup In version 5.1.3 and prior: Start > Programs > TAC > TAC Vista Server X.X.X > Server Setup In version 5.1.4 and later: Start > Programs > Schneider Electric > TAC Vista Server X.X.X > Server Setup Go to the SQL Server tab In the lower right-hand corner of the tab, press the Test Connection button. If it pops up a window that says "Connection test succeeded!" then your SQL connection is okay. If it fails the connection test, check the instance name. If you are using default settings it should be: SQL Server name: PCname\TACVISTA or (local)\TACVISTA Log database name: taclogdata If these are set correctly and the connection still fails, one method for reestablishing the connection is to uninstall/reinstall the Vista software. Make sure SQL Server Agent is running. Right-click on My Computer and select Manage Navigate to Computer Management (Local) > Services and Applications > Services Find SQL Server (TACVISTA) -- assuming the default SQL instance is being used. Make sure the service status is running.  Start the service if needed. If there is no problem with the SQL connection, check the Server object's Network Master. In Vista Workstation, right-click on the Vista Server object and select Properties On the General tab, in the Network pane, check the Master: name In a one-server network, the Network Master must be set to the Server object name. Check for queued files in the $queues folder Navigate in a Windows Explorer window to the Vista Database. (If you are unsure of the location, you can verify it in the TAC Vista Server Setup Vista Database tab). Go to the $queues folder Look inside the insertevents and insertlogvalues folders. Are they empty or are they consistently growing with files? This is where data is stored temporarily before it is written to the SQL database. Having queued files is not necessarily a sign of a problem. However, if there is a connection problem, these folders will continually grow in size without older queued files being written from the folder. In the case of the error "Failed to read events from the event log database", it is possible that a queued file is causing the error prompt and that deleting it will fix it. If the data is not of dire importance, delete all the files inside both of the $queues folder. For more information see An efficient method for deleting all queued files in the $queues folder. Reconfigure the log database Open the TAC Vista Server Setup In version 5.1.3 and prior: Start > Programs > TAC > TAC Vista Server X.X.X > Server Setup In version 5.1.4 and later: Start > Programs > Schneider Electric > TAC Vista Server X.X.X > Server Setup Go to the SQL Server tab Change SQL configuration from Typical to Custom Change the Log database name Hit Apply. It will warn you: "TAC Vista integrated SQL backup/restore function will not be available in custom configuration." Hit OK. It will then warn you: "No log database was found on SQL Server. Create and configure a log database?" Hit Yes.   At this point, if no backup features are necessary, and the error has cleared, this is a viable solution. It is not, however, recommended to maintain a site without any log backups. The next step would be to switch the Vista Server Setup SQL configuration back to Typical. Hit Apply. You will be warned: "Log database was found but needs to be reconfigured. Reconfigure log database?" Hit Yes.   After reverting to typical SQL settings, the error should clear. If it has not, it may be time for some database management. Performing Database Maintenance Follow the steps in the article Performing database maintenance with Vista 4.5.0  to set up a log and event backup and to clean up old data. Schedule a backup to occur (now or soon after) The next time you log into Vista Workstation, the error should be cleared. If the error is sporadic, it could be the event viewer has too many events If the error only occurs when logging in to Vista Workstation, and doesn't happen every time, it could be that too many events are being brought into the Event Viewer on login. All events specified in the filter for the event viewer are uploaded to the Workstation. If too many events are specified, problems occur. In Workstation, go to the root TAC Vista folder Right-click $Eventview and select properties Go to the Date and Time tab Set the Time period to Last 1 Hour(2) instead of Last 1 Week(s), which is default Check the Windows Event Log If all else fails, check the Windows Event log for more information about the error. Checking this may provide you with the answers you need, or at least give you more information to provide to Product Support if you need further assistance. Instructions available in Viewing, Saving, Sharing Windows Event Logs for Troubleshooting Purposes. Right-click on My Computer and select Manage Browse to Computer Management (local) > System Tools > Event Viewer > Application Look for Type Error events with Source Vista. This may help you determine the source of the error.

Issue How to transfer data from TAC Vista to EBO(EcoStruxure Building Operation) as a temporarily solution while a transition between TAC Vista and EBO is done?    Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista SmartStruxure Solution EcoStruxure Web Services TAC Vista SmartStruxure Interface 1.5 Cause If EBO need data from TAC Vista during a transition period the TAC Vista SmartStruxure interface can be used.   Resolution Please see the video or follow the instructions below:   On the Vista server(s) install the TAC Vista SmartStruxure Interface first. Refer to TAC Vista to SmartStruxure Interface will not connect when TAC Vista and SmartStruxure are installed on the same machine if there are any issues installing or getting the two programs to communicate when on the same PC. In StruxureWare Workstation, on the Enterprise server object or the Automation server object right click and create new interface, and select the EcoStruxure Web Service interface in Workstation. Click next. In the Server, enter the IP address of Vista server. If it is local, just use localhost. Enter the username and password of Vista Server. Pay attention that only the user in the default System user group can be used. Don't try to create other System group. And all the letters in the password field need to be in capital letters. This is a defect that will be addressed in the next release of TAC Vista to SmartStruxure interface. Please be selective with the port that you are using. If the Vista to SmartStruxure Interface program is on the same PC as the Enterprise server than a different port other than 80 or 443 will have to be used. Please refer to TAC Vista to SmartStruxure Interface will not connect when TAC Vista and SmartStruxure are installed on the same machine if the two softwares need to be on the same machine. Click Create. The next step is to Host TAC Vista objects into SmartStruxure. Refer to How to host TAC Vista objects using Web Services in StruxureWare Building Operation for the guide of how to host Vista objects into SmartStruxure. NOTE: There is a defect for Version 1.0 of TAC Vista to SmartStruxure interface under Non-English operation system. The EcoStruxure Web Services interface will not come online in SmartStruxure. Refer to TAC Vista to SmartStruxure Interface does not connect in non-English Operation System for solution.

Issue Instruction on how to use your Entitlement to rehost Vista 5 License onto a new host computer or dongle. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista 5 Dongle Host ID Flexnet Licensing Entitlement Vista Licensing website Cause Limited documentation exists for how to properly rehost a Vista license on the Vista licensing website Resolution NOTE: Please remember that 5.0.X license files are not backwards compatible with versions of Vista 5.1.X. If your current license files are 5.0.X you must install 5.0.3 or earlier to properly rehost your license. Log onto https://schneider-electric.flexnetoperations.com and enter your Entitlement or Activation ID. To obtain an unknown ID, follow instructions in Lost license Entitlement ID Vista 5.x. In the top corner of the Home Page Select LICENSE SUPPORT and List Licenses This Entitlements license(s) will be listed. Select the License you wish to rehost by checking the Tick box located just left of the License. In the Action Menu, Select Rehost. Select Add New Host. From the Server Host Dropdown, select either ETHERNET (MAC address) or VENDOR DEFINED (Dongle) depending on your site. Enter the Mac address or Dongle ID to be used in the textbox *note that a Dongle ID must be entered as "TAC_HL_ID=##########" Select OK The New Server Hosts will now be populated with the correct Host ID. Click Next. Select Verify to verify the Host ID is valid Select Rehost to generate the new License. From the main page, select the License you wish to retrieve by checking the Tickbox located just left of the License. Select View and Save To File or Email license to obtain the .lic file. It may be a good idea to compare the old .lic file with the new .lic file in Notepad to ensure they contain the same features. It is possible that the site license was a combined license generated from multiple Entitlements. If this is the case, repeat the steps above for each Entitlement then follow instructions in Manually Consolidating License Files.

Issue After updating FireFox to version 34 and later, you get the message "Unable to Connect Securely" when accessing a Xenta Server using HTTPS   After updating Chrome to version 40 and later, you get the message "This webpage is not available" when accessing a Xenta Server using HTTPS   In Internet Explorer, you get the message "This page can't be displayed" when accessing a Xenta Server using HTTPS Product Line TAC Vista Environment Xenta Server FireFox Chrome Internet Explorer Cause From version 34 of FireFox and version 40 of Chrome, SSLv3 is disabled by default for security reasons as SSLv3 is no longer considered secure enough. As per Vista Server Cryptographic Protocols TAC Vista, TAC Xenta Server and TAC Xenta 911 is using SSLv3 and is therefore blocked when using SSL (HTTPS). In the newest versions of Chrome and FireFox, not even the work around described below works, so you need to set the Xenta Server to low security through the XBuilder project. Resolution In Internet Explorer, FireFox and Chrome you can manually reenable SSLv3.   Solution 1: Set the Xenta server to only use HTTP and not HTTPS This is done in TAC XBuilder   Solution 2: Allow SSLv3 in FireFox 1: In the FireFox address bar, write about:config 2: Accept the warning 3: Write security.tls.version.min in the search field - below you can see the default setting 4: Double click the line, and change the number to 0 5: Try logging into the Xenta Server again. If it doesn't work the first time, restart the browser and try again   Solution 3: Allow SSLv3 in Internet Explorer Check the advanced settings in Internet Explorer. SSL 3.0 must be enabled. If it's not, then enable it. If you can't, it's because it's disabled by a policy, and you need to get the IT department to enable it.   Solution 4: Allow SSLv3 in Chrome 1: In the Chrome address bar, write chrome://flags/#ssl-version-min and select SSLv3 in the drop down box. Solution 2: Allow SSLv3 in FireFox 1: In the F

Issue Using a Demo License with Vista, Demo will not run on site PC. Error: lc_checkout failed: Cannot find license file. FLEXible License Manager lc_checkout failed: Cannot find license file. The license files (or license server system network addresses) attempted are listed below. Use LM_LICENSE_FILE to use a different license file, or contact your software provider for a license file. FLEXnet Licensing error:-1,359. System Error: 2 "No such file or directory" For further information, refer to the FLEXnet Licensing End User Guide, available here. For instructions on using a Site License when encountering this error, refer to Switching from the Demo license to the site License in Vista 5.1.7 or older. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Licensing Flexnet Lmtools lc_ Cause Unlike using a Vista Site License, the Demo license does not require the use of the Flexnet License Server. . Resolution Select a location to store the Demo License on the site PC Start Vista Menta At the prompt to select between License Server or License File, Choose "Specify the License File" Select Browse and navigate to location where you stored the license file in step 1. Highlight the Demo License and select Open. Verify that Menta starts. Start Vista Server Start Vista Workstation Verify Vista Workstation starts.

Issue Download a Menta application file to a Xenta controller using the Menta software tool and a directly connected serial RS-232 cable. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Menta Programming Tool Xenta Programmable Controllers Xenta 280, 281, 282, 283, 300, 301, 302, 401, 401:B Cableguide Kableguide Programming Serial Kit 0-073-0920-0 Note: The Online command is not available for the Xenta Server 700 devices so the following procedures do not apply to these devices. Cause Throughout the engineering, installation and commissioning phases of a project it may be necessary to download directly to a Xenta programmable controller. Also, performing a directly connected Menta download may be necessary in order to fix certain issues. See the following: The device is applicationless, or is not associated with a program record. (Subsystem: NS, #5) Resolution Use Menta Setup program (this is found in the TAC Tools menu) to select the Com port that is being used. Do not change any other setting before clicking Close. Connect the RS-232 cable and Programming Adapter between the PC and the RS232 port on the TAC Xenta. (these are part of the TAC Xenta: Programming Serial Kit, part no. 0-073-0920-0 For more information about the cable and adaptor see Xenta Cable Guide , Adaptor A1 and Cable L1 or Schematic for the RS-232 cable used to direct download Menta applications and system files.)  Open the Menta file to be downloaded. Change to simulation mode in Menta by clicking Options menu and selecting Simulate. In the simulation mode click Online. In the Connecting to Device dialog click Download. In the Tam32 dialog choose whether or not to generate files for an OP menu. For more information regarding Menta direct downloads see the TAC Menta Technical Manual  Section 16.4.1. Notes: Network information containing network addresses and other properties for the Xenta device and it's I/O modules is included in the download. For more info about this network info see the TAC Menta Technical Manual listed above or for problems with downloading the network information see No blueprint in TAC Xenta! Don't forget to download the network configuration if the TAC Xenta is to function in a network!. If Menta returns Parser Errors during download see Menta Parser Errors. If Menta returns Unsupported I/O Warning during download see Reference to unsupported I/O Error in COD file - Error:13. If a serial connection is not available on the PC a USB adapter can be used. The appropriate version of the TAC Menta Engineering Tool can be downloaded from the Exchange