Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue The EBO license is activated on a virtual machine, need to make sure that it will not get damaged. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Enterprise Central Building Operation Workstation Cause Scenarios leading to broken Trusted Storage (license damage), when license is activated on a Virtual Machine. In some cases, the License Administrator can be used to repair the license, and in other cases, product supported will need to be contacted. Resolution FlexNet documentation explains how licensing in virtual machines works, what causes license damage, and how to avoid license damage. Make sure that documentation is related to the FNP version (FlexNet publisher) used by installed EBO, ex. EBO V4.0.2 uses version 2021 (11.18.1) and EBO V5.0.2 uses FNP V2022 R3 (11.19.2).  You can also check the FNP version by checking the properties, details of lmadmin.exe file located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Building Operation x.x\License Server Binding elements for licenses activated on a virtual machine: FlexNet publisher documentation lists three binding elements for virtual machines, all of which are deal breakers: MAC address, UUID, and Generation ID, refer to Binding in a Virtual Environment (revenera.com)  Scenarios that can cause license damage (Trusted-Storage Breakage): FlexNet White Paper: Understanding Virtualization Features in FlexNet Publisher, Page 11, details binding variables and which scenarios can change each binding element. Page 13 in the same white paper, Recovering from a Binding Break in TS, explains common scenarios leading to broken TS and if a license can be repaired.  WebHelp article EcoStruxure Building Operation Software License Repair, explains other reasons for license damage, for physical or virtual machine.  Please contact your local support if the License Administrator can't repair the license. Best Practices to avoid Trusted-Storage Breakage: To minimize license damage, follow the below steps before making changes to the bindings or moving EBO to a new VM. Make a backup of EBO, Backing Up EcoStruxure BMS Servers Manually Return all licenses, Returning an EcoStruxure Building Operation Software License. Verify that all licenses have been returned for all used Entitlements by logging in to https://licensing.se.com. Perform your operation. Activate the licenses again, Activating EcoStruxure Building Operation Software Licenses. FlexNet lists best practices that can also be followed to avoid trusted storage breakage: Best Practices (revenera.com)

Issue When the BACnet Interface is created in Container Servers, the automatically generated Device Object ID aka Instance ID can be the same as another Container Server on the same container host. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Edge Server Building Operation Enterprise Server for Linux Cause The algorithm used to pick BACnet Interface Device IDs in individual Automation Servers does not work for Container Servers since they share the same ethernet connection,. Resolution Perform tasks to ensure Instance IDs are unique. One can prevent the issue by ensuring uniqueness when adding the BACnet Interface  When adding Interface -> BACnet Interface, do NOT click Create or Create and Edit, but click Edit in Wizard.  Enter the following data BACnet Name Instance ID (ensuring unique ID to the entire BACnet system) Leave Network Type = IP network Network ID (this should be the same network ID as the IP network is attaching)  One can repair the issue and ensure uniqueness after creating the BACnet Interface. Changing the BACnet Device ID in an Automation Server to configure unique ID Repair Hosting a BACnet controller and IO Module  Fixing References in BACnet/IP Controllers 

Issue Getting an Error 1001 near the end of the EcoStruxure WebReports Installation Reports not functional from WebReports Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Web Reports SQL 2008 R2 Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2012 Cause This error is caused when the WebReports installer is unable to reach SQL Server Reporting Services to configure the WebReports Interface Resolution After a failed install of WebReports you will need to follow the general workflow:   Clean of the Pieces of the failed install. Use the uninstall process listed in the WebReports Reference Guide or Uninstall Process for Web Reports. Correct all possible causes of the failed install Verify that you can connect to the ES using http from the Reports Server PC Verify that you can connect to http://localhost/Reports_SQLInstanceName  Re-install WebReports. NOTE: You may be able to correct the issue without having to remove and re-install WebReports. Possible Issue: The Microsoft Reporting Service SQL databases are not registered Check through SQL Management Studio that the 2 databases "ReportServer$instance" and "ReportServer$instanceTempDB" are registered. If not, the SBO Web Reports installed have nowhere to place the report pack files. If they are not there, you need to add them through "Reporting Services Configuration Manager". Click "Database" and then "Change Database". Here you can chose to create new databases. Possible Issue: Insufficient User Access Log out of Windows and Log back in using a PC admin account. The account logged in for the installation should have full access to Windows and be a DB admin in the SQL Server. Set the User Account Control Settings to Never notify. Possible Issue: PC Configured as a Domain Server In the Server Manager, check that the IIS Role is configured and that there are no Domain Roles assigned to this PC Possible Issue: Another Application is using a Required SQL function Uninstall any application which use SQL on this PC. (The Enterprise Server does not Use SQL) As a Best Practice, the Reports Server should be installed on its own, dedicated PC. Possible Issue: Incorrect Version of SQL Server or Windows Server Check the Reports Server Specification Sheet for your build and verify that you are on the Correct Version of Windows and SQL. Possible Issue: Secure Connection Level set too high This issue typically also results in not being able to log into http://localhost/Reports_SQLExpress. Log into the Reporting Agent Configuration Manager Application Click on the Report Manager URL on the left-hand column Click on the HTTP URL This will give you the correct URL for your installation of SQL If this fails, browse to C:\ProgramFiles\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS10_50.SQLEXPRESS\Reporting Services\ReportServer (this may vary based on SQL Installation)   Modify the CONFIG file "rsreportserver" Change the Secure ConnectionLevel to "0" Save the file and attempt to log into http://localhost/Reports_SQLExpress again. For more details on this property see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa179559(v=sql.80).aspx Possible Issue: .NET Framework is not operating correctly. Download the correct version of .NET framework for your version of EBO (The correct required version can be found on WebHelp Reports Server under EcoStruxure Building Operation Software Requirements) Run the installer in "Repair" mode Possible Issue: The Windows account "appuser" is not created because the default password does not meet password policy requirements Temporarily disable password policy on the server and try reinstalling. For clarification of the use of 'appuser', refer to the following article, Report Server "appuser" clarification 

Issue There is a need for a single Compatibility Matrix that shows EBO, PME, Energy Expert and relevant software versions all in the same location.   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Other   Environment EcoStruxure Energy Expert (formerly Power Manager) ETL tool Cause Energy Expert version compatibility information is currently available but is stored in many different places such as release notes and online documentation, rather than one single matrix.   Resolution The full ETL for EBO compatibility matrix is shown in the following table. Energy Expert  PME EBO ETL Integration Utility .NET Framework Power Manager 1.0 7.2.3 1.6.1 3 1.0.14304.2 4.5 Power Manager 1.1 8 1.6.1  1.7.1 4.1 1.0.15306.1 4.5 Power Manager 1.2 8.1 1.6.1  1.7.1  1.8.1 4.3 2.1.16081.1 4.6 Power Manager 1.3 8.2 1.8.1 1.9.x  4.6 2.2.17056.2 4.6 Energy expert 2.0 9 2 5 3.0.18215.3 4.6 Energy expert 3.0 2020 3.0 3.1 6 3.1.19319.1 4.6 Not commercialized  - (n/a) 2021 3.2.3 6 Integrated - (n/a) 4.8 Not commercialised - (n/a) 2022 4.0.2/2022 6 Integrated - (n/a) 4.8 Not commercialised - (n/a) 2023 5.0/2023 6 Integrated - (n/a) 4.8   Great care must be taken when choosing the correct version of ETL to use when integrating Energy Expert and EBO, as there are actually two families of ETL in production.  One ETL designed and tested for PME use only and ETL for EBO designed and tested with an EBO Extract Task specifically for integrating the two systems.  (For example, a version of ETL 4.7 exists, but this is not ETL for EBO and therefore does NOT contain an EBO Extract Task, even though it is a valid version of ETL for the Power Community) New PME 2023 now offers EWS Client 1.2 which can be used to transfer data from EBO to PME instead of ETL.  The merits for and against using this new EWS Client rather than ETL are discussed at length in the PME 2023 System Guide

  Issue Performing an Enterprise Server upgrade preview from 3.2.3.59 to 5.0.3.117, the upgrade fails with the error "INET legacy interface no longer supported." message      Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Cause An existing folder in the Enterprise Server contained graphics underneath the INET interface. This folder was moved within the system, and the INET interface was deleted. However, the moved folder still had links to the INET interface, causing the upgrade to fail since this interface is not supported in Building Operation 2022 (v.4) and above.  Resolution Delete any references in the database linked to the INET Interface. Bindings Diagnostics provides a quick method for locating these unresolved references.   After deleting these objects and/or references, the upgrade will completed successfully.

Issue How to Mass Create Trend Logs and Extended Trend Logs Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause If you did not create Trend Logs at the same time as you created the points or values, it is possible to create several trend logs or extended trend logs at the same time. Resolution For this example, we assume all of the values are in the same folder. You can hold down SHIFT to select multiple adjacent objects, or CTRL+click to select non-adjacent values Mass Creation of Interval Trend Logs Select all of the Values you wish to add the same type of Log to Right Click and select New connected object>Trend Select the Log type and the settings you wish to use.  Note that the log name will be the values name with either a prefix or suffix defined by the user Be sure to Select a useful folder location, either same folder as each selected object, a different folder, relative to the selected object or a single folder for all created objects. Click Edit in wizard. Set the Interval Settings, if iterval log type is selected. Click Next, configure initial meter settings if required, click next tehn click create Mass Creation of Extended Trend Logs if required Select the group of Logs you wish to create Extended Trend Logs for Right Click and select New connected object>Extended Trend Log Enter the desired settings. Just as above, the Extended log will use the Log' name plus either a prefix or suffix Be sure to Enter an appropriate Location. Use a folder on the ES if you wish these logs to show up on the Reports Server (Report server is not supported in EBO 2022 and higher). Click Edit in Wizard, Configure the Extended Log as desired, then click create. Fore more information, refer to: Mass Creating Trend Logs and Mass Creating Extended Trend Logs

  Issue The customer has created an alarm, this alarm has an Attachment that displays a Graphic (Display on Alarm enabled). All the remote Workstations at this site show the graphic popup on alarm, except a single Workstation. That Workstation will display PDF Files 'On alarm', but not TGML graphics. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Workstation Cause Either, they at the same time had two monitors and placed the graphic attachment on the other monitor, and then the position was saved. Or by mistake managed to move the attachment out of the current monitor scope Resolution Remove WorkStation cache from both (User + Program data) :  User: C:\Users\*user-name*\AppData\Roaming\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Building Operation\WorkStation  Program data: C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Building Operation\WorkStation The alarm will now display the TGML graphic attachment

  Issue EBO 5.0 and all other revisions, In workstation When selecting `View history` of an alarm, we get columns more focused on alarms such as Alarm state, Alarm text,.. etc  But  in WebStation, we have “ View Events “ that shows columns that are more focused on object event history (including Value before, Value After, etc) rather than alarm history.       Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Webstation Building Operation Automation Server Premium Cause Navigating to View Alarm history in webstation is different than in workstation Resolution Alarm is a subset of Event, so it is reasonable to see it is under 'Event viewer'. There is no such a thing called 'Alarm history record' in webstation.This is Function as Designed (FAD) If we click on any of the events, after opening it we can see full alarm details.

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 Log data is not being logged into SQL. The Reports Server indicates that the database is full.   This view will be shown when logging into the WebReports interface. If this chart is not shown, the PC is not running an Express edition of SQL. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Reports Server Cause In most instances, the data that quickly fills the SQL database are Events. Event data fills the SQL Database and prevents log data from passing to the Reports Server database. If the data has filled within a few days, this would indicate an issue, and contacting your local support is the best option here. The Process below allows the user to stop the reporting agent from passing specific information to the Reports Server. If the data files are due to the amount of data stored, then an upgrade to the Standard/Full version of SQL is recommended.   Resolution To verify that the Events table is the likely cause of the SQL filling up, there are Standard Reports in the later versions of SQL.  The below example uses SQL Server version 13.x and shows the "Disk Usage by Top Tables."   If the Standards Reports are not available, then use the following article Building Operation Reports SQL Database Full, for instructions on how to show the details for each table.     The Process below allows the user to stop the reporting agent from passing Event information to the SQL Database: Download the latest SBO Reports Agent Config tool from the community. Load the Tool onto the Reports Server PC. Stop the Reporting Agent Using the Tool Press F7 to get to the Advanced Agent Configuration Page Change the numEventRecordToRead property to 0. This will prevent future event data from being written to the Reports Server database. Press Ok Under the Maintenance tab of the tool - there are two options under Events  Delete future events, alarms, and trends  Delete events and alarms older than... Restart the Reporting Agent This will stop any further Events from being passed through to the SQL Database.  

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 SQL Database is full, or the partition the SQL is installed is full Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Report Server Cause If a site is using SQL Express 2008, the limit is 10 GB. If using the full version(s), it is unlimited. If the database or the partition where the Reports Server resides is full, here are some steps to reduce the SQL table volume and offer a short-term solution. Resolution Before continuing, make sure there is a good backup of the database. Using SQL Server Management Studio, highlight the StruxureWareReportsDB and select New Query Use the following Script in that Query: SELECT t.NAME AS TableName, s.Name AS SchemaName, p.rows AS RowCounts, SUM(a.total_pages) * 8 AS TotalSpaceKB, SUM(a.used_pages) * 8 AS UsedSpaceKB, (SUM(a.total_pages) - SUM(a.used_pages)) * 8 AS UnusedSpaceKB FROM sys.tables t INNER JOIN sys.indexes i ON t.OBJECT_ID = i.object_id INNER JOIN sys.partitions p ON i.object_id = p.OBJECT_ID AND i.index_id = p.index_id INNER JOIN sys.allocation_units a ON p.partition_id = a.container_id LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id WHERE t.NAME NOT LIKE 'dt%' AND t.is_ms_shipped = 0 AND i.OBJECT_ID > 255 GROUP BY t.Name, s.Name, p.Rows ORDER BY t.Name Select Execute to run that Query as shown in the screen capture below: The Results show each of the tables and the size of those tables as shown in the screen capture below: Purely for example purposes, a script to reduce the number of Events would be delete from tbEvents where DATEDIFF(day, datetimestamp, getdate()) > 180 To gain back the space after deleting rows, right-click on StruxureWareReportsdb > Tasks > Shrink > Database

Issue In a life safety-related application, such as a fume hood, it is a requirement that the status of the end switch is not shared via peer-to-peer bindings. Instead, the end switch status must be hard-wired to all four controllers. What precautions should be taken to ensure that this will not cause issues. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Room Controller (RPC) 24 V Cause Connecting multiple RP-C to the same dry contact.    Resolution Make sure to use individual transformers to each controller (i.e. one transformer to one controller power supply) to minimize the risk of short circuit.

Issue TAC Xenta alarms are configured with a priority of 1 in Menta, but these same alarms appear with a priority of 100 in EcoStruxure Building Operation. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation TAC Xenta 301, TAC Xenta 302, TAC Xenta 401, TAC Xenta 281, TAC Xenta 282 Cause This is per design, Building Operation supports priorities from 0-1000, aligning alarm priorities from TAC Xenta within the range of 100-900 is a deliberate choice. By default, all alarm priorities from TAC Xenta are multiplied by 100 to fit this scheme. Resolution To revert the priority back to the original, open the properties for the alarm and manually adjust the priority.

Issue An increased amount of polling caused by Modbus groups with duplicate registers. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Modbus Building Operation Automation Server Premium (AS-P) Building Operation Automation Server Bundled (AS-B) Building Operation Automation Server (AS) Cause Modbus Register Groups cause multiple resisters to be requested in a single query. This can be a very efficient way of collecting data from a device. See this Article for details. However, if a register is repeated (duplicated) within a group it can cause an increased amount of polling.    The screenshots shows a Modbus Register Group with a Requested group poll interval set to 10,000ms, but the misconfiguration is forcing polls at 500ms. Resolution The resolution is simply to avoid such a configuration. NOTE - If a Modbus Register Group with duplicates registers becomes unstable with some registers showing offline, then disabling the Scattered Read function will usually help.

Issue There is no minimum current listed on the datasheet for Triac outputs on MPx controller. Product Line EcoStruxure Buildings Operation Environment Building Operation Multi-purpose Controller Cause Triac output not correctly switching due to the very small current load. Resolution The triac used in an MPx controller will run on low voltage and currents. In certain circumstances, the current drawn will not be sufficient to keep the triac in the MPx active. This has been seen to be in the region of 10-15 mA. In this case, a resistor would need to be installed in parallel with the triac to ensure you get a current draw of 20 mA or more for stable operation. It should also be noted that a Triac output is designed to switch AC load (24 VAC, 0.25 A maximum) and not DC load, refer to: Triac Outputs. An improved option to the MPx is an RP-C, RP-V or RP-IO, which can switch DC and AC loads with very low current draw, refer to: Solid-state Relay (SSR) Outputs.

Issue The Sum Alarm will not trigger when monitoring other Sum Alarms. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server  Building Operation Enterprise Server Cause The Sum Alarm is ignoring other Sum alarms for detection of alarm criteria. Resolution There are two options to resolve this. Configure a 2nd SUM alarm to use criteria that triggers on any of the points that would have triggered the Sum alarm you want to monitor and the other points. You can create a Change of State Alarm to monitor the alarm state of the 1st Sum Alarm. The second Sum alarm can then detect that the Change of State alarm is active. (It might be practical to hide the Change of State alarm by setting the priority to a low value and filter your default alarm view to exclude it in order to avoid double alarm entries in the alarm view of Workstation)

Issue When opening an OGC graphic using Vista Webstation as a window inside StruxureWare Webstation, the OGC graphic shows "Loading..." with a small cross in the upper left corner, and the graphic never loads. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment TAC Vista Webstation Building Operation Webstation   Cause The authentication in the communication between the browser and Vista Webstation is based on sessions and cookies. Due to a security setting on some sites, the initial cookie can not be set in the browser, and the authentication between the OGC graphic page showed in the browser and the web server therefore fails. If the graphic is opened in full screen (see below) or in a new window it will load, and subsequently all OGC graphics will work until the browser is restarted. Button to open the graphic in full screen Resolution On each PC that needs to access the OGC graphics using StruxureWare Webstation do the following: 1. Open Internet Explorer settings by clicking the gear in the upper right corner 2. Click "Privacy" and then "Sites" 3. Write the address of Vista Webstation (e.g. http://ip_address/webstation), click "Allow" and "OK" 4. Restart Internet Explorer   Note: This solution also applies to following issue; After clicking  a Vista Webstation url (direct link to a TGML graphic) in SBO Webstation from a Windows Server 2012 PC using Internet Explorer 11, Vista Webstation is expanding to fill the entire screen (it doesn't stay in the right hand window of SBO Webstation)

Issue Is it possible to upgrade TAC Xenta 401 and TAC Xenta 300 HW1 to latest system version? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation  Environment TAC Xenta 401 TAC Xenta 301 TAC Xenta 302 Cause Whenever possible, upgrading to the latest system version will give you all of the latest product fixes and enhancements. Resolution You can upgrade TAC Xenta 300 as well as TAC Xenta 401 to any system version BUT you cannot use HW1 in EcoStruxure Building Operation. All HW versions can be upgraded for use in TAC Vista Classic system.

Issue The functionality of StruxureWare Domains changed substantially in 1.2. There has been some discussion that the inability to communicate or the failure to transfer data from one SmartStruxure server to another is somehow related to the servers not being in the same StruxureWare Domain. This is not the case. As of 1.2 StruxureWare Domains are not used for communication at all. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server (ES) Building Operation Automation Server Premium (AS-P) Cause StruxureWare Domains are NOT used at all for establishing communication within SmartStruxure 1.2 and later releases If the AS can be added under the ES and no alarms are generated by the added AS, then full data sharing is possible regardless of StruxureWare Domain creation or membership. Resolution If the AS can not be added under the ES then there is a network problem that is preventing communication from the ES to the AS. If the AS can be added, but communication errors or lead verification alarms are generated that show the added AS as the source server, then there are network (or firewall) issues that are preventing the AS from communicating with the ES. If all engineering and configuration is done from the ES with the admin account in the Local Domain All bindings can be created by admin in the local domain All data can be viewed in graphics, trend charts, etc. by admin in the local domain Only data within the local AS can be viewed  by admin logged into the local domain of the AS This is true regardless of WorkStation or WebStation A StruxureWare Domain other than the local domain must be created and the other servers must be added to that StruxureWare Domain in order for users to have access (viewing or otherwise) to objects in the other servers.

Issue A TAC Xenta programmable controller has issues, and more information is needed to analyze what is happening in the controller. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment TAC Xenta 280 TAC Xenta 300 TAC Xenta 401 XentaErrorLogViewer Cause The TAC Xenta 280, 300 and 401 series has an internal Error Log, that in some cases could give more information about the way the device is acting, storing restart reasons etc. Resolution The XentaSystemErrorLogViewer is used to read out the internal error log file from a TAC Xenta 280, 300 or 401 device. The XentaSystemErrorLogViewer is a program that runs in your PC, and you have to connect to the TAC Xenta device by the use of a serial cable. You must have at least the same version number of the XentaErrorLogViewer as the device you want to read the information from. Please note that the XentaSystemErrorLogViewer program only works with released version of the TAC Xenta 280, 300 or 401 devices. 1. Download XentaSystemErrorLogViewer 2. Install the program 3. Connect the TAC Xenta to the PC using the TAC Xenta programming cable. Refer to the cable guide for further information. 4. In "Preferences", select the COM port to which you connected the serial cable 5. Check "Write System Error Log to file" 6. Click "Get new information" 7. The information is written to "C:\Windows\Temp\XentaSystemErrorLogg.txt"

Issue Want to modify the type of a block in the Function Block Editor while retaining the original block's name Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation. Environment Building Operation Workstation. Function Block Editor. Cause Altering the block type without removing the block first can result in the persistence of old block parameters even if they are incompatible with the new block type. For instance, transitioning from an "Integer Input" block type while the input is in a forced state may cause the new block to retain the forced state, even if it is not applicable, leading to potential issues with un-forcing. Resolution To ensure correct functionality, it is recommended that the old block is removed and the application saved before adding the new block with the original name. This process effectively clears out the old configuration, enabling the new block to contain only the parameters of the new block type.