Beacon disconnected alarm when uploading ini file to PX-HID AP9361

[DCIM_Support]

Not sure if you are aware of this bug, but if you upload a config.ini file to the PX-HID controller in order to change the User Access configuration, then there is a chance it will make the PX-HID show the alarm "Beacon disconnected" afterwards, which also shows up on DCE.

I uploaded the config.ini files to approx 30x PX-HID using the APC ini upload utility and out of those around 12x came up with this alarm.

The only way I could remove this alert was to physically log in to every PX-HID that was in alarm condition and manually reset the "Lost Communications Alarms". Painful...

None of them have beacons connected.

(CID:126163094)

[DCIM_Support]

Hi Garry,

I've seen that issue on startup but I can't say I've seen it with a config.ini upload.

Do you know of any difference between the 18 that did not have the alarm and the 12 that did? 

Were they running different firmware?

Did you send a different config.ini to the ones that had the issue vs the ones that did not.

Could I get a copy / example of the config.ini you're uploading to the failed units?

Steve.

(CID:126163175)

[DCIM_Support]

Some are on 3.5.3 and some are on 3.9.1, but there did not appear to be a relationship between the FW revision and which ones showed the alarm.

I uploaded 5 different configuration files, but again there wasn't a relationship between the contents of the ini files and which devices showed the alarm.

I don't really want to post the other ini files here, but this one caused some of the alarms to appear.

HIDRemoveAll.ini

(CID:126163224)

[DCIM_Support]

Thanks Garry,

If this is all you did (add or remove users) and included no other sections (what I was most concerned with), this one is enough. Actually adding data shouldn't matter at that point. Did you actually delete users then re-add them to all devices? If so, how long between the ini pushes? I'm wondering if that could have any effect.

I'll try to replicate but I don't have a large number of units to test so it'll be pushing to one unit over and over.

Steve

(CID:126163247)

[DCIM_Support]

I have had occasions in the past where pushing the users to the HID without first deleting all users first doesn't always work.  Some users get updated and some don't.

Based on this, I first deleted all users from all racks, then pushed different ini files to each 'batch' of racks.  I would say 3-5 minutes between pushes. (I checked the event log on one of the devices to check the users had been deleted, before pushing the next ini file)

The Beacon disconnected alarms do occur when using the ini file I supplied.

Also to confirm, the 'Beacon Disconnected' alert is not new (to me), but I have never gotten round to posting it here before.

(CID:126163286)

[DCIM_Support]

Thanks,

Yes, you should always delete them first. I just wasn't sure if you were changing them, just adding them, etc. Just trying to get as much info for testing as possible.

Steve

(CID:126163292)

[DCIM_Support]

Hi Garry,

I just wanted to let you know that I haven't been able to replicate your issue. I got a config file from an AP9361 and whittled it down to just the users. I put  the removeall.ini a dozen times then intermittently pushed the removeall and the config.ini multiple times. I tried this through ftp as well as through the ini utility. I tried manually entering the info as well as using the text file list to add them. 

If you're doing anything specific, let me know, I will try and test a few more times when I get the chance and I will let the engineers know you've seen this but if I can't replicate, I'm not sure what more I can do. I'll try to get another unit too...just in case.

Steve.

(CID:126163300)

[DCIM_Support]

Just wanted to let you know, I spoke to one of the engineers and they have seen this in the past but were unable to connect it with any specific ini change. They're going to look at it again.

Steve

(CID:126163353)

[DCIM_Support]

Hi Garry,

Sorry it's been so long but engineering had looked into this but they don't have a good prognosis. The AP9361 is going end of life and as such, they're not looking into re-writing any firmware going forward (except possibly extreme security issues should they arise).

What they had suggested was that the device may have had the beacon or something connected to that port (maybe just during initial inspection) and somehow held on to that variable.  They suggested trying to disconnect all sensors and resetting the device to defaults to see if that clears anything. 

Do you have an idea on the age of these units? 

Steve

(CID:126884874)

[DCIM_Support]

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