SmartConnector EWS questions

[bbradley_jaxcon]

We have developed our own SmartConnector processor and we seem to be experiencing some weird quirks on the StruxureWare side of SmartConnector (SmartConnector version 2.4.23). Our application will poll values from a variety of 3rd party devices and make those values accessible via a web service. Our SmartConnector processor will then communicate with those web services and make the values accessible to StruxureWare via an EcoStruxure Web Service. If the processor detects a change of value on the StruxureWare side the SmartConnector processor will then issue a write web service request to the point and change the value in the 3rd party device.

We are experiencing two quirks right now. 

The first is some of the points have a state of “Uncertain” when we look at them in EWS Server within SmartConnector. This does not seem to be an issue when bringing in values, but what makes the state “Uncertain?”

The second is some of the points that we bring into StruxureWare seem to get coming in with an error. The points worked when we initially brought them in, but now they seem to be giving us an InvalidID error. If we delete and re-host the point it has an error right away, but we do not see any issues in the hardware folder except the state is marked “Uncertain.”

ErrorHardware Explore

[JeffBowman]

HI Brian,

I’ll see if I can help!

• Why do your points have a state of uncertain?
• Since it looks like this state is showing ‘Uncertain’, not just in EBO, but also in Smart Connector, I believe this is actually completely up to your Smart Connector processor. When the point is created, or updated, you have the ability to set the ‘State’ of the point. I am curious if there is any place where this is accidentally being set to ‘Uncertain’?
• Why are some points showing an error, with an INVALID_ID in EBO?
• This generally happens because the EWS is retrieving Invalid_Id errors from the EWS server, are you able to verify there is a point in your EWS Server with the ID

Also, in general, It might also help to turn logging on ‘Trace’ in Smart Connector and make sure the ‘Ews Serve’ logging filter is set to true? We might get some additional info from Smart Connector that can help to debug this issue.

Best Regards,

-Jeff

[bbradley_jaxcon]

• Uncertain States
  •  I got with the developer of our SmartConnector program and they informed me that they are not setting the state property and the default state is "uncertain." So it makes sense that all our values are uncertain
• Invalid ID
  • I checked verified that the path is the EWS service does match what is in the EWS Server
  • I've attached a snippet of the log file 

EWSServerSWClient_Hosted_Items

[bbradley_jaxcon]

As an additional test I added another EWS service in a ASP on the site (The first EWS was in the ES) and it doesn't seem to be having any issues ATM. I'm keeping an eye on it.

[bbradley_jaxcon]

Have you had a chance to look over the log yet? 

[JeffBowman]

Hi!

Your logs look normal as far as I can see.. You mention that you tried creating the interface in an AS and it works as expected..

Did you delete and re-create the interface in the ES? Does the same thing happen? I am wondering if you can use SOAP UI (installed on the same machine as the ES), and try and send some requests to the EWS Server hosted in Smart Connector, and see what the response is.

If you need help with SOAP UI, please feel free to send me an email.

Best Regards,

-Jeff

[bbradley_jaxcon]

Yes everything is still working well in the ASP. We have some trends and binds setup with the points in the ES. I'll get with the guy who is setting up everything at the customer site on Wednesday when he returns and recreate the service. I'll let you know how everything goes.

[bbradley_jaxcon]

I had the guy working on the site make an export of all the items in the ESWService. I then haphazard deleted about 75% items and the all the remaining hosted items started working again. After that I deleted the rest of the hosted objects and the EWSService. I created a new identical EWSService and we imported all the items into the EWSService. It started having the same error right away, so we deleted all the objects that we imported and manually reconfigured everything.  Its all working fine now and I suspected something in our import was giving us grief for all of the values in the ESW. 

I've attached the import just in case you wanted to look at what we had going on originally.