Issue Network scanning software causes a loss of Jace network communication. Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series Jace 8000 N4.9 and later Cause As network security awareness continues to expand, software-based scanners, such as industry-standard Qualys and Nessus, intended to detect and report on vulnerabilities within internal networks will likely continue to gain popularity.  Today, Tridium is seeing these scanners being deployed and run against Niagara-based platforms like the JACE-8000 and Edge 10.  In some cases, these scans are causing Niagara platforms to become unresponsive or reboot via an Engine Watchdog Timeout, all of which are not acceptable for the critical applications that Niagara facilitates. Resolution While Tridium has no control over how these scanners behave, or how and when they are executed within an organization, Niagara 4.9 introduces a number of changes intended to allow a Niagara-based hardware platform to appropriately respond to the scanning utilities, and also maintain operation.  Below is a brief explanation of how Niagara will function under the different known circumstances currently employed by these scanners, and how to interpret the results.   Recognition of non-Niagara Traffic on the platform In the event a scanner is interrogating a Niagara 4.9+ platform connection, the Niagara Daemon has been modified to recognize non-Niagara traffic over a period of time, shut down the connection if necessary, and wait for a pre-determined amount of time before re-enabling connectivity.  Under these conditions, a scanning utility may report that the Niagara instance has encountered denial of service, when in fact, Niagara has simply disabled the communication mechanism by which the scanner was attempting its interrogation. During this time, normal platform communication will also be affected; however, the Niagara platform and station will continue to run.   Prioritization of Internal vs. External Communication on the Niagara station In the event, a scanner is interrogating a Niagara 4.9+ station (external communication) and Niagara detects that this interrogation may cause an Engine Watchdog Timeout, the station’s web server will be stopped and restarted. Under these conditions, a scanning utility may report that the Niagara instance abruptly stopped communicating, and may have encountered denial of service.  During this time period, normal/expected client web connections to the station will also be affected; however, the Niagara platform and station will continue to run. As mentioned, these scanners are outside the control of Tridium, and likely always evolving to meet the needs of the various threats they are intended to protect against. As a best practice, Tridium recommends not scanning in production if possible, as any findings would be just as legitimate during scheduled downtime. Additionally, it may be prudent to work with the scanning tools to configure the appropriate priority of a scan, as the intensity of which you scan a production multicore, failover redundant web server host, is likely not the best choice for scanning a single-core JACE. Should you encounter an issue with a network scanning utility and Niagara 4.9 and above, please contact your support organization.

Issue There is a problem after upgrading the SystemDB to N4.10. Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Jace 8000 N4.10 I/A Enterprise Server N4.10 Cause In Niagara 4.10, we upgraded SystemDB from Orient v2 to v3, and as a result of that change, any customers that are utilizing SystemDB on their Supervisor stations will need to re-index accordingly upon upgrading to 4.10. Resolution In Niagara 4.10, the SystemDB has been upgraded from Orient v2 to v3.  Because of this change, customers that are utilizing SystemDB on their Supervisor stations will need to re-index upon upgrade to 4.10.  Please note, re-indexing can take a considerable time upon upgrade, and the DB will not have accurate information when queried until the index upgrade is complete. After upgrading to 4.10, invoke the actions that force system indexing.  Be aware that re-indexing can take some time, and that the DB won’t have accurate information when queried until the index is complete. The following image shows how to invoke execute on the Local System Indexer: If the Station has a DB configured to contain information about points on other stations, the Niagara Network System Indexer should be used, rather than the Local System Indexer.  Additional details regarding indexer actions can be found in the Niagara System Database and System Indexing Guide.

Issue When attempting a device browse in Workplace Tech 5.10.1, an error pop up, "CoCreateInstance(CLISD_RTApplication) failed" is invoked A critical error with Rtmonitor.exe when running Workplace Commissioning Tool Product Line TAC IA Series Environment Workplace Tech => 5.10.1  Workplace Commissioning Tool => 5.10.1 Windows OS 32 bit Cause Environment Variables /variable/path includes the incorrect path to the LonWorks\bin.  This doesn't allow the rtmonitor.exe to be executed. Resolution When the Workplace Tech 5.10.1 bundle of applications are installed, the Environment Variables is modified to include,  %ProgramFiles(x86)%\LonWorks\bin In a 32 bit OS, this ProgramFiles(x86) folder does not exist.  This path has to be modified so the assets can be found. Remove the "(x86)" so the path appears as below. Note: This is only applicable for 32 bit operating systems.

Issue On a new JACE-8000, or on one in which the clean-dist or factory restore procedure has been applied, the JACE can be pinged but, you cannot connect to the platform, and the system time's year shows as 2020 or greater.   The following symptomatic messages can be observed in the serial shell via the debug port:  ERROR [01:26:53 01-Jan-2037] [tid = 1] niagarad: policy file verification failed. Policy files may have been tampered with. Cause is: [/opt/niagara/security/policy/java.security failed signing verification]  ERROR [01:26:53 01-Jan-2037] [tid = 1] niagarad: throwable occurred while initializing daemon (java.lang.SecurityException), can not continue  sysmon: niagarad is no longer running  The following symptomatic messages appear in the system logs:  Jan 01 01:26:53 2 11111 0 niagarad: policy file verification failed. Policy files may have been tampered with. Cause is: [/opt/niagara/security/policy/java.security failed signing verification]  Jan 01 01:26:53 2 11111 0 niagarad: throwable occurred while initializing daemon (java.lang.SecurityException), can not continue  Jan 01 01:26:53 2 11111 4 sysmon: niagarad no longer running Product Line TAC IA Series. Environment I/A Series Jace-8000 Cause This issue is encountered when the RTC clock's date is Wednesday, December 30, 2020, or later.  Resolution Use the debug port to connect to the system shell with PuTTY. See the System Shell section of the JACE-8000 Install and Startup Guide Set the system clock to a date before the year 2020, and then commission the JACE with 4.2 or newer.  The issue is corrected within the fix for the following issue, addressed in Niagara 4.2.36.10:   NCCB-19628: Code signing timestamps checked improperly, verification will fail Jan 1, 2021    We will continue to see the issue on new JACE-8000 as they ship with a 4.1 daemon. This may also occur on a JACE-8000 on which the clean-dist or factory restore procedure has been applied.

Issue What should be considered when prepairing for upgrading to Niagara 4.10? What known issues should I be aware of when upgrading to Niagara 4.10 and how can I prepair for them? Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series N4 Enterprise Server I/A Series N4 Jace 8000 Cause Define potential issues with an N4.10 upgrade Resolution The following details a set of upgrade considerations and known issues and their workarounds regarding Niagara 4.10. Please review prior to upgrading to Niagara 4.10. Niagara 4.10 and Default NRE Memory Changes: The increased size of some core libraries in Niagara 4.10 required changes to the default NRE Memory Pool settings for use on a JACE-8000. MetaSpace memory needed to be increased to allow applications to run without issue.   Note: any previous custom memory configuration applied to the JACE-8000 will be reset upon upgrade to 4.10. Prior to upgrading your JACE-8000, please review Default NRE Memory Pool Configuration Changes In 4.10.     Niagara 4.10 System DB Upgrade: In Niagara 4.10, we upgraded SystemDB from Orient v2 to v3, and as a result of that change, any customers that are utilizing SystemDB on their Supervisor stations will need to re-index accordingly upon upgrading to 4.10.   Please note, re-indexing can take a considerable time upon upgrade, and the DB will not have accurate information when queried until the index is complete accordingly. Prior to upgrading your Supervisor, please review System DB Must Be Re-indexed for Upgrades to Niagara 4.10+ from Earlier Niagara.     Niagara 4.10 and Third-Party Modules Keeping your Niagara installations safe and secure is our highest priority. In Niagara 4.10, ALL third-party modules must be signed with either a trusted valid certificate or a self-signed certificate to successfully run on a station. This new policy greatly increases the security posture of Niagara installations by making administrators aware of any modules that may have been tampered with, compromised or derived from untrustworthy sources.   Niagara's new signature enforcement feature is being rolled out over multiple Niagara releases. The first iteration was built into release 4.8 to give developers adequate time to make the transition to always signing any third-party modules.   Niagara 4.8 produced console and Security Dashboard warnings about unsigned modules but allowed them to run on a station. As of Niagara 4.10, unsigned modules will not execute.   For more information, please review the Niagara documentation on Third Party Module Signing   Niagara 4.10 Updated Operating Systems, Browsers, and Databases For the latest information on supported operating systems, please refer to Supported OS and other software in the Niagara 4 Framework Installation Guide.   Tridium remains focused on keeping pace with advancing IT infrastructure to enable more efficient, long-term support of each release version. This policy enhances the security posture of a Niagara installation by ensuring that only the most robust, secure operating systems and enterprise applications are compatible with the framework. The list below provides information on what we will be supporting with Niagara 4.10.   OS, Browser, Database Version Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.1 (64 bit), 7.7 Windows Server 2019 (64 bit), Server 2016 (64 bit), Windows 10 (64 bit) VMWare ESXi 6.7 Oracle Database 19.3, 18.3, ... 12.2/12.1 MySQL Database 8 MS SQL Database 2019, 2017, 2016 Browsers Chrome, FireFox, Microsoft Edge Mobile Browsers Safari (iOS 12, 13), Chrome (Android 8, 9, 10)   As with all software products, we must also deprecate support for some operating systems and enterprise applications.  Nevertheless, you can be confident that the above list will handle your needs moving forward.   Using Web Launcher with Niagara 4.10 Web Launcher 20.4.2 was recently revamped for Niagara 4.10 to include essential software dependencies updates along with critical defect fixes. This version of Web Launcher has Java version 8 update 275 and certificate management has been updated to work with Niagara 4.10 along with any legacy or prospective release.   Prior to using Web Launcher with Niagara 4.10, the customer should update Web Launcher accordingly (see steps below). Updating WebLauncher Web Launcher has a feature to check for updates over the internet and prompts the user when a new version is available in the cloud. However, the existing version of Web Launcher has a bug that prevents a smooth update. Users will be required to perform a fresh install by downloading the latest version from the cloud via the station web Login page.   Click on the Niagara Web Launcher Installer link on the station's Web Launcher Web Page, which can be reached via the link on the Login page itself. Once the download is successful, click on the msi file and follow the installation wizard. You do not have to uninstall the older version. The new installation will automatically update to the latest version.

Issue The following error occurs on startup following upgrading of Niagara Station to  4.10.   SEVERE [20:42:01 23-Oct-20 UTC][nreconfig] invalid nre memory configuration values, 832 > 816   Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Jace 8000 N4.10 Cause The default NRE memory pool settings are incorrect after an N4.10 upgrade and need configuration to function correctly. Resolution Niagara 4.10 and Default NRE Memory Pool Changes The increased size of some core libraries in Niagara 4.10 required changes to the default NRE Memory Pool settings for use on a JACE-8000. MetaSpace memory needed to be increased to allow applications to run without issue.   Note: Any previous custom memory configuration applied to the JACE-8000 will be reset upon upgrade to 4.10. The overall size of the pool of memory available to the NRE installation has decreased.  T As the overall size of the pool has decreased, customizations based on the old total pool size are invalid and cannot be maintained.   If a custom memory configuration is required, the user will need to manually adjust the platform administration menu after a device is upgraded. A longer-term approach to address this issue is in development and should be available with the Niagara 4.11 release.   NRE Memory pool default settings for Niagara 4.9: Changes to the default configuration: Heap Space size 4.9 value: 384 MB 4.10 value: 360 MB Meta Space size 4.9 value: 48 MB 4.10 value: 56 MB System reserve 4.10: allocated additional 16MB NRE Memory pool default settings for Niagara 4.10:

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 Both the STAT LED and the BEAT LED is off on the Jace controller and cannot successfully ping the JACE 8000 IP address Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series JACE 8000 Cause The STAT and BEAT LED remaining in an off state is an indication that no SD card is installed in the JACE card carrier.  When the Micro SD card is installed the STAT LED is solid Green, and BEAT LED is blinking Amber. Resolution Make sure to insert the SD card prior to startup commissioning of the JACE 8000. See JACE-8000 Install and Startup Guide

Issue Where are the DUI expander objects for the MNB-300 and MNB-1000 controllers in Workplace Tech? Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series WorkPlace Tech version 5.1 through 5.9.4 I/A Series WorkPlace Tech version 5.10.0 till current Cause The standard stencils do not include an object for Momentary SS or a DUI multiplexer.  Resolution The I/A Series BACnet controllers do not currently support the DUI object directly within the MNB-300 or MNB-1000. An application performing the same basic function was created and factory tested. This application was created as a custom object named "DUI_App". For support of these objects in Workplace Tech 5.1 until 5.9.4, log into The Exchange Download Center and download the file Application Objects_rev1.zip. There is also a detailed DUI_Application_Documentation_rev1.pdf that describes the operation of the "DUI_App". For support of these objects in Workplace Tech 5.10.0 until further notice, log into The Exchange Download Center and download the file Application Objects_rev2.zip. There is also a detailed DUI_Application_Documentation_rev2.pdf that describes the operation of the "DUI_App". Note: VAV box controllers do not have DUI expander objects available. See TB06-02 for additional details.

Issue Faulty operation of BMS equipment due to electrical interference from other equipment can be difficult and costly to identify and fix.  Guidance is required for the best installation practices to minimize the source of the interference and to protect against it when it occurs. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Field Devices, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC Vista Environment All electrical equipment Cause Poor installation can cause equipment to generate high and low-frequency electromagnetic interference that can disrupt the operation of other systems. Resolution Schneider Electric has produced a document Practical Installation Guidelines which discusses the theory and offers practical guidelines to protect against and minimize the generation of, electromagnetic interference.

Issue What utility in Windows XP can disable items in Startup? Environment Windows XP Cause Items that run on startup can sometimes make the boot up process for a PC very slow. Depending on which applications have been added to start automatically on startup, it can also cause problems if things load in the incorrect order. Resolution Click the Start button in Windows XP Select Run Type msconfig and click OK.

Issue How to find the IP address information on a PC? Environment Windows Operating Systems Cause Need to identify the IP address of the workstation (PC). Resolution For a Windows 95/98 PC, go to a DOS screen and run WINIPCFG. For a Windows NT / XP / Windows7 / Server 2008 PC, run a CMD window and run IPCONFIG.

Issue I'm not sure the network card is working on this PC. Is there a way to Ping or test the card? Environment PC Network Interface Card Cause Testing the network card is the first step in troubleshooting basic setup of an IP system. Resolution Assuming you have the correct protocols loaded, you can do a loop-back test. Go to Start > Run > and type "cmd" Type the command: ping 127.0.0.1  127.0.0.1 is the loop-back address. If the card is operating, you should get a reply

Issue How is a subnet defined? Environment Refer to "TCP/IP Network Administration" by Craig Hunt, O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. Cause Sectioning network communication by subnets. Resolution A subnet is defined by applying a bit mask (subnet mask) to the IP address. If a bit is on in the mask, that equivalent bit in the address is interpreted as a network bit. If a bit in the mask is off, the bit belongs to the host part of the address. The subnet is only known locally.

Issue When opening (pull up) sunblind, it stops at the end of runtime and then rolls back down. When closing (pull down) sunblind, it stops at the end of runtime and then rolls back up. Environment Lonworks devices including REG-N MSE4 (SVEA 32237-346) Sunblind actuators Cause The sunblinds only have UP/DOWN functions, and there is no panel angle setting. The sunblinds are not venetian, just simple sunblinds. The sunblind actuator is preconfigured for use with venetian blinds. For example when driving down completely first the motor is energised for the time configured in UCPTdownDriveTime, then stops a short moment and then turns the angle of the lamella by energising the motor for the time configured in UCPTpanelTurnTime (dependent on the value of parameter UCPTdownPanelAngle). Resolution When not  using venetian blinds the parameters UCPTdownPanelAngle, UCPTupPanelAngle, UCPTpanelTurnTime and UCPTpanelTurnTimeBottom should be set to zero. Commands to the sunblind actuator then should as well have the value of zero in the rotation part of the SNVTsetting command.

Issue Change an IP address on Windows 8 to a static address. Product Line Other Environment Windows 8 Cause Changing the IP address of a PC is often done to ensure it resides on the same subnet and network as the system or devices it is trying to communicate with. Resolution From the Start Menu (Tiles), open the Charms bar by moving the mouse to the right bottom corner of the screen or press the Windows Key + C and click on Search. Highlight Settings. In the Search box type Network to search for any network related options From the list options choose Network and Sharing Center. From the View Your Active Networks section, select Local Area Connection. Go to Properties. Result: The Local Area Connection Properties screen appears. Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties. Result: The Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties screen appears. Click Use the following IP address. Complete the configuration fields as shown below. This part of the configuration requires attention to detail, because one error will prevent you from getting on the network. Be sure you have this information at hand when you start to configure the TCP/IP protocol: IP Address: x.x.x.x Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 Default gateway: x.x.x.x  Enter these numbers in the appropriate fields and click OK. Continue to click OK or Close as appropriate until you return to the Network Connections screen. The Local Area Connection icon text should now say "Enabled". To test the new IP address: Open a command prompt in Windows 8 Swipe to show apps screen Scroll down and locate Windows system section heading Under Windows system, press or click on Command Prompt (a new Command Prompt window will open up on the Desktop.) You then can type in IPCONFIG then hit Enter and look for the new IPV4 address. You can also try to type in PING (IP ADDRESS) that should reply with the new IPV4 address if set correctly.

Issue Some helpful basic IP commands. Product Line Other Environment Computer with IP NIC or Network Cause Need for basic IP configuration or IP address Resolution Go to start, click run and type in "cmd". This takes you to the command prompt. Type in: "ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" to see if your device is online and its response time. Make sure you put the space between "ping" and "xxx". "ipconfig" and hit enter to get the info of the computer you are currently using. You'll get the IP address, subnet mask and the gateway. "ipconfig/all" and hit enter to get more info on the machine your using. It will give you all the above and then some including the DNS server addresses. "tracert xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" and hit enter and you can see the servers that you are going through to get to your destination. This can be used when connecting to a Loytec or a iLon and the IP address is being presented to the L-IP or iLon is unknown. Connecting through a firewall/gateway/NAT server, you are not presenting the PC's address - when you do the tracert you will go through your gateway and the next address will be the IP you are presenting- Use this in the iLon as the LNS server address.

Issue What is Domain Name Service (DNS)? Environment TCP/IP Networks Cause DNS is a distributed hierarchical system for resolving host names into IP address. Under DNS, there is no central database with all of the Internet host information. The information is distributed among thousands of name servers organized into a hierarchy similar to the UNIX file system. DNS has a root domain at the top of the domain hierarchy that is served by a group of name servers called the root servers. Source: TCP/IP Network Administration by Craig Hunt, O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. Resolution Short for Domain Name System (or Service or Server), an Internet service that translates domain names into IP addresses. Because domain names are alphabetic, they're easier to remember. The Internet however, is really based on IP addresses. Every time you use a domain name, therefore, a DNS service must translate the name into the corresponding IP address. For example, the domain name www.example.com might translate to 198.105.232.4. The DNS system is, in fact, its own network. If one DNS server doesn't know how to translate a particular domain name, it asks another one, and so on, until the correct IP address is returned.   Short for digital nervous system, a term coined by Bill Gates to describe a network of personal computers that make it easier to obtain and understand information. 

Issue What is the contact information for Barber Colman Dyna group? What is the contact information for Barber Colman Aerospace division? What is the contact information for Barber Colman Industrial Instruments division? Environment Barber Colman Cause The old Barber Colman Dyna group is now a part of Woodward Governor. The old Barber Colman Aerospace division is now a part of the GE Aerospace. The old Barber Colman Industrial Instruments is now part of Eurotherm, an Invensys company. Resolution Barber Colman Dyna group is now Woodward Governor. They can be reached at 800-543-5811 Barber Colman Aerospace division is now GE Aerospace. They can be reached at 815-637-3500 Barber Colman Industrial Instruments is Eurotherm, an Invensys company. They can be reached at 815-637-3222 or 815-637-3404 for tech support.

Issue Microsoft Visual Studio causes Just-In-Time Debugging Environment Windows Operating System Cause Visual Studio is installed on the PC and when attempting to perform a task, an error appears claiming Just-In-Time Debugging.  Resolution To disable Just-In-Time debugging: On the Tools menu, click Options. In the Options dialog box, select the Debugging folder. In the Debugging folder, select the Just-In-Time page. In the Enable Just-In-Time debugging of these types of code box, select or clear the relevant program types: Managed, Native, or Script. To disable Just-In-Time debugging, once it has been enabled, you must be running with Administrator privileges. Enabling Just-In-Time debugging sets a registry key, and Administrator privileges are required to change that key. Click OK.

Issue Need to mirror a switch port in order to capture controller data with Wireshark.   Product Line Access Expert, Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Expert, EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment NETGEAR Prosafe Plus Switch Cause Need a step-by-step guide to set up a mirrored port and an understanding of how it works.  Resolution Click here to download the video.   Use the link to the original post in Area360 to get written instructions.