Hello, We have Mark VIe DCS and Mark VIes ESD control systems to control our GE compressor in our Site. Cimplicity v8.2 is used for HMI system. I have installed ToolboxST and Cimolicity on our Industrial Laptop. the communication between ToolboxST and TMR controllers is OK and I can go online with them and make changes and online download. The problem is Cimplicity Communication; When I open Workbench and open our project, the screens could not show the online parameters. the error at the beginning is " Unable to connect to change management server 'HMIENG-PC' with user 'HMIENG-PC\'. Server unreachable or not found."
I will be happy any one could help me and I would be appreciate IT.
Thanks.

 

So, it would seem the system was working previously, and for some period of time (years?)--but has suddenly stopped working. Is that correct?

If that is correct, WHAT CHANGED? Has someone replaced an HMI CPU with a new one? Has a VLAN switch been replaced?

Is the HMIENG-PC not connected to the UDH? If not, why not?

The alarm is saying that the CMS (Change Management System) is is use, and one HMI doesn't seem to be able to connect to it over the UDH. (If I recally correctly, the CMS operates over the UDH. But, it's been a long time since I've worked on a site with CMS enabled--so I could be wrong.)

Suggest you consult the CMS documentation and the ML4208, Network Topology drawing for details about how everything is supposed to be connected at the site.

 

You are exactly correct. The system was working properly since some one replaced the HMI. The new HMI is connected to UDH. You are very clear minded even though you said you were away from work for a long time. Anyway thank you for your kindly answer.

 

Usually when someone replaces a HMI CPU they don't get the licensing for all of the software correct. CIMPLICITY is one of them. Sometimes it's necessary to contact the division of GE that publishes CIMPLICITY to get a new software license. BE PREPARED, though, they will ask a lot of questions about the old license and a few about the new PC. You will probably need the paper copy of the original CIMPLICITY license document. (I think the license is somehow specific to the microprocessor after a successful install and licensing procedure.) You may have transferred the hard drive to the new CPU box, but it might still be looking for the other microprocessor.

Even if the person who replaced the HMI had a recovery disk ("ghost image") the CIMPLICITY software may still be looking for the original microprocessor.

This is really one of the weakest points of the GE HMI system--the networking and licensing. It's not plug and play, it's more like plug and pray.

Best of luck. There are very knowledgeable people who occasionally pop in and provide the exact help to solve problems like this one. I may be right, and I may be wrong. The lack of documentation for procedures like this from GE and all of the changes they have made over the years make knowing exactly the right thing for every problem like this very, very difficult. There's so many versions and perversions of software and work-arounds and proprietary software to try to keep track of. Some can do it; I'm not one of them. Again, best of luck!

 

What kind of license you have? Is it hardware dongle type key or a soft key license?

If it’s a hardware key, then it should work right out of the box. Try to open Proficy License client and see is it detecting your hardware keys or not. If not, then upgrade the license client to the latest version.

You may either download it directly from the OEM’s customer portal or if you have OEM's representative contacts, ask them to download and share it with you.

If it’s a soft key license, then write 2 separate emails to [email protected] & [email protected] and ask them to reset the license keys for reactivation.

Mean while create a support ticket as well in https://gepowerpac.service-now.com.
They are like a mighty ocean with so many small companies inside.
Some one from any of these will help you.

 

It’s hardware dongle type. Thank you for your kindly answer.

 

It’s hardware dongle type. Thank you for your kindly answer.

Thanks for conforming that its a hardware key. open Proficy License client and see is it detecting your hardware keys or not ?
Attach the screen shot (if possible)

 

@Swami

Does CIMPLICITY v8.2 use PROFICY License client or any PROFICY interface?

Where would @MEHRANAB65 find the license client?

 

@Swami

Does CIMPLICITY v8.2 use PROFICY License client or any PROFICY interface?

Where would @MEHRANAB65 find the license client?

Hi WTF,

If supplied by GE gas power or Emerson (Yes, you read it correctly!!), then it will use Proficy License Client, which you can usually find in start menu. If not in our HMI I see its located in this path.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Proficy\Proficy Common\Proficy Common Licensing\ProficyLicenseViewer

I dont have access to GE's Customer log in portal. My upper management guys have them.
Based on Google I think this is the link: https://digitalsupport.ge.com › login

 

Thank you, @Swami!

A LOT of people keep talking about this 'Emerson connection' but no one really seems to know the complete story.

Do you--and if so, would you mind telling us?

[The story I've heard several times is that in the process of selling the PROFICY software someone didn't check the contract properly and it turned out that Emerson also bought the Mark* line of controllers. That seems kind of far-fetched, but GE was dumping assets back then (before The New Guy) and stranger things have happened. If that's not the whole story, and Emerson only purchased the PROFICY software, that's okay.]

 

Hi @WTF?

I don’t know the full story. But in bits and pieces. Long back GE used to have PLC division as JV with Fanuc called GE Fanuc (2008), where they had Military & Aero as well, as a part of them, which later sold to ABC company (~2013/14). The remaining products were sold under the brand name GE Intelligent Platforms (GEIP). As far as my knowledge goes, GEIP used to sell PLCs, Proficy Machine Edition (PME), Historian & some touch screens. Not sure if anything else they were selling. In 2013/14 they acquired Mark VIe division. In 2018/19 Emerson acquired PLC, PME and some more software stuffs. But GE retained the Mark VIe with them. Hence the Proficy Licensing is common for both the teams.

By the way, we have been told to migrate to some other licensing system called LicenseST (I believe it must be GE’s own technology).

Some time in Jan we received some communication from GE Engineering for some other issue, where his email signature said GE Vernova. I’m not aware of the USA Stock market stuffs, where they are listed or not. I remember from newspaper adds that some time in mid of this year it will be fully renamed. – I may be wrong. These are from my ageing memory and mostly from online news and forums

 

@Swami,

Thanks!

 

Hello, we're using Mark VIe DCS and Mark VIes ESD control systems to manage our GE compressor on-site. Our HMI system, Cimplicity v8.2, is installed on our industrial laptop along with ToolboxST. While communication between ToolboxST and TMR controllers is successful, we're encountering issues with Cimplicity communication. Upon opening Workbench and our project, the screens fail to display online parameters, showing the error: "Unable to connect to change management server 'HMIENG-PC' with user 'HMIENG-PC'. Server unreachable or not found." Any assistance in resolving this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Hi, @lawyersonia,

So, it seems there are two (2) people from your site texting about the same problem. It seems the problem started when a new CPU was installed in the system, but there seems to be more circumstances we don't know about fully.

@MEHRANAB65 was asked a few questions and did not respond to most of them. You can see what was asked and what the response(s) was(were) and it would be very helpful if you could answer all of the questions to the best of your ability. AND, you can see what recommendations/suggestions were made and let us know what the results of implementing them were.

Yes, this is an Internet forum, with some very experienced and intelligent people responding to questions. But, this is a technical question on a technical forum and we need more information than has been provided. Contrary to very popular belief it's not possible--even for experts--to recognize and suggest a solution for many technical problems with little information to work with. NOTE: The "small" detail about the fact that the system worked well for some time until someone replaced a CPU was omitted from the original post--AND from your post as well; kind of important.

There are many versions of CIMPLICITY (and PROFICY) used on Mark* VIe systems, and not all of them are the same or use the same UPD (USB Protection Dongles) or licensing procedures. We need to understand what is in use on the system because we aren't there standing beside you to see the system. So, we ask questions--but we don't always get full and detailed responses that would help with a clear and concise resolution for the problem.

Finally, substituting a CPU on a GE Mark* HMI system is not plug-and-play. As much as anyone wishes it were, it's not. There are many aspects of the various versions of CIMPLICITY (and PROFICY) and ControlST and WorkstationST and ToolboxST that all have to be properly configured, and while most Windows-compatible CPUs are nearly identical these days, there are still some that use BIOS chips and configurations that ARE NOT compatible with every piece of software. This is THE REASON GE does not recommend trying to substitute CPUs for originally supplied equipment. (Yes; they also want to make more money be selling hardware and software, but if they had to test ever version and perversion of hardware and software for compatibility that in itself would be an impossible task to begin with--and would consume LOTS of manpower AND money, reducing profits and increasing cost to purchasers (and ALL buyers of GE equipment think it's overly expensive--every one).

Help us to help you (and @MEHRANAB85) by helping us to understand the system and configuration in use at your site. Please don't answer questions you think are irrelevant--because if you could have solved this onsite without using a World Wide Web forum we wouldn't be trying to help you and you wouldn't be asking for assistance. (Trust me--if you involve GE with this endeavor you will be asked a LOT more questions, probably the same questions multiple times, too!) We want to help solve this problem--that's why most of us here volunteer our time and knowledge and experience to help others. (That's right; we don't get paid for this. And you aren't paying for the information you might receive, either. If you want the best and most concise response provide the information we request (even if you think the question(s) might be irrelevant.)