b0860cr F 2

DCS Advisor v6.
0
User’s Guide
*B0860CR* *F*
B0860CR, Rev F
November 2019
www.schneider-electric.com
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DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide
Table of Contents
Preface ...............................................................................................................7
Revision Information.........................................................................................7
Related Documents..........................................................................................7
Schneider Electric Products Mentioned in this Document ....................................7
Global Customer Support .................................................................................8
We Welcome Your Comments...........................................................................8
Chapter 1: DCS Advisor Services ..................................................................9
Chapter 2: Data Acquisition System ............................................................10
50 Series DAS for Solaris Stations...................................................................10
Manually Running DAS .............................................................................10
Transferring Data Files..............................................................................10
Changing the IP Address of the Server .......................................................10
70 Series DAS - for Pre-I/A Series v8.5 ............................................................ 11
RW_WinExec_Service.............................................................................. 11
Log File ...................................................................................................13
Event Viewer............................................................................................13
RW_WinExec Service Probe Script Execution ............................................15
70 Series DAS - for I/A Series v8.5 through v8.8 and for Control Core
Services v9.x .................................................................................................16
RW_DasExec Service...............................................................................16
Log File ...................................................................................................19
Event Viewer............................................................................................19
RW_DasExec Probe Execution .................................................................20
Off-Platform for Non-I/A Series Stations ...........................................................21
Log File ...................................................................................................21
Event Viewer............................................................................................22
RW_DasExec Probe Execution .................................................................22
Off-Platform DCS Advisor DAS Configuration Manager ...............................24
Fist Host........................................................................................................26
Station Prefix .................................................................................................27
Additional DAS Information .............................................................................27
Chapter 3: DCS Advisor Applications ..........................................................28
LocalWatch....................................................................................................28
File Services ..................................................................................................28
ISTARService ................................................................................................30
ISFService.....................................................................................................32
ISDBService ..................................................................................................33
ISFERService ................................................................................................35
ISWatchdogService........................................................................................35
NextNine Virtual Support Engineer ..................................................................36
Station Access Manager .................................................................................36
NetOp Remote Control .............................................................................36
Remote Desktop on Windows 7 and Windows XP .......................................36
Remote Desktop and NetOp Compatibility Issues .......................................36
B0860CR, Rev F 3
DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide
Additional Information ...............................................................................36

Chapter 4: LocalWatch Database Maintenance Plan ...............................37
Using the Maintenance Plan Wizard ................................................................37
Chapter 5: DCS Advisor Server Hardware .................................................43
4 B0860CR, Rev F
Preface DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide
Preface
This document explains the EcoStruxure™ DCS Advisor v6.0 software, details how it
operates, and provides some common troubleshooting tasks.
DCS Advisor v6.0 is a service tool used for proactive monitoring and troubleshooting
of a Distributed Control System (DCS). DCS Advisor monitors the health of the DCS,
but not the process it controls. Examples of parameters that are monitored include
disk space of the Application Workstation (AW) and Workstation Processor (WP),
station network counters, Control Processor (CP) loads, and so forth.
When certain parameters in the DCS exceed their predefined threshold values, DCS
Advisor generates alerts in the customer service center where DCS Advisor engineers
can react to the issues. DCS Advisor provides the ability for the engineers to log in to
the customer's site remotely and troubleshoot the problem in an efficient manner.
Revision Information
For this revision of the document, the following changes were made:
Throughout • Rebranded to EcoStruxure Foxboro DCS

• Incorporated DCS Advisor v6.0 information
Preface • Reformatted for consistency
Related Documents
In addition to the information presented herein, you should be familiar with the
following Foxboro DCS and I/A Series documents:
• DCS Advisor v6.0 Upgrade Guide (B0860BR)
• DCS Advisor v6.0 Data Acquisition System (DAS) Installation Guide (B0860BT)
• DCS Advisor v6.0 Station Access Manager v5.3 User’s Guide (B0860BG)
• DCS Advisor v6.0 Release Notes (B0860RS)
• DCS Advisor v6.0 LocalWatch User's Guide (B0860BS)
• DCS Advisor v6.0 LocalWatch Release Notes (B0860RV)
Find the latest version of these documents on the Global Customer Support (GCS)
website.
Schneider Electric Products Mentioned in this Document

EcoStruxure™ DCS Advisor
EcoStruxure™ DCS Advisor Data Acquisition System
EcoStruxure™ DCS Advisor LocalWatch

EcoStruxure™ Foxboro™ DCS
B0860CR, Rev F 7
DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide Preface
Global Customer Support

For support, contact https://pasupport.schneider-electric.com.
We Welcome Your Comments

We want to know about any corrections, clarifications, or further information you would
find useful. Send us an email at systemtechpubs@se.com.
8 B0860CR, Rev F
Chapter 1: DCS Advisor Services DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide
Chapter 1: DCS Advisor Services

DCS Advisor consists of multiple components that work together to collect data from a
DCS, analyze the data, historize it, and report back to the Global Customer Support
Center. The data is initially collected by the DCS Advisor Data Acquisition System
(DAS) that runs on any AW or WP. This data is transferred to the DCS Advisor Server,
located at the customer’s site, where the data is inserted into the LocalWatch
database by the File Services® (IFS).
The DCS Advisor LocalWatch client application allows on-site engineers to view a
snapshot of the current DCS status that includes the DCS parameters and any alerts
that are currently open on the system. In the figure, data flows from each AW/WP on
the DCS through the DCS Advisor Server and ultimately ends at the Global Customer
Support Center.
Figure 1 - Data Flow Through DCS Advisor
The NextNine Virtual Support Engineer (VSE) transfers the data on the DCS Advisor
Server to the Global Customer Support Center where the data is processed to check
for any values that exceed the predefined thresholds. If so, alerts are generated in the
NextNine interface where a DCS Advisor engineer can react to the issue. The
engineer can log in to the Server using the NextNine interface and from the Server,
can login to an AW or WP using the Station Access Manager (SAM) to troubleshoot
any issues.
In summary, the key components of DCS Advisor are:
• Data Acquisition System (DAS)
• FERRETLite
• Global Customer Support (GCS) Website
• File Services (IFS)
• LocalWatch (LW)
• NextNine Virtual Support Engineer (VSE)
• Station Access Manager (SAM)
The following chapters provide additional detail about the individual components:
• Chapter 2: Data Acquisition System, page 10
• Chapter 3: DCS Advisor Applications, page 28
B0860CR, Rev F 9
DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide Chapter 2: Data Acquisition System
Chapter 2: Data Acquisition System

The Data Acquisition System (DAS) is responsible for routinely collecting the
necessary data on an AW or WP and transferring it to the DCS Advisor Server. There
are three configurations for DAS:
• 50 Series DAS for Solaris™ stations
• 70 Series DAS for Windows® stations
• Off-Platform DAS for Non-I/A Windows stations
NOTE: 50 series, 70 series and Off-Platform install packages are all legacy. DAS
v6.0 has a new installer that manages these in the same way (Except for Unix, XP
SP1, and Modbus).
50 Series DAS for Solaris Stations

NOTE: The 50 Series DAS for Solaris stations was frozen at v4.0.
The 50 Series DAS consists of a data collection engine and a set of shell scripts
known as probes. DAS is installed in the /opt/fox/bin/remote/tools/DAS directory.
The engine is responsible for running each of the probes and transferring their output
to the DCS Advisor Server using a remote copy (rcp) command. Files transferred
from 50 Series stations are packaged in tar files. The engine is scheduled using cron
(a task scheduler) and is set to run once an hour for 24 hours a day.
The 50 Series probes are shell scripts that run various utilities on the workstation to
collect information and then output it to a raw data file in the RawOut subdirectory.
The probes must be run from the 50 Series DAS engine as they are dependent on
several environment variables that are set while the engine is running. If a probe is to
run at intervals greater than every hour, the probe is responsible for determining when
it should run to completion and when it should exit early.
Manually Running DAS

It is sometimes necessary to run the DAS manually for configuration or
troubleshooting purposes. To run the data collection engine, navigate to the bin
subdirectory and type run_routines. This will start the engine that will execute each
probe and transfer the raw data files to the DCS Advisor Server. The raw data files are
placed in the RawOut subdirectory.
Transferring Data Files

To transfer data files to the DCS Advisor Server without re-running the probes,
navigate to the bin subdirectory and type pushdata raw. This will transfer the data
files in the RawOut subdirectory as well as the Results subdirectory to the Server.
The files will be placed in the D:\ftproot\resource_das\data\<LBUG>\data directory
on the DCS Server, where <LBUG> is the name of the AW/WP.
Changing the IP Address of the Server

If a new DCS Advisor Server is installed or if the IP address of an existing server has
changed, the address can be changed in the /etc/hosts file on the AW/WP. In the /etc
directory, open the hosts file with any text editor (for example, vi hosts). In this file,
change the IP address for the PS_DAS host name to the new address.
10 B0860CR, Rev F
Chapter 2: Data Acquisition System DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide
70 Series DAS - for Pre-I/A Series v8.5

NOTE: It is important that you know that the 70_Series_DAS package has been
frozen at DAS v5.1.1 and will not be released with DAS v6.0 if v5.1.1 is already
installed on the station. If v5.1.1 is not installed, you must contact your GCS
representative if you need to obtain a copy of DAS v5.1.1.
NOTE: DAS v5.1.1 will display as v5.1 in Control Panel and the version.txt file.
The 70 Series DAS is a collection of VBScripts that are executed under a Windows
based Service. When used with versions of I/A Series software, earlier than v8.5, the
70 Series DAS consists of two parts:
1. The RW_WinExec_Service.exe
2. The probe scripts
70 Series DAS is installed in the D:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\DAS directory. The
Service application that executes the probe scripts is located in the bin subdirectory
under DAS. The scripts that collect the data are in the probes subdirectory under
DAS. These probes run various utilities to collect information then format it into XML
files and places the files in the XmlOut subdirectory. The XML files are then
transferred to the DCS Advisor Server by copying them to a mapped network drive.
Unlike the 50 Series probes, the 70 Series probes can be run individually.
RW_WinExec_Service
The RW_WinExec_Service can be started, stopped, paused and resumed from the
Service Control Panel. The Service Control Panel can be accessed by right-clicking
My Computer and selecting Manage > Services and Applications > Services.
When RW_WinExec_Service is selected, the various functions can be executed. The
figure shows the selected RW_WinExec_Service. When any of these actions are
taken, a log entry is added into the RW_WinExec_Service.log file located in the
Tools\DAS\Logs subdirectory - if logging is enabled (refer to Log File, page 19).
When the service is installed, it is also registered with the Service Control Panel and is
started automatically. The service also starts automatically on reboot of the
workstation.
Figure 2 - RW_WinExec_Service in the Control Panel
Configuration of the RW_WinExec_Service and how it executes the probe scripts can
be accomplished by editing two files: RW_WinExec.ini and tasklist.csv. The file
RW_WinExec.ini is located in the DAS\cfg directory. The file is read once upon
startup of the service. If configuration changes are required, the service must be
B0860CR, Rev F 11
stopped (not paused) then started again for the changes to take effect. The contents
of a sample ASCII text RW_WinExec.ini file are shown in the figure.
NOTE: If the RW_WinExec_Service is waiting for a script to finish executing while
the “stop” action is triggered via the Service Control Panel, it may take some time
(up to several minutes depending on the script being run at the time for the
service) to actually stop. During this time, the Control Panel will have timed out
because it has not received a response back from the service. This is acceptable.
The service will stop eventually. Check the log file (refer to Log File, page 19) to
see when the service actually stops. The service checks for Control Panel actions
before executing a probe script.
Figure 3 - Contents of the RW_WinExec.ini File
The ini file is broken down into sections delimited by the text with the square brackets.
A description of these sections is detailed in the table.
Table 1 - RW_WinExec_Service.ini File Contents
Section Description
TASK_FILE_PATH Location of the tasklist.csv file. This file contains the list of probe
scripts to be executed.
START_DELAY Numeric value in whole minutes. The default is 4 minutes. The

purpose is to give a booting I/A Series workstation time to get up and
running and communicating with the Nodebus, and other networks,
before starting the execution of the probes. When the service is started
upon booting of the station, it delays four (4) minutes before executing
the first probe script. This time can be adjusted as necessary.
EXECUTION_INTERVAL Numeric value in whole minutes. This is the periodic scheduling

mechanism for executing the probe scripts. The default is 60 minutes.
The Service executes the list of scripts once every 60 minutes. This
time can be adjusted as required. Script execution occurs periodically
every execution interval (60 minutes) from the start of the service (not
including the start delay).
LOGGING_ONOFF 1 = logging is enabled; 0 = logging is disabled
ACCOUNT_INFO Contains the username/password of the account the service is

installed under. The Account should always be the Fox account. The
account password is appended to the end of the file (after User_
Name=Fox) during the installation process.
CPULIMIT The percentage of the CPU that each DAS probe should utilize during
their execution. The limit is defaulted to 100% but can be set to any
percentage between 1% and 100%. When executing, the DAS probe
may temporarily utilize up to 100% of the CPU, but the overall average
utilization will be what is set here.
12 B0860CR, Rev F
Log File
When logging is enabled, the RW_WinExec_Service.log file is updated with time-
stamped lines of text. These lines contain Service Control Panel actions such as
pausing and resuming the service and indications of what probe script is currently
running. It includes an indication of how the script process terminated - normally
(good) or had to be aborted (bad) because the script did not finish within the time
configured (see “Timeout Value” in RW_WinExec Service Probe Script Execution,
page 15). The log file is clamped at 3 Mb in size. If an entry puts the log over 3 Mb, the
log file is overwritten. The file overwrite occurs when a new log entry is to be added.
When the overwrite takes place only the new entry is written to the log.
Note that every time the RW_WinExec_Service is “started”, the log file is overwritten
with a single entry indicating that the service has been started with a delay time (or no
delay). A sample log file is shown in tasklist.csv Comma Separated Fields, page 15.
Figure 4 - Sample Log File for RW_WinExec_Service
The long lines that go out of view to the right are the full paths to the scripts that are
being executed at that moment. These lines can be easily viewed using any text
editor. Additionally, the command tail -f RW_WinExec_Service.log can be used in a
command window to the view the log file as it is being updated.
Event Viewer
The RW_WinExec_Service also logs certain events to the Windows Event Viewer
(specifically Application Events). You may open the Event Viewer by right-clicking My
Computer then selecting Manage > System Tools > Event Viewer > Application.
Service Control Panel actions to the RW_WinExec_Service are logged to the
Application Event Log as well as the RW_WinExec_Service.log file. Additionally, if a
probe script times out and is aborted, this is logged to the Application Event Log as a
detected error. Successful completions of probe scripts are not logged to the Event
Log. Event Viewer with RW_WinExec_Service Entries, page 14 shows the Application
Event Log with two entries from the RW_WinExec_Service. RW_WinExec_Service
Application Event Log Entry, page 14 shows one of the entries opened.
B0860CR, Rev F 13
Figure 5 - Event Viewer with RW_WinExec_Service Entries
Figure 6 - RW_WinExec_Service Application Event Log Entry
In the RW_WinExec_Service Application Event Log Entry, the Information Event

selected in Event Viewer with RW_WinExec_Service Entries is displayed. This
particular Event message occurs when the RW_WinExec_Service is started. The text
message is the same as that sent to the log file.
14 B0860CR, Rev F
RW_WinExec Service Probe Script Execution

Integral to the 70 Series DAS is a collection of VBScripts that are run by the RW_
WinExec_Service. The Service executes the scripts based on an ASCII.csv file
named tasklist.csv. This file is located in the DAS\bin directory. This file contains an
entry for each script to be run where the entries are in the form of:
task file path, execution type, run hour, timeout value, comment
A sample of tasklist.csv with three entries is shown here:
d:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\das\probes\diag_disk.vbs,periodic,0,4,comment
d:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\das\probes\diag_cpload.vbs,daily,3,6,comment
d:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\das\probes\diag_dbvu.vbs,periodic,0,3,comment
The five comma separated fields are as described in the table.
Table 2 - tasklist.csv Comma Separated Fields
Field Description
Task File Path This is the full path location of the probe script to be
executed as shown here: d:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools
\das\probes\diag_disk.vbs. It is this line of text that
appears in the log file when the script is executing.
Execution Type Periodic or Daily as shown here: periodic,0,4,
comment. When periodic, the script runs once for every
Execution_Interval as defined in RW_WinExec_Service.
ini. When daily, the script runs once per day if the
Execution_Interval is at least 60 minutes. If the interval
is less for example 10 minutes instead of 60, the script
executes every 10 minutes while the current hour is the
same as the Run Hour.
Run Hour When the Execution_Type is daily, this field indicates at
what hour of the day (0-23 where 0 is midnight) the
script will execute as shown here: daily,3,6,comment
In this example the Execution_Type is daily and the Run
Hour is 3 which means the script executes once during
the 3am hour as long as the Execution_Interval defined
in RW_WinExec_Service.ini is at least 60 minutes. The
Run Hour value is in whole minutes.
For periodic execution types the Run Hour must be set
to 0 as shown here: periodic,0,4,comment. If the value
is anything other than 0, a detected error occurs and this
script is not executed.
Timeout Value As shown: daily,3,6,comment. The script must execute
within the time configured (6 minutes in this example),
otherwise it is aborted. This value is in whole minutes
and can be adjusted as necessary. If the value
configured is greater than 15 minutes or less than 1
minute, the value is internally set to 15 minutes.
Comment As Shown: daily,3,6,comment. Not Used.
If it is desired not to execute a particular probe script, the script can be “commented
out” by placing a '#' character as the first character in the line. For example, the
Version 6.x (Windows NT®) I/A Series workstation does not support the “Opsys”
probe. So for the Windows NT version of tasklist.csv, this line is commented out as
shown:
#d:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\das\probes\das_opsys.vbs,periodic,0,5,comment
B0860CR, Rev F 15
Note that after the 70_Series_DAS installation takes place there are two .csv files
located in the bin directory: tasklist.csv and tasklistNT.csv. The NT version is
specifically for Version 6.x workstations and is copied to “tasklist.csv” during the
installation. The RW_WinExec_Service always executes using tasklist.csv.
The probe scripts themselves are installed in the D:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\DAS
\probes directory. These probes run various utilities to collect the information and
then format the data as XML and place it in the XmlOut subdirectory. The XML files
are then transferred to the DCS Advisor Server by copying them to a mapped network
drive. Unlike the 50 Series probes, the 70 Series probes can be executed individually
from a command window. All of the probe scripts add entries into the file Probes.log
which is located in the D:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\DAS\Log directory. So if a
particular probe is not executing properly, it may have added some information (or
some information may be conspicuously missing) to the probes.log file.
The VBScript that transfers the collected information files to the DCS Advisor Server
is located in the bin subdirectory. This script (send_data.vbs) must be the last entry
in tasklist.csv.
70 Series DAS - for I/A Series v8.5 through v8.8 and for Control Core
Services v9.x
The 70 Series DAS is a collection of VBScripts that are executed under a Windows
based Service. When used with I/A Series software v8.5 through v8.8, the 70 Series
DAS consists of two parts:
1. The RW_DasExec.exe
2. The data collection probes
70 Series DAS is installed in the D:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\DAS directory. The
Service application that executes the probes is located in the bin subdirectory under
DAS. The probes that collect the data are in the probes subdirectory under DAS.
These probes run various utilities to collect information then format it into XML files
and place the files in the XmlOut subdirectory.
The XML files are then transferred to the DCS Advisor Server using File Transfer
Protocol (FTP). Unlike the 50 Series probes, the 70 Series probes can be run
individually.
RW_DasExec Service
The RW_DasExec service can be started, stopped, paused and resumed from the
Service Control Panel. The Service Control Panel can be accessed by right-clicking
My Computer and selecting Manage > Services and Applications > Services.
When RW_DasExec service is selected, the various functions can be executed. The
figure shows the selected RW_Das Exec service. When any of these actions are
taken, a log entry is added into the RW_DasExec.log file located in the Tools\DAS
\Logs subdirectory - if logging is enabled (refer to Log File, page 19). When the
service is installed, it is also registered with the Service Control Panel and is started
automatically. It will also start automatically on reboot of the workstation.
16 B0860CR, Rev F
Figure 7 - RW_DasExec Service in the Control Panel
Configuration of the RW_DasExec service and how it executes the probe scripts can
be accomplished by editing two files: RW_WinExec.ini.xml and tasklist.xml. The file
RW_WinExec.ini.xml is located in the DAS\cfg directory. The file is read once upon
startup of the service. If configuration changes are required, the service must be
stopped (not paused) then started again for the changes to take effect.
NOTE: If the RW_DasExec_service is waiting for a probe to finish executing while
the “stop” action is triggered via the Service Control Panel, it may take some time
(up to several minutes depending on the script being run at the time for the
service) to actually stop. During this time, the Control Panel will have timed out
because it has not received a response back from the service. This is acceptable.
The service will stop eventually. Check the log file (refer to Log File, page 19) to
see when the service actually stops. The service checks for Control Panel actions
before executing a probe.
The RW_WinExec.ini.xml configuration file defines the following configuration
parameters as child elements of the root element, cfg, as detailed in the table.
Table 3 - Child Elements
Configuration Definition
Parameter (Child
Element)
taskFilePath The full directory path for the directory containing the
Task File, tasklist.xml.
startDelay units= The number of minutes to wait after the waitForProcess
“minutes” process is started, before the data acquisition starts to
collect data, i.e. execute the program defined in
tasklist.xml.
executionInterval units= The period of the data acquisition collection cycle, i.e.
“minutes” every 60 minutes.
logging If “enabled” operational messages are written to the d:
\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\DAS\log\RW_DasExec.log.
B0860CR, Rev F 17
Table 3 - Child Elements (Continued)
Parameter (Child
Element)
startupLog If “enabled” startup messages (i.e. waiting for a specific
process to start, etc.) are written to the d:\opt\fox\bin
\remote\tools\DAS\log\RW_DasExec.log.
procCmdLineLog Not used.
waitForProcess The name of a process that has to be running before
starting data acquisition.
waitForProcAttempts The number of iterations to check for waitForProcess to
start. There is a 60 second delay between each
iteration.
command The command element contains child elements that
define what command (or shell) to use (i.e. cscript, cmd,
etc.) to execute a file based on the file’s extension (i.e.
vbs, cmd, etc.).
The command element consists of three configuration parameters (child elements)

which are defined in the table.
Table 4 - Command Child Elements
Parameter (Child
Element)
fileExtension File extension of the program file (i.e. vbs, cmd, etc.).
shell Command shell, including full path, used to execute this
file extension type, i.e. cscript for vbs file extension, cmd
for cmd file extension.
arguments Arguments that the shell command may require (i.e. /c
for cmd and //B for vbs).
A sample RW_WinExec.ini.xml contents are shown below:

<?xml version=”1.0”?>
<cfg>
<taskFilePath>D:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\$DAS\bin</taskFilePath>
<startDelay units=”minutes”>4</startDelay>
<executionInterval units=”minutes”>3</executionInterval>
<logging>disabled</logging>
<startupLog>disabled</startupLog>
<procCmdLineLog>disabled</procCmdLineLog>
<waitForProcess>om_recon</waitForProcess>
<waitForProcAttempts>3</waitForProcAttempts>
<command>
<fileExtension>vbs</fileExtension>
<shell>C:\WINDOWS\system32\cscript.exe</shell>
<arguments>//B</arguments>
</command>
<command>
<fileExtension>cmd</fileExtension>
<shell></shell>
<arguments></arguments>
</command>
</cfg>
18 B0860CR, Rev F
Log File
When logging is enabled, the RW_DasExec.log file is updated with time-stamped
lines of text. These lines contain Service Control Panel actions such as pausing and
resuming the service and indications of what probe script is currently running. It
includes an indication of how the script process terminated - normally (good) or had to
be aborted (bad) because the script did not finish within the time configured (see
“Timeout Value” in tasklist.csv Comma Separated Fields, page 15). The log file is
clamped at 10 Mb in size. If an entry puts the log over 10 Mb, the log file is
overwritten. The file overwrite occurs when a new log entry is to be added. When the
overwrite takes place only the new entry is written to the log.
Note that every time the RW_DasExec service is “started”, the log file is overwritten
with a single entry indicating that the service has been started with a delay time (or no
delay). A sample log file is shown in the figure.
Figure 8 - Sample Log File for RW_DasExec Service
The command tail -f RW_DasExec.log can be used in a command window to the

view the log file as it is being updated.
Event Viewer
The RW_DasExec service also logs certain events to the Windows Event Viewer
(specifically DCS Advisor Events).
To open the Event Viewer, right-click My Computer then select Manage > System
Tools > Event Viewer > RemoteWatch. Click Event Viewer in the Search Results.
On Windows 7, Server 2008 and Server 2016, click Start and type Event Viewer in
the search box.
Service Control Panel actions to the RW_DasExec service are logged to the
Application Event Log as well as the RW_DasExec.log file. Additionally, if a probe
script times out and is aborted, this is logged to the DCS Advisor Event Log as a
detected error.
The figure shows the DCS Advisor Event Log with two entries from the RW_DasExec
service.
B0860CR, Rev F 19
Figure 9 - Event Viewer with RW_DasExec Entries
RW_DasExec Probe Execution

Integral to the 70 Series DAS is a collection of probes that are run by the RW_
DasExec service. The Service executes the probes based on an XML file named
tasklist.xml. This file is located in the DAS\bin directory.
The tasklist.xml configuration file defines what data collection/processing “tasks” (or
programs) that the RW_DasExec service executes on each data collection cycle.
Each task is defined as a child element, task, of the root element, taskList. The task
element contains five child elements used for task execution, as defined in the table.
Table 5 - Task Child Parameters
Parameter
(Child Element)
command The full path name of the data processing or collection
program, including file extension
sked Indicates if the program is executed on each service
data collection/processing cycle (periodic) or once a day
(daily)
run-hour If the sked application is daily, then run_hour specifies
the hour of the day during which the program will
execute
executionTimeOutSecs Specifies the length of time in seconds to wait for the
program to complete before stopping program execution
comment Used as comment in configuration file. Not used by the
RW_DasExec service
A sample taskfile.xml file containing two tasks follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<taskList>
20 B0860CR, Rev F
<task>
<command>d:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\$DAS\probes\diag_disk.vbs
</command>
<sked>periodic</sked>
<run_hour>0</run_hour>
<executionTimeOutSecs>4</executionTimeOutSecs>
<comment>gets disk info</comment>
</task>
<task>
<command>d:\opt\fox\bin\remote\tools\$DAS\probes\das_fist.vbs
</command>
<sked>daily</sked>
<run_hour>4</run_hour>
<executionTimeOutSecs>120</executionTimeOutSecs>
<comment>get "fist" type data, i.e. MAC Address, NSAP, Station
type, etc.</comment>
</task>
</taskList>
Off-Platform for Non-I/A Series Stations

The Off-Platform DAS is designed to operate on workstations that do not have the I/A
Series or Control Core Services software installed on them. Off-Platform DAS can be
installed on the following types of Windows workstations:
• Windows XP Service Pack 3
• Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2
• Windows 7
• Windows 10
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 2016
The Off-Platform DAS requires a minimum of these software versions:
• Microsoft .Net Framework v3.5
• Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1.4001.5512
NOTE: It is imperative that there be a network connection to the DCS Advisor
Server from the workstation. The Off-Platform DAS software does not support
configuration of a Mailbox, it requires a direct connection to the DCS Advisor
Server.
NOTE: The Off-Platform DAS needs to be installed manually on each station.
Remote installation is not an option for Off-Platform stations.
The Off-Platform DAS software is very similar to the 70 Series DAS software and has
many of the same components. The primary difference is the Off-Platform DAS uses a
different configuration file RW_WinExec_OffPlatform.xml and also has the new DCS
Advisor DAS Configuration Manager.
The Off-Platform DAS software executes under a Windows based Service similar to
the service for the 70 Series DAS. The service is installed in the ..\DAS\bin directory
in the DAS main install directory. The probes that collect the data are in the probes
subdirectory under DAS. These probes run various utilities to collect information then
format it into XML files and places the files in the XmlOut subdirectory. The XML files
are then transferred to the DCS Advisor Server using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
Log File
When logging is enabled, the ..\das\logs\RW_DasExec.log file is updated with
timestamped lines of text. These lines contain Service Control Panel actions such as
pausing and resuming the service and indications of what probe script is currently
B0860CR, Rev F 21
running. It includes an indication of how the script process terminated - normally

(good) or had to be aborted (bad) because the script did not finish within the time
configured (see “Timeout Value” in tasklist.csv Comma Separated Fields, page 15).
The log file is clamped at 10 Mb in size. If an entry puts the log over 10 Mb, the log file
is overwritten. The file overwrite occurs when a new log entry is to be added. When
the overwrite takes place only the new entry is written to the log.
Event Viewer
The RW_DasExec service also logs certain events to the Windows Event Viewer
(specifically DCS Advisor Events).
To open the Event Viewer, right-click My Computer, then select Manage > System
Tools > Event Viewer > RemoteWatch. Service Control Panel actions to the RW_
DasExec service are logged to the Application Event Log as well as the RW_
DasExec.log file. Additionally, if a probe script times out and is aborted, this is logged
to the DCS Advisor Event Log.
The figure shows the DCS Advisor Event Log with two entries from the RW_DasExec
service.
Figure 10 - Event Viewer with DCS Advisor Entries
RW_DasExec Probe Execution

Integral to the DAS is a collection of probes that are run by the RW_DasExec service.
The Service executes the probes based on an XML file named tasklist.xml. This file
is located in the DAS\bin directory.
The tasklist.xml configuration file defines what data collection/processing “tasks” (or
programs) that the RW_DasExec service executes on each data collection cycle.
Each task is defined as a child element, task, of the root element, taskList. The task
element contains five child elements used for task execution, as defined in the table.
22 B0860CR, Rev F
Table 6 - Task Child Elements - Off-Platform Stations
Configuration Parameter Definition

(Child Element)
command The full path name of the data processing or
collection program, including file extension.
sked Indicates if the program is executed on each
service data collection/processing cycle (periodic)
or once a day (daily).
run-hour If the sked application is daily, then run_hour
specifies the hour of the day during which the
program will execute.
executionTimeOutSecs Specifies the length of time in seconds to wait for
the program to complete before stopping program
execution.
comment Used as comment in configuration file. Not used by
the RW_WinExec service.
enabled “1” if this task is enabled. The RW_DasExec service
will not execute a task if it is not enabled.
B0860CR, Rev F 23
Off-Platform DCS Advisor DAS Configuration Manager

The Off-Platform DCS Advisor DAS software that has been installed can be
configured any time after installation by starting the DCS Advisor DAS Configuration
Manager. The Configuration Manager provides these fields and functions:
• DCS Advisor Server IP Address - This is the IP address used by the DAS
software when transferring collected information to the server
• Windows Service Account - The account to use for the DAS Service. The account
for the DAS service is defaulted to Network Service which is a low privilege
account that has enough privileges to perform all DAS collections.
There are two additional accounts that can be chosen from the dropdown menu:
◦ Local Service - This is a low privilege account that does not have network
access. Choose this account only if you want to perform collections but not
transfer them to the server.
◦ Local System - This is a high privilege account that has significant privileges
on the local workstation. This account can be used if future DAS probes need
more privileges for new collections.
There is also the option to use a Windows account for the DCS Advisor DAS
service.
NOTE: For Off-Platform stations that are part of the I/A domain, a domain
account must be selected from the dropdown menu. Choose the
RwDasService account, if it is available, or the IAServices account. See DCS
Advisor v6.0 Data Acquisition System (DAS) Installation Guide (B0860BT) for
information on the RwDasService domain account.
• Site Prefix - The Site Prefix is an optional entry that groups this Off-Platform
workstation with other stations in the LocalWatch application. See the DCS
Advisor v6.0 LocalWatch User's Guide (B0860BS) for more information on Site
Prefixes.
Other options provided by the Off-Platform Configuration Manager are:
• Logs button - The logs button opens a Windows Explorer to the DAS logs folder
• Tasks button - The tasks button opens the tasklist.xml file which controls how
the DAS software operates
• Modifying the tasklist.xml file is an advanced function and should be done with
care
• Config button - The config button opens the RW_WinExec_OffPlatform.xml file.
This file contains logging, start up and configuration parameters for the DAS
software.
• Apply button - The apply button will save the configuration data and restart the
RW_DasExec service with the new settings
24 B0860CR, Rev F
Figure 11 - DCS Advisor DAS Configuration Manager
To perform the DCS Advisor DAS configuration, follow these steps:

1. To start the configurator, in the start menu click: Start > All Programs > DCS
Advisor DAS Configurator.
2. Enter an IP address or host name and click the Validate button. The configurator
will convert a host name into an IP address and then attempt to ping the server to
help ensure a connection.
3. Select the desired Windows Service account (Local Service or Local System) or
Windows account. If a Windows account is needed, proceed as follows:
a. Click the Browse button and a Windows Login form will appear.
b. Enter the User name and Password to be used for the service.
A domain account can be used by adding it before the username followed by
a backslash: <domain>\RwDasService username.
B0860CR, Rev F 25
Figure 12 - Windows Login Form
4. If needed, enter the site prefix.

5. Once all settings have been entered, click Apply to save the configuration
settings.
Fist Host
Since the probe to collect Fist (Find Station) information requires a lot of network
resources, it should be limited to running once per day on a single station per node.
This station's letterbug is indicated in the FistHost.txt file, located in the cfg
subdirectory. If the letterbug of the Fist host is changed in this file, it must be changed
in the FistHost.txt for all of the AW/WPs that are running DAS. Each station checks
the FistHost.txt file and if the letterbug in the file is the same as the station's
letterbug, it will run the Fist probe. An example of the FistHost.txt file is shown.
Figure 13 - Example FistHost.txt File
26 B0860CR, Rev F
Station Prefix
A station prefix and site prefix are the same and are required under these conditions:
1. The site plans to use DCS Advisor Event Messaging.
2. The DCS Advisor Server is monitoring two or more Foxboro DCS or I/A Series
systems that contain the same I/A station name (letterbug).
3. A single DCS Advisor Server is monitoring multiple systems that need to upload
separate FERRET files.
The format of site/station prefixes are:
• If the site plans to use DCS Advisor Event Messaging, the format of the station
prefix MUST BE Site_<alphacode>_, for example, Site_BL8_.
• Optionally, the site can use station prefixes that are helpful to you.
Both the 50 Series and 70 Series DAS have the ability to add a prefix to station
letterbugs contained in file names and in the xml elements of data files. The prefix is
used to display sites with multiple disconnected (not on the same I/A Series control
network) systems. Each system is displayed under its own prefix to avoid a conflict
with duplicate letterbugs.
Before implementing station prefixes at a site check with GCS DCS Advisor support
for the proper usage at your site.
The station prefix is configurable for these files:
• 70 Series stations in the dasFiles.cfg file
• 50 Series station in the setvars file
When adding a station prefix, it must be added to all dasFiles.cfg and setvars files
on a system. These files are located in the cfg folder.
The dasFiles.cfg file contains a line:
• StationPrefix =
To specify a station prefix, add it after the equal sign with a space between the equal
sign and the prefix as shown in this example:
• StationPrefix = Site_BL8_
The setvars file contains a line:
• rtTARPREFIX="" ; export rtTARPREFIX # By default a blank prefix
To specify a station prefix, enter the prefix between the quote as shown in this
example:
• rtTARPREFIX="Site_BL8_" ; export rtTARPREFIX # By default a blank prefix
Only alphanumeric characters and dash (-) and underscore (_) characters are allowed
in the station prefix.
NOTE: When a Station prefix has been modified, you must clean out all old-
named data collected by DAS in the AW and the DCS Advisor directories.
Additional DAS Information

Refer to DCS Advisor v6.0 Data Acquisition System (DAS) Installation Guide
(B0860BT) for procedures for installing and configuring DAS on 50 Series and 70
Series workstations.
Refer to RemoteWatch Data Acquisition System (DAS) v5.3 Installation and
Configuration (B0860BT, Rev E) for procedures for installing and configuring DAS on
Legacy 50 Series and 70 Series workstations.
B0860CR, Rev F 27
DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide Chapter 3: DCS Advisor Applications
Chapter 3: DCS Advisor Applications

The DCS Advisor applications which are installed on the DCS Advisor Server to
support the DCS Advisor application include:
• LocalWatch
• File Services
• FERRETLite
• NextNine Virtual Support Engineer (VSE)
• Station Access Manager
LocalWatch
The LocalWatch application provides you with a view of the data collection by the
DCS Advisor Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) installed on I/A Series application
workstations and stored in the LocalWatch database (DB).
The LocalWatch user interface is documented in DCS Advisor v6.0 LocalWatch
User’s Guide (B0860BS).
File Services
The File Services (IFS) is a collection of software used to process data received from
I/A Series stations' DAS.
The processing of the received data includes:
• Extraction of data files from tar files sent by 50 Series station
• Extraction of data files from 7z archive files sent by 70 Series stations
• Conversion of raw data files received from 50 Series stations' DAS to xml data
files
• Insertion of resource data into the LocalWatch database
• Insertion of FERRET collection data into the LocalWatch database
• Conversion of counter type resource values into a rate value
The IFS used for the processing of the resource data are:
• ISTARService - Extract tar and 7z input data archives
• ISFService - Convert 50 Series Raw data to XML
• ISDBService - Insert data files into DBs (LocalWatch)
• ISFERService - Insert FERRET Data in LocalWatch DB
• ISWatchdogService - Monitors other IS services for detected failures and restarts
them, if needed
These services are all "file watcher" services and use the Microsoft .NET FileWatcher
function to monitor for new files and files being modified. The operation of each
service, that is, directory to monitor and action to take when a file is created or
modified, is defined in the isconfig.xml file located in the d:\resource_das\bin
directory. Each of these services, with the exception of the ISWatchdogService, uses
the same xml structure to define operation. The xml elements for the ISTARService,
ISFService, ISDBService, and ISFERService services in isconfig.xml have the
following format:
28 B0860CR, Rev F
Chapter 3: DCS Advisor Applications DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide
<ServiceName>
<sourcedir>[name of directory to monitor]</sourcedir>
<destdir>[destination directory]</destdir>
<lastevent></lastevent>
<threadsleepsecs>[10]</threadsleepsecs>
<mineventtime>[60]</mineventtime>
<loglevel>[severity of alarms that are sent to ISLOG event log]
</loglevel>
<dispatcher waitsecs="[dispatch delay]" procwaitsecs="[check for
complete delay]" retries="[number of]">
<filepattern>[regular expression match pattern]</filepattern>
<command>[name of program]</command>
<param name="[parameter passed to program on startup]"/>
</dispatcher>
</ServiceName>
Where:
• ServiceName - the name of the services that the sub-element is for, that is,
ISTARService, ISFService, and so forth
• sourcedir - is the name of the directory root that services monitors, that is, D:
\ftproot\resource_das\data
• destdir - the destination directory
• lastevent - not used, leave as is
• threadsleepsecs - leave at 10, internal 10 ms delay
• mineventtime - leave at 60, used for event filtering, i.e. debounce
• loglevel - note the following severities: Error, FailureAudit, Information,
SuccessAudit and Warning
• dispatcher waitsecs - the delay before the program specified by the dispatcher
sub-element is executed
• procwaitsecs - the delay before testing to determine the specified command has
completed
• retries- times to retry to determine if the specified command has completed, the
period specified by check for complete delay is applied between each retry. If a
program does not complete, the service will stop execution of the program and
send an event to the ISLOG event log.
• filepattern - regular expression match pattern
• command - the name of program to execute on match
• lastevent - parameter passed to program on startup
B0860CR, Rev F 29
The following is the ISTARService sub-element of the isconfig.xml file.

<ISTARService>
<sourcedir>D:\ftproot\resource_das\data</sourcedir>
<destdir>D:\resource_das\data</destdir>
<lastevent></lastevent>
<threadsleepsecs>10</threadsleepsecs>
<mineventtime>60</mineventtime>
<loglevel>Error, Warning</loglevel>
<dispatcher waitsecs="-10" procwaitsecs="-100" retries="100">
<filepattern>.*\.tar$</filepattern>
<command>D:\resource_das\bin\srvc_tar.exe</command>
<param name="source"/>
<param>D:\ftproot\resource_das\tar</param>
</dispatcher>
<dispatcher waitsecs="-10" procwaitsecs="1" retries="60">
<filepattern>.*\.7z$</filepattern>
<command>D:\resource_das\bin\srvc_7z.exe</command>
<param name="source"/>
<param>D:\resource_das\data</param>
</dispatcher>
</ISTARService>
Based on ISTAR attributes in the configuration:
• The ISTARService monitors the D:\ftproot\resource_das\data folder
• The destination directory is D:\resource_das\data
There are three dispatcher sub-elements. The first is the related to the IFS watchdog
mechanism that is described in the IFS Watchdog Mechanism section of this
document.
The second element is for the processing of tar files received from 50 Series stations.
The <filepattern> element matches any file in or in a folder below the directory
specified by <sourcedir> that ends with “tar”. When a match occurs, the program
D:\resource_das\bin\srvc_tar.exe is executed with the command line arguments:
• "source", which is the full path name of the changed or new file
• D:\ftproot\resource_das\tar
The third element is for the processing of 7z archive files received from 70 Series
stations. The <filepattern> element matches any file in or in a folder below the
directory specified by <sourcedir> that ends with “7z”. When a match occurs, the
program D:\resource_das\bin\srvc_7z.exe is executed with the command line
arguments:
• "source", which is the full path name of the changed or new file
• D:\resource_das\data
ISTARService
The ISTARService service extracts data files from tar files and 7z input data archives
received from I/A Series stations.
ISTARService monitors folders below D:\ftproot\resource_das\data for new or
updated files. When a file is created or updated, if the file name is a match the Regular
Expression Pattern then the appropriate program is executed. If there is no match to
the file, no program is executed to process the file.
30 B0860CR, Rev F
Table 7 - ISTAR Service Data Extraction
Purpose Program Executed Regular Log File

When Expression
Regular File Pattern
Expression
Matches
Extract 50 Series srvc_tar.exe .*\.tar ISLogEvent.log
tar files to a location
to be processed by
the ISFService
Extract 70 Series srvc_7z.exe .*\.7z ISLogEvent.log
7z archive files to a
location to be
processed by the
ISDBService
Process ISTAR srvc_processtest. .*ISTARService\. None
watchdog file vbs test
B0860CR, Rev F 31
ISFService
The ISFService service converts 50 Series Raw data files to XML data files.
ISFService monitors folders below D:\ftproot\resource_das\data for new or updated
files. When a file is created or updated, if the file name matches the Regular
Expression Pattern then the appropriate program is executed. If there is no match for
the file, no program is executed to process the file.
Table 8 - ISFService Data Conversion to XML Data Files
Purpose(a)(b) Program Executed Regular Expression Log File(c)

When Regular File Pattern
Expression Matches
Generates fist.LBUG.xml srvc_fist2xml.vbs .*diagfist$ None

file based on diagfist
data file
Generates opsys.LBUG. srvc_opsys2xml.vbs .*netScktStatus$ None
xml file using raw opsys
data files
Generates station srvc_cntrs2xml.vbs .*cntrs\.(\S)+$ None
counters.LBUG.xml file
using raw station counter
data file
Generates cntrl.LBUG. srvc_cpload2xml.vbs .*cpdata$ None
xml files based on raw
cpdata file
Generates dbvu.LBUG. srvc_dbvu2xml.exe .*dbvuremote$ srvc_dbvu2xml.log

xml files based on raw
dbvu data files
Generates disk.LBUG. srvc_diskfree2xml.vbs .*diskfree$ None
xml file based on the
diskfree file
Converts raw LI counter srvc_landata2xml.vbs .*landata$ None
data to Generates li.
LBUG.xml files using
landata file as input
Generates Cfg_OS_ srvc_showparams2xml. .*showparams$ None

Params.LBUG.xml vbs
based on the raw data
file, showparams
Moves a station’s srvc_mvferret.exe .*\\ferret_out\\.*Z$ srvc_mvferret.log

FERRET data file to the
wrk\FERRET_data_
upload folder for further
processing by the
ISFERService service
Process ISFService srvc_processtest.vbs .*ISFService\.test$ None
watchdog file
(a) References to directories are relative to the d:\resource_das directory
(b) Log files are located in the d:\resource_das\log
(c) LBUG is replaced with a station letterbug
32 B0860CR, Rev F
ISDBService
The ISDBService service inserts data contained in XML data files into the LocalWatch
databases.
ISDBService monitors folders below D:\resource_das\data for new or updated files.
When a file is created or updated, if the file name matches the Regular Expression
Pattern then the appropriate program is executed. If there is no match for the file, no
program is executed to process the file.
Table 9 - ISDB Service Data Insertion in LW Databases
Purpose(a) Program Executed Regular Expression Log File(b)

Expression Matches
Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .*\\data\\.*Cfg_Os_

Cfg_OS_Params xml Params\.[A-Z,0-9,a-z,_,
data files into both \-]+\.xml$
databases
Convert instantaneous nmlzStaCntrsXml.vbs .*\\data\\. nmlzStaCntrsXml.
counter values contained *StationCounters\.[A- log
in StationCounters data Z,0-9,a-z,_,\-]+\.xml$
files to delta value since
last update and
generates a
StationCounters _nrml
xml data file containing
the counter delta values
data for further
processing
Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .*\\data\\.*disk\.[A-Z,0-9,

disk xml data files into a-z,_,\-]+\.xml$
both data-bases
Convert instantaneous nmlzCntrlXml.vbs .*\\data\\.*cntrl\.[A-Z,0-9, None
counter values contained a-z,_,\-]+\.xml$
in cntrl data files to delta
value since last update
and generates a cntrl_
nrml xml data file
containing the non-
counter data and the
converted counter data
for further processing
Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .*\\data\\.*opsys\.[A-Z,0-

opsys xml data files into 9,a-z,_,\-]+\.xml$
both databases
Convert instantaneous nmlzLiXml.vbs .*\\data\\.*li\.[A-Z,0-9,a-z, None
counter values contained _,\-]+\.xml$
in li data files to delta
value since last update
and generates a li_nrml
xml data file containing
the non-counter data
and the converted
counter data for further
processing
Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .*\\data\\.*dbvu\.[A-Z,0-9,

dbvu xml data files into a-z,_,\-]+\.xml$
the LocalWatch
database
Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .*StationCounters_nrml\.
StationCounters_nrml [A-Z,0-9,a-z,_,\-]+\.xml$
xml data files into the
LocalWatch database
Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .*\\data\\.*\\cntrl_nrml\.
cntrl_nrml xml data files [A-Z,0-9,a-z,_,\-]+\.xml$
into the LocalWatch
database
B0860CR, Rev F 33
Table 9 - ISDB Service Data Insertion in LW Databases (Continued)

Expression Matches
Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .*\\data\\.*li_nrml\.[A-Z,0-

li_nrml xml data files into 9,a-z,_,\-]+\.xml$
the LocalWatch
database
Add contained in a fist srvc_catFist2xml.vbs .*fist\.(\S)+\.xml$ None
xml data file from a
station to the system
wide fist data file
Moves a 50 Series srvc_mvferret.exe .*\\ferret_out\\.*Z$ srvc_mvferret.log
station FERRET data file
to the wrk\FERRET_
data_upload folder for
further processing by the
Moves a 70 station srvc_mvferret.exe .*\\ferret_out\\[A-Z,a-z,0- srvc_mvferret.log
FERRET station data file 9,-,_]*_system\.fer$
to the wrk\FERRET_
Moves a 70 Series srvc_mvferret.exe *\\ferret_out\\[A-Z,a-z,0- srvc_mvferret.log
station FERRET system 9,-,_]*_system\.fer$
data file to the wrk
\FERRET_data_upload
folder for further
processing by the
FERRET som data file to 9,-,_]*_som\.fer$
the wrk\FERRET_data_
upload folder for further
processing by the
FERRET rsom data file 9,-,_]*_rsom\.fer$
to the wrk\FERRET_
Process ISDBService srvc_processtest.vbs .*ISDBService\.test$ None
watchdog file
34 B0860CR, Rev F
ISFERService
The ISFERService service inserts FERRET Data in LocalWatch database using the
fer2db.exe program.
Table 10 - ISFERService FERRET Data Insertion in LW Databases

Expression Matches
Insert data contained in fer2db.exe .*\\FERRET_data_ fer2db_DEBUG.log

a 70 Series FERRET upload\\.*fer$
data file into the Local-
Watch DB
Insert data contained in fer2db.exe .*\\FERRET_data_ fer2db_DEBUG.log
a 50 Series FERRET upload\\.*Z$
data file into the Local-
Watch DB
ISWatchdogService
The ISWatchdogService service monitors the following IFS services for detected
failure, that is, the service(s) stops processing data files: ISTARService, ISFService,
ISFERService, and ISDBService. The ISWatchdogService runs at the interval
specified in the isconfig.xml. The <ISWatchdogService> element’s sub-element
is <IntervalInMinutes>; the default is 50 minutes.
On startup, the ISWatchdogService service writes to the following files:
• D:\resource_das\data\ISDBService.test
• D:\ftproot\resource_das\data\ISFService.test
• D:\ftproot\resource_das\data\ISTARService.test
• D:\resource_das\wrk\FERRET_data_upload\ISFERService.test
Each of these files contains the text, “UNTESTED”.
The ISTARService, ISFService, ISFERService and ISDBService services are
configured to use srvc_processtest.vbs to process these files. The srvc_
processtest.vbs script updates UNTESTED to TEST_OK in the specific service file
during startup of the corresponding service:
• D:\resource_das\data\ISDBService.test
• D:\ftproot\resource_das\data\ISFService.test
• D:\ftproot\resource_das\data\ISTARService.test
• D:\resource_das\wrk\FERRET_data_upload\ISFERService.test
After the delay specified by the <IntervalInMinutes> tag in the isconfig.xml file,
ISWatchdogService reads the text in each of these files and verifies that it is equal to
TEST_OK:
• If the text is TEST_OK, the text is rewritten to UNTESTED. If the text is
UNTESTED, the ISWatchdogService service logs an event in the ISLOG event
log
• In addition, if the <RestartServicesOnError> tag in the ISWatchdogService
elements is true, then the IFS services, ISTARService, ISFService,
ISFERService, and ISDBService are restarted
This action is repeated every number of minutes specified by the
<IntervalInMinutes> tag in the isconfig.xml file.
B0860CR, Rev F 35
NextNine Virtual Support Engineer

The NextNine Virtual Support Engineer (VSE) runs on the DCS Advisor Server and is
responsible for transferring data from the customer's site to the Global Customer
Support Center over the Internet. This is an automated, outbound-only process that
occurs hourly. The VSE is also responsible for sending heartbeat messages back to
the service center, indicating that this DCS Advisor Server has a good connection to
send data.
Station Access Manager

The SAM application allows you to log in remotely to various stations that are on the
same network as the DCS Advisor Server. SAM uses a variety of third-party
applications to initiate remote sessions to the stations while providing a uniform
interface. The types of workstations supported include those running Windows 7,
Windows 10, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2016, Windows® XP, Windows
NT, Windows Server 2003, Solaris™ 2.5.1, Solaris 8, and Solaris 10.
The SAM application is typically installed in the D:\Program Files\Station Access
Manager directory on the DCS Advisor Server.
NetOp Remote Control

NetOp is a third-party application that opens a remote session to Windows 10,
Windows 7, Windows XP, and Windows NT stations. To use NetOp, NetOp Host must
be installed and running in the background on the AW/WP to which you want to
connect.
Remote Desktop on Windows 7 and Windows XP

Only one user is allowed to log in to a Windows 7 or Windows XP station at a time. If
someone logs in using Remote Desktop, the current user will be logged off
automatically. For this reason, Remote Desktop is disabled for Windows 7 or Windows
XP stations by default.
If the operators are aware of the limitations of Remote Desktop and would still like to
use it, it can be enabled by right-clicking on My Computer > Properties, and under
the Remote tab, check the box that says “Allow users to connect remotely to this
computer”. On the SAM application, the option to use Remote Desktop for Windows 7
or Windows XP stations must also be enabled using the Configuration Tool (which is
opened via Start > Programs > Station Access Manager).
Remote Desktop and NetOp Compatibility Issues

When using Remote Desktop to connect to a Windows 7 or Windows XP workstation,
the NetOp Host process is affected and will not allow future connections with NetOp
unless the NetOp Host process is manually restarted. This is because NetOp believes
the port is still in use by Remote Desktop, even if the Remote Desktop session has
been closed.
Additional Information
Refer to DCS Advisor v6.0 Station Access Manager v5.3 User’s Guide (B0860BG) for
more information. This document contains installation, configuration, and operational
information for the SAM application.
36 B0860CR, Rev F
Chapter 4: LocalWatch Database Maintenance Plan DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide
Chapter 4: LocalWatch Database Maintenance Plan

The DCS Advisor Server C22 Day0 restoration media includes a Maintenance Plan
for the LocalWatch database. This procedure only needs to be done for Server 2008
versions of DCS Advisor.
Maintenance plans offer a way to perform regular backups and maintenance on the
LocalWatch database. These plans are created using an Integration Services
package, which is run by a SQL Server Agent job. Maintenance plans can be run
manually or automatically at scheduled intervals. Creating the maintenance plan can
be done with the Maintenance Plan Wizard.
To create a maintenance plan you first must start Microsoft SQL Server Management
Studio:
1. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server 2008 > SQL Server
Management Studio.
2. Log in to the local server using Windows Authentication.
Figure 14 - SQL Server Management Studio Login
Using the Maintenance Plan Wizard

1. In SQL Management Studio Expand the “Management” node in the tree view.
2. Right-click the Maintenance Plans node and select Maintenance Plan Wizard.
3. Click Next on the SQL Server Maintenance Plan Wizard screen.
4. On the Select Plan Properties screen:
a. Change the name to “LocalWatch db Maintenance Plan”.
b. Choose “Single schedule for the entire plan or no schedule”.
c. Click the Change schedule button.
B0860CR, Rev F 37
DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide Chapter 4: LocalWatch Database Maintenance Plan
5. On the Job Schedule Properties - LocalWatch db Maintenance Plan screen,

change only the Daily Frequency setting. Leave all other settings on the default
setting as shown below:
a. Schedule type: Recurring with Enabled checked.
b. Frequency: Weekly.
c. Recurs every: 1 Week with Sunday checked.
d. Daily frequency: Occurs once at 10 pm.
e. Duration: Start date is “Today’s date” and No end date is selected.
Figure 15 - Job Schedule Properties Screen
6. Click OK.
7. Click Next on the Select Plan Properties screen.
38 B0860CR, Rev F
8. On the Select Maintenance Tasks screen, select the following checkboxes:

a. Check Database Integrity
b. Shrink Database
c. Rebuild Index
d. Update Statistics
e. Clean Up History
f. Back Up Database (Full)
g. Maintenance Cleanup Task
Figure 16 - Select Maintenance Tasks Screen
9. Click Next.
B0860CR, Rev F 39
10. On the Select Maintenance Task Order screen, move the Back Up Database
(Full) entry to the top and click Next.
Figure 17 - Select Maintenance Task Order Screen
40 B0860CR, Rev F
11. For each of the next four (4) screens, select the LocalWatch database and click
Next. Leave all other default settings. The next four screens are:
a. Define Back Up Database (Full) Task
b. Define Database Check Integrity Task
c. Define Shrink Database Task
d. Define Rebuild Index Task
Figure 18 - Define Back Up Database Task Screen
12. On the Define History Cleanup task screen, leave all the following default settings
and click Next.
a. Backup and restore history
b. SQL Server Agent job history
c. Maintenance plan history
d. Remove historical data older than 4 Weeks
13. On the Define Maintenance Cleanup Task screen leave all the following default
settings and click Next.
a. Delete files of the following type: Backup files.
b. File location: Search folder and delete files based on an extension.
c. File Age: Delete files based on the age of the file at task run time.
d. File Age: Delete files older than 4 Weeks.
B0860CR, Rev F 41
14. On the Select Report Options screen, leave all default settings and click Next.
15. On the Complete the Wizard screen, click Finish.
Once you click Finish, SQL Management Studio will create the plan. You should
see the Success status for all the tasks in the Maintenance Plan Wizard Progress
screen.
Figure 19 - Maintenance Plan Wizard Progress Screen
42 B0860CR, Rev F
Chapter 5: DCS Advisor Server Hardware DCS Advisor v6.0 User’s Guide
Chapter 5: DCS Advisor Server Hardware

DCS Advisor Server Model Codes C15 through C21 use the same hardware platforms
as those specified as I/A Series Server Model Codes P90, P91, H90, and H91. The
table lists the DCS Advisor Server Model Code and the corresponding I/A Series
hardware platform document for reference regarding hardware installation
information.
Table 11 - DCS Advisor Server Model Codes and Related Documentation
DCS Advisor Hardware Platform Title

Server Model Document
Code
C15 B0700DL Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model
P91*E (PE2900) Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
Operating System
C16 B0700EG Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model P90
(R710 Gen II)
C17 B0700DW Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model P91
(T610) Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition Operating
System
C18 B0700EH Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model P91
(T710 Gen II)
C20 B0700EN Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model H90
(HP DL380) Windows Server 2003 Operating System
C20 B0700GK Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model H90
(HP DL380 Gen9) Windows Server 2008 Operating
System
C21 B0700EP Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model H91
(HP ML350) Windows Server 2003 Operating System
C22 B0700GK Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model H90
System
C22 B0700GZ Hardware and Software Specific Instructions for Model H90
System
The DCS Advisor Server hardware upgrade information is contained in each

document in the “Installing Hardware Upgrades” section.
The upgrade information includes:
• RAID Configuration
• Memory Expansion (if applicable)
B0860CR, Rev F 43
Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc.
38 Neponset Avenue
Foxboro, Massachusetts 02035–2037
United States of America
Global Customer Support: https://pasupport.schneider-electric.com
As standards, specifications, and design change from time to time,

please ask for confirmation of the information given in this publication.
© 2015–2019 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.

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DCS Advisor v6.

Additional Information ...............................................................................36

Throughout • Rebranded to EcoStruxure Foxboro DCS

Preface • Reformatted for consistency

Schneider Electric Products Mentioned in this Document

EcoStruxure™ DCS Advisor LocalWatch

Global Customer Support

We Welcome Your Comments

Chapter 1: DCS Advisor Services

Figure 1 - Data Flow Through DCS Advisor

Chapter 2: Data Acquisition System

50 Series DAS for Solaris Stations

Manually Running DAS

Transferring Data Files

Changing the IP Address of the Server

70 Series DAS - for Pre-I/A Series v8.5

Figure 2 - RW_WinExec_Service in the Control Panel

Figure 3 - Contents of the RW_WinExec.ini File

Table 1 - RW_WinExec_Service.ini File Contents

START_DELAY Numeric value in whole minutes. The default is 4 minutes. The

EXECUTION_INTERVAL Numeric value in whole minutes. This is the periodic scheduling

LOGGING_ONOFF 1 = logging is enabled; 0 = logging is disabled

ACCOUNT_INFO Contains the username/password of the account the service is

Figure 4 - Sample Log File for RW_WinExec_Service

Figure 5 - Event Viewer with RW_WinExec_Service Entries

Figure 6 - RW_WinExec_Service Application Event Log Entry

In the RW_WinExec_Service Application Event Log Entry, the Information Event

RW_WinExec Service Probe Script Execution

Table 2 - tasklist.csv Comma Separated Fields

Figure 7 - RW_DasExec Service in the Control Panel

Table 3 - Child Elements

Table 3 - Child Elements (Continued)

The command element consists of three configuration parameters (child elements)

Table 4 - Command Child Elements

A sample RW_WinExec.ini.xml contents are shown below:

Figure 8 - Sample Log File for RW_DasExec Service

The command tail -f RW_DasExec.log can be used in a command window to the

Figure 9 - Event Viewer with RW_DasExec Entries

RW_DasExec Probe Execution

Table 5 - Task Child Parameters

A sample taskfile.xml file containing two tasks follows:

Off-Platform for Non-I/A Series Stations

running. It includes an indication of how the script process terminated - normally

Figure 10 - Event Viewer with DCS Advisor Entries

RW_DasExec Probe Execution

Table 6 - Task Child Elements - Off-Platform Stations

Configuration Parameter Definition

Off-Platform DCS Advisor DAS Configuration Manager

Figure 11 - DCS Advisor DAS Configuration Manager

To perform the DCS Advisor DAS configuration, follow these steps:

Figure 12 - Windows Login Form

4. If needed, enter the site prefix.

Figure 13 - Example FistHost.txt File

Additional DAS Information

Chapter 3: DCS Advisor Applications

The following is the ISTARService sub-element of the isconfig.xml file.

Table 7 - ISTAR Service Data Extraction

Purpose Program Executed Regular Log File

Table 8 - ISFService Data Conversion to XML Data Files

Purpose(a)(b) Program Executed Regular Expression Log File(c)

Generates fist.LBUG.xml srvc_fist2xml.vbs .*diagfist$ None

Generates dbvu.LBUG. srvc_dbvu2xml.exe .*dbvuremote$ srvc_dbvu2xml.log

Generates Cfg_OS_ srvc_showparams2xml. .*showparams$ None

Moves a station’s srvc_mvferret.exe .\\ferret_out\\.Z$ srvc_mvferret.log

Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .\\data\\.Cfg_Os_

Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .\\data\\.disk\.[A-Z,0-9,

Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .\\data\\.opsys\.[A-Z,0-

Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .\\data\\.dbvu\.[A-Z,0-9,

Insert data contained in Xml2Dbs.vbs .\\data\\.li_nrml\.[A-Z,0-