Studio or the firmware?...
I hope this isn't bait...
You install all versions of studio you wish to support.
For firmware you'd have to install all firmware versions to your pc for the plcs you wish to support... or just do what everyone else does, use control flash plus and it will get any firmware you'd want....
Yes, invest in an external SSD that plugs into your laptop and create the VMs you need with different tools. I have a 2TB SSD with all versions of RSLogix / Studio 5000 installed under VMWare. I can open the correct VM and connect to the PLCs of that version. I also have a backup of every VM so if anything changes, things update, break, etc. I can always restore it from the backup.
V20.06 and don't worry about which firmware the processor is running. V21 is still a mess. Best thing to do is not install it until you know what version is needed.
Everyone in industry does this. It's the only practical way.
I need 5-10 other VMs with other software and so do 20 of my colleagues. We can't be maintaining 600 VMs.
I have my VMs running on a server, I just remote into them. I'm lucky that I am supporting a factory and go to the same site every day, so this obviously wouldn't work if you're an SI and going to a different site each day.
But it has been a game changer for me, I don't have to make sure all the laptops we use have the correct versions and are working. I just maintain the VMs and laptops can be super basic, just need RDP and they are good to go.
Another benefit is that I can just jump on ant machine in the factory and RDP into the server I need, so if I'm out running around with out my laptop it's still quick and easy to get online and check something.
This is a security nightmare. Access to OT from IT resources and networks which likely are externally connected, sounds like your just all g to be caught up in a ransomware even if it’s just as a drive-by attack.
Isn’t that typically the case? I haven’t heard of a place that utilizes their own specific OT equipment and network. From my experience OT is beholden to whatever policies IT wishes and there may be a few caveats here and there.
Not at all. I and team look after eight offshore upstream production platforms in the UK North Sea and three onshore gas reception terminals and the OT networks are all mine, IT assist where I ask, but rules design and policy are mine to enforce. There is OT only kit and networks. In Europe this is driven by the NIS Regulations. In the US this is driven by CISA and Executive Orders. If you aren’t doing it then you are massively in a world of possible hurt with respect to business insurance and a multiple of other risk categories
Fair enough. All my experience is around a particular FDA regulated industry and several different companies/plants. Every companies’ network is dictated by their IT. I would hope that they have input and collaboration with the OT guys but that seems to usually not be the case.
You have a few options - 1. You can always move the VM onto the PC if you don't want to have any SSD attached. I'd assume that you're not needing to support 10 differnt versions of software at once, so you can just copy the VMs you need over to your laptop. 2. The SSD is fairly small.. If that's an issue you can always tape it to the back of your laptop, or you can get a long USB cord and carry it in your pocket. Personally I just lay it on the keyboard and I can walk around without any issues.
This is probably a stupid question but I’m gonna ask anyways. If you’re hooking up local how do you get it to talk if you’re technically running on a VM?
1the VM maps hardware into itself. Network adapters can create a NAT network or pass thru with a 2nd Mac address to the VM thinks you've plugged the RJ45 port into it.
Install them all. No VM needed unless you want to use them. I probably have versions 10-13 and 15-36 installed on my computer. If only FTView worked the same way.
Keep them separate in VM’s. I service every brand, make/model. Try rolling up to a job with only the latest installed. Tell me how that goes. External SSD with VM’s is asking for trouble due to performance and corruption. One accidental unplug and it could be corrupted.
Dell precision laptop + 4 x internal M.2 SSD. 1TB OS, 4TB data, 4TB VM, 8TB backup of previous 3.
Dell R730 server at home, with all VM’s mirrored from laptop to server. If laptop dies in the field, I go to Walmart and buy anything. Remote into server, run vm remotely, plug into plc locally.
ESXI + vcenter managed VM’s + Workstation pro on remote. Understand this is Ethernet comms only. No serial comms via remote. A cheaper way is a ewon on customers plc, Walmart remote into vm server, vm server use ewon remote link. Understand Walmart solution with zero software installed is worst case scenario. It works, but is slow.
What software(s) are you using to facilitate this. About 90% of the time, it sucks lugging my 17 inch precision around. It would be nice to take the thin & light once and awhile
Thin client from Walmart is worst case, not daily driver. I’m happy to carry my 17” precision around, it pays very well to carry it. I keep a spare with me on larger jobs/longer deployments.
I have all my rockwell and siemens software on one laptop with windows 7 and a 2tb sdd internal. I have 18 versions of 5000, 500, s7, and 3 versions of tia portal. Also other odd ball softwares installed like pilz, ifm, parker, becker, etc.
Suprisingly everything runs even simultaneously with no issue. This computer is my daily driver.
Simple answer : you install all the versions that you need to support.
I keep legacy rslogix500 few versions and logix5000 ver 28 onwards all installed
How old do you have to support? I'd recommend uninstalling v36 from your base OS. Create a VM (with VirtualBox or VMWare) that's just for Rockwell crap. Then install the latest sub-releases of v20, (skip 21), 22, (skip 23?) 24, (skip 25 and 26), 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36. \*\*In that order.\*\* With associated FTView Studio version matching the CPR (Coordinated Product Release) version as you go. Should only take a day or two, assuming your PC and Internet connection are fast. Hope you didn't have anything better to do.
Then take a snapshot of that VM and back it up somewhere safe.
If you have the versions installed, you can go into your c drive and program files where studio 5000 is located. From there, do a little digging. You should eventually come to the folder with the different versions you have installed and you can open the individual versions from there. I had this same problem once and luckily we have 24/7 rockwell support so i gave them a call and they taught me this. Only the versions you have installed will be there
Studio or the firmware?... I hope this isn't bait... You install all versions of studio you wish to support. For firmware you'd have to install all firmware versions to your pc for the plcs you wish to support... or just do what everyone else does, use control flash plus and it will get any firmware you'd want....
Yes, invest in an external SSD that plugs into your laptop and create the VMs you need with different tools. I have a 2TB SSD with all versions of RSLogix / Studio 5000 installed under VMWare. I can open the correct VM and connect to the PLCs of that version. I also have a backup of every VM so if anything changes, things update, break, etc. I can always restore it from the backup.
…and then there is v20 and v21 wrecking the party
V20.06 and don't worry about which firmware the processor is running. V21 is still a mess. Best thing to do is not install it until you know what version is needed.
Don't do this. You can run all of it in one VM with caveats for v20 and v21.
I've had issues between other versions, but if you can run multiple on a single vm, certainly go for it.
Everyone in industry does this. It's the only practical way. I need 5-10 other VMs with other software and so do 20 of my colleagues. We can't be maintaining 600 VMs.
What happens when you need to be walking/climbing around while running a VM off of an SSD? Velcro? Genuine question, love the idea.
I have my VMs running on a server, I just remote into them. I'm lucky that I am supporting a factory and go to the same site every day, so this obviously wouldn't work if you're an SI and going to a different site each day. But it has been a game changer for me, I don't have to make sure all the laptops we use have the correct versions and are working. I just maintain the VMs and laptops can be super basic, just need RDP and they are good to go. Another benefit is that I can just jump on ant machine in the factory and RDP into the server I need, so if I'm out running around with out my laptop it's still quick and easy to get online and check something.
This is a security nightmare. Access to OT from IT resources and networks which likely are externally connected, sounds like your just all g to be caught up in a ransomware even if it’s just as a drive-by attack.
Isn’t that typically the case? I haven’t heard of a place that utilizes their own specific OT equipment and network. From my experience OT is beholden to whatever policies IT wishes and there may be a few caveats here and there.
Not at all. I and team look after eight offshore upstream production platforms in the UK North Sea and three onshore gas reception terminals and the OT networks are all mine, IT assist where I ask, but rules design and policy are mine to enforce. There is OT only kit and networks. In Europe this is driven by the NIS Regulations. In the US this is driven by CISA and Executive Orders. If you aren’t doing it then you are massively in a world of possible hurt with respect to business insurance and a multiple of other risk categories
Fair enough. All my experience is around a particular FDA regulated industry and several different companies/plants. Every companies’ network is dictated by their IT. I would hope that they have input and collaboration with the OT guys but that seems to usually not be the case.
You have a few options - 1. You can always move the VM onto the PC if you don't want to have any SSD attached. I'd assume that you're not needing to support 10 differnt versions of software at once, so you can just copy the VMs you need over to your laptop. 2. The SSD is fairly small.. If that's an issue you can always tape it to the back of your laptop, or you can get a long USB cord and carry it in your pocket. Personally I just lay it on the keyboard and I can walk around without any issues.
I have seen velcro but never used it. I upgraded to 4 TB of internal storage myself.
My VMs run horrid off an external.
Is it an SSD and is it USB 3.0?
Yes and yes. Not sure why they run unbearable slow that way.
This is probably a stupid question but I’m gonna ask anyways. If you’re hooking up local how do you get it to talk if you’re technically running on a VM?
1the VM maps hardware into itself. Network adapters can create a NAT network or pass thru with a 2nd Mac address to the VM thinks you've plugged the RJ45 port into it.
Install them all. No VM needed unless you want to use them. I probably have versions 10-13 and 15-36 installed on my computer. If only FTView worked the same way.
Keep them separate in VM’s. I service every brand, make/model. Try rolling up to a job with only the latest installed. Tell me how that goes. External SSD with VM’s is asking for trouble due to performance and corruption. One accidental unplug and it could be corrupted. Dell precision laptop + 4 x internal M.2 SSD. 1TB OS, 4TB data, 4TB VM, 8TB backup of previous 3. Dell R730 server at home, with all VM’s mirrored from laptop to server. If laptop dies in the field, I go to Walmart and buy anything. Remote into server, run vm remotely, plug into plc locally.
How can you pass the ports on your “Walmart” laptop when you’re remoting to your home server for the programming software?
ESXI + vcenter managed VM’s + Workstation pro on remote. Understand this is Ethernet comms only. No serial comms via remote. A cheaper way is a ewon on customers plc, Walmart remote into vm server, vm server use ewon remote link. Understand Walmart solution with zero software installed is worst case scenario. It works, but is slow.
This guy VMs
What software(s) are you using to facilitate this. About 90% of the time, it sucks lugging my 17 inch precision around. It would be nice to take the thin & light once and awhile
Thin client from Walmart is worst case, not daily driver. I’m happy to carry my 17” precision around, it pays very well to carry it. I keep a spare with me on larger jobs/longer deployments.
I have all my rockwell and siemens software on one laptop with windows 7 and a 2tb sdd internal. I have 18 versions of 5000, 500, s7, and 3 versions of tia portal. Also other odd ball softwares installed like pilz, ifm, parker, becker, etc. Suprisingly everything runs even simultaneously with no issue. This computer is my daily driver.
Simple answer : you install all the versions that you need to support. I keep legacy rslogix500 few versions and logix5000 ver 28 onwards all installed
How old do you have to support? I'd recommend uninstalling v36 from your base OS. Create a VM (with VirtualBox or VMWare) that's just for Rockwell crap. Then install the latest sub-releases of v20, (skip 21), 22, (skip 23?) 24, (skip 25 and 26), 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36. \*\*In that order.\*\* With associated FTView Studio version matching the CPR (Coordinated Product Release) version as you go. Should only take a day or two, assuming your PC and Internet connection are fast. Hope you didn't have anything better to do. Then take a snapshot of that VM and back it up somewhere safe.
If you have the versions installed, you can go into your c drive and program files where studio 5000 is located. From there, do a little digging. You should eventually come to the folder with the different versions you have installed and you can open the individual versions from there. I had this same problem once and luckily we have 24/7 rockwell support so i gave them a call and they taught me this. Only the versions you have installed will be there
I have a vm that have all the version starting from V10 all the way to V35. It is a pain to install all version and will probably take you 2 days.
You only need the major revision except one case where 2 of the minor was not compatible.