Release Notes

( 9515-ASTSRVx ) Provides you with a set of asset focused tools to securely/centrally manage your facility and process automatio
Version 10.00.00 (released 9/2020)

Catalog Number FactoryTalk AssetCentre Server 

These release notes describe version information for FactoryTalk AssetCentre Server, version 10.00.00 (released 9/2020).

Requirements

This release has the following requirements.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 10.00.00 works within the system requirements of all Rockwell Automation® software products.

Hardware requirements

Product compatibility

FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 10.00.00 is compatible with the following Rockwell Automation products. For the latest compatibility information, refer to the Rockwell Automation Product Compatibility and Download Center .

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Server

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Client

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Agent

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Server

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Client and Agent

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Web Client

Software requirements

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Server

The following are minimum software requirements for FactoryTalk AssetCentre Server.

SQL Server databases

FactoryTalk AssetCentre has been tested on the following SQL Servers:

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Client

The following are minimum software requirements for FactoryTalk AssetCentre Client.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Agent

The following are minimum software requirements for FactoryTalk AssetCentre Agent.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Web Client

The following are minimum software requirements for FactoryTalk AssetCentre Web Client.

High Resolution Display Support

Windows 10 v1703 or later is the recommended operating system if running this software with a 2K or 4K High Resolution Display.

Preferred operating systems

Preferred operating systems are prioritized for support, testing, and post-release patch qualifications. These operating systems are preferred for this release:

Rockwell Automation Test Environment

Rockwell Automation tests software products under a standard configuration of operating systems and antivirus software. For additional information see the Knowledgebase Document ID: PN24 - Rockwell Software Products and Antivirus Software .

Security requirements

To help meet secure system design requirements review these publications:

Features

This release includes the following system features.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 10.00.00 has the following new and enhanced features:

New features

Note:
When FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) compliance is turned on, backup and backup & compare tasks for E300 Overload Relay, contained in a FactoryTalk AssetCentre schedule, will fail. The E300 Overload Relay does not comply with FIPS. There is no workaround for this behavior.

Enhanced features

Corrected Anomalies in This Release

This release corrects the following anomalies.

The following list identifies the anomalies corrected in FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 10.00.00.

Known Anomalies in This Release

This release has the following known anomalies.

Known Anomalies from Previous Releases

These anomalies are from previous releases but are still known in this release.

Functional Changes

This release has the following functional changes from the previous release.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 10.00.00 has the following changes in functionality since the last release:

Process device capabilities removal

Starting from FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 10.00.00, process device capabilities are not supported.

Important:
After upgrading to FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 10.00 from earlier versions, you will no longer be able to use Process Device Configuration and Calibration Management functionality.

After upgrading from FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 9.00 or earlier to version 10.00, General DTM Device, Equipment, Instrument, Loop, System, and Test Instrument process devices are not available in the asset catalog. The Process Device Configuration Field Edition, ProcalV5 Data Source Configuration, and Procal DB Connector Installer will be removed.

If Process Device Configuration is required for your system, we recommend you considering Endress+Hauser FieldCare which offers a comprehensive tool for managing process instruments called FieldCare SFE500. Endress+Hauser FieldCare is scalable, which allows to fulfill tasks from Device Setup to Plant Asset Management. FieldCare can be used with instruments communicating via Profibus-PA, Foundation Fieldbus, and HART.

All calibration records and information are retained in ProCalV5, thus the previously existing process device assets will be displayed in the asset tree. You can still cut, copy, and paste the existing process devices in the asset tree. However, their hardware and asset properties will be disabled. The ProCalV5 Company and ProCalV5 Linked Item properties of Instrument, Equipment, Loop, System, and Test Instrument are removed from the asset properties dialog box. Process devices will still consume the capacity activation. If you are still owning FactoryTalk AssetCentre Calibration Management, we recommend you contacting the following vendors for more solutions:

Application Notes

This release has the following application notes.

The following are the application notes for FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 10.00.00.

Disaster Recovery schedule tasks fail with Device Not Found recorded in the FactoryTalk AssetCentre Event log

When a Logix controller asset’s Addressing property was configured using RSLinx Classic, Disaster Recovery schedule tasks may start failing with Device Not Found recorded in the FactoryTalk AssetCentre Event log.  Rebooting the FactoryTalk AssetCentre Agent(s) will temporarily address the error; however, the task failures will eventually return.

This behavior is addressed in a RSLinx Classic patch. See technote BF27867 for additional details.

Secure communication with TLS and SSL protocols

Windows implements SSL and TLS through Schannel Security Support Provider (SSP). The Schannel SSP implementation of the TLS and SSL protocols use algorithms from a cipher suite to create keys and encryption information. Starting from FactoryTalk AssetCentre version 9.00, the operating system's capability is used to automatically filter out the unsecure ciphers.

VeriSign Universal Root Certification Authority certificate

If the VeriSign Universal Root Certification Authority certificate does not exist on the local computer, the certificate is installed while installing Rockwell Automation software. Use Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to view the certificate in Console Root > Certificates (Local Computer) > Trusted Root Certification Authorities > Certificates.

Unattended or silent install

Use command-line parameters to perform an unattended or silent installation of the software.

Command-line parameters

The following table identifies the installation command-line parameters. Command-line parameters are case-insensitive. However, if a specified value includes a space, be sure to enclose the value in quotation marks (for example, "value with spaces").

Parameter
Description
/?
Displays the usage options for installation parameters.
/Q
Silent Install, install runs in a quiet mode without any user interface.
This parameter is recommended if you are deploying the software installation using an IT tool or script, and don’t expect to see any error or restart messages. When using this parameter, your IT tool or script should check the error codes, and respond as needed. For example, if the installation returns error code 1641, then the IT tool or script should restart the computer and relaunch the installation after restart.
This parameter is required if /QS or /Record is not specified.
/QS
Unattended Install, install runs in a quiet simple mode and shows progress through the UI, it does not accept any input but still shows error or restart messages.
When using this parameter, you will not have to check the error codes, and the installation will stop and display a prompt if there are error or restart messages. For example, if an immediate restart is required to complete the install, a restart message will be displayed for you to confirm the restart. Installation resumes automatically from the point of interruption after restart.
This parameter is required if /Q or /Record is not specified.
/IAcceptAllLicenseTerms
Acknowledges acceptance of the license terms.
This parameter is required for /Q or /QS parameters.
/AutoRestart
Automatically restarts the computer after the installation is complete. Used when a restart is required to complete the installation.
This parameter is optional. If this parameter is not used silent install (/Q) will return either error code 1641 or 3010 if a restart is required, and unattended install (/QS) will result in a confirmation prompt that must be agreed to before the installation is completed.
/SetupLanguage="value"
Specifies which language will be displayed during install process.
The value must be the one of the following:
  • ENU
  • CHS
  • DEU
  • ESP
  • FRA
  • ITA
  • JPN
  • KOR
  • PTB
This parameter is optional. If this parameter is not used, the default language is the current user or operating system user interface language.
/Record
Records the installation options chosen to a recording file.
This parameter is optional.
/Playback
Plays back a recording file to specify the installation options.
This parameter is optional.
/IgnoreWarning
Specifies that the setup ignores warnings and continues.
This parameter is optional. If it is not specified, the setup exits when a warning occurs.
/Product="value"
Specifies which sub-products will be installed.
The product name must be one of followings:
  • AssetCentre Server
  • AssetCentre Client
  • AssetCentre Agent
  • AssetCentre Custom Installation
/Uninstall
Uninstalls the product.
This parameter is optional.
/ProductLanguage="value"
Specifies the language version of the software being installed.
The value must be the one of the following:
  • ENU
  • CHS
  • DEU
  • ESP
  • FRA
  • ITA
  • JPN
  • KOR
  • PTB
This parameter is optional. If this parameter is not used, the default language is the same as the setup language.
If the software does not support multiple languages this parameter is not available.
/SerialNumber="value"
Specifies the serial number of the software being installed. This is used to activate the software during installation.
This parameter is optional. If it is not specified the software must be activated manually after installation if activation is required.
Some software does not require activation. If activation is not required this parameter is not available.
/ProductKey="value"
Specifies the product key used to get activation keys during installation.
This parameter is optional. If it is not specified the software must be activated manually after installation if activation is required.
Some software does not require activation. If activation is not required this parameter is not available.
/Version="value"
Specifies the version of the software to activate which corresponds to the product version associated with the SerialNumber and ProductKey.
This parameter is optional. If it is not specified the installer will use the most recent product version available.
Some software does not require activation. If activation is not required this parameter is not available.
/InstallDrive="value"
Specifies the install drive.
This parameter is optional. If this parameter is not used, the default install location is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockwell Software".
Some software restricts the installer to only change the drive the software is installed on. Use /? to determine which parameter is supported.
/SqlServer="value"
Specifies FactoryTalk AssetCentre database server (Microsoft SQL Server) location.
This parameter is required when installing the FactoryTalk AssetCentre server software.
/sa="value"
Uses SQL Authentication for SQL Server Logins. If you use SQL Server Authentication to perform silent or unattended installation, the parameters /SqlAdmin, /SqlAdminPwd, /SqlUser, and /SqlPwd are required.
/SqlAdmin="value"
Specifies the Microsoft SQL Server administrator account name.
This parameter is required when installing the FactoryTalk AssetCentre server software.
/SqlAdminPwd="value"
Specifies the Microsoft SQL Server administrator account password.
This parameter is required when installing the FactoryTalk AssetCentre server software.
/SqlUser="value"
Specifies the user name for the account that will be used to access the Microsoft SQL Server database.
This parameter is required when installing the FactoryTalk AssetCentre server software.
/SqlPwd="value"
Specifies the Microsoft SQL Server database user account password.
This parameter is required when installing the FactoryTalk AssetCentre server software.
The database user account password cannot be the following terms associated with the installation computer:
  • The name of the user currently logged onto the machine.
  • The computer name.
The database user account password must be more than 8 characters and no more than 128 characters in length and satisfy at least three of the following four criteria:
  • It must contain uppercase letters.
  • It must contain lowercase letters.
  • It must contain numbers.
  • It must contain non-alphanumeric characters; for example, #, %, or ^
/DirectoryServer="value"
Specifies the FactoryTalk network directory if you are using a distributed system.
This parameter is optional. If it is not specified, the software will use its current computer as the FactoryTalk Directory server.
The value must be the host name of the FactoryTalk Directory server.

Error codes

The following table identifies the error codes that can be returned by an installation.

Error Code
Value
Description
ERROR_SUCCESS
0
The installation completed successfully.
ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER
87
One of the parameters was invalid.
ERROR_INSTALL_USEREXIT
1602
The installation was cancelled by the user.
ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE
1603
A fatal error occurred during installation or the software component to be installed already exists on the computer.
ERROR_BAD_CONFIGURATION
1610
The configuration data for this product is corrupt. Contact your support personnel.
ERROR_REBOOT_CONTINUE
1641
A reboot is required to continue to installation.
ERROR_SUCCESS_REBOOT_REQUIRED
3010
A restart is required to complete the installation. After restart the product is successfully installed.
ERROR_REBOOT_PENDING
3012
A restart is pending and is required before the installation can continue.
ERROR_SUCCESS_NOT_APPLICABLE
3013
The installation cannot proceed because the products are already installed.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Client

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Agent

Note:
This configuration step can be skipped during installation. If skipped, you may configure it manually later.
For details, see the Installation Guide, chapter "Install FactoryTalk AssetCentre agents", section "Configure for security-enabled RSLogix family software".

The amount of clients, agents, and agent groups qualified within one FactoryTalk AssetCentre system

The following is the amount of clients, agents, and agent groups qualified within one FactoryTalk AssetCentre system at the same time. More clients, agents, or agent groups running will impact the system performance.

Synchronizing life-cycle information with the Rockwell Automation life cycle website

To synchronize life-cycle information, the FactoryTalk AssetCentre server and client communicate directly with the Rockwell Automation life cycle website. To enable this function, ensure that the external address https://api.rockwellautomation.com is accessible by the FactoryTalk AssetCentre server and client.

Synchronize life-cycle information in the FactoryTalk AssetCentre server and client with the data on the Rockwell Automation life cycle website. For more information about securely accessing the Rockwell Automation lifecycle website from your OT zone-based FactoryTalk AssetCentre Server, please refer to this document Cloud Connectivity to a Converged Plantwide Ethernet Architecture https://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/td/enet-td017_-en-p.pdf  in Rockwell Automation Literature Library.

FactoryTalk Directory asset compare

Differences are always found between two FactoryTalk Directory backup files after a Backup and Compare schedule, even though no changes are made to the FactoryTalk Directory. This is because the BAK files include timestamp information, which is detected as a difference during the binary compare of the backup files.

Event Log Attachment Extractor

The Event Log Attachment Extractor utility cannot properly extract event log attachments in the following two cases:

About Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express Edition with Advanced Services (x64)

FactoryTalk AssetCentre v6.10 or higher supports Microsoft SQL Server Express. Some FactoryTalk AssetCentre catalog numbers contain Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express Edition with Advanced Services (x64), which is a free and unlicensed edition of Microsoft SQL Server. This is intended for storing the FactoryTalk AssetCentre database. SQL Server 2012 Express Edition with Advanced Services (x64) has the following limitations:

Tip:
FactoryTalk AssetCentre 6.1 or higher has capabilities for managing database size.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre also supports other versions of SQL Server as described in this Release Notes.

You may upgrade to Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition, which is a licensed edition, by purchasing from the following list of Rockwell Automation catalog numbers:

The licenses in the previous catalog numbers can be used only with Rockwell Automation products, including FactoryTalk AssetCentre. More information on SQL Server licensing with Rockwell Automation products can be found in Knowledgebase Document ID: IN31446 - FAQ: Using Microsoft SQL Server with Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Products .

Alternatively, you may purchase licenses for a supported version and edition of SQL Server from Microsoft. A complete comparison of SQL Server 2012 Editions can be found here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645993(v=sql.110) .

Install product updates

For the latest Product Updates and Patch information, refer to Knowledgebase Document ID: QA15600 - FactoryTalk AssetCentre Patch Roll-up for 3.0 and later .

You can subscribe to be notified when new product updates, or patches are released via the Knowledgebase by clicking graphicbelow the Knowledgebase answer title.

To directly download software or firmware updates, and patch roll-ups , go to Product Compatibility and Download Center.

Security requirements

For information on the security considerations when using Rockwell Automation products, including

Rockwell Automation recognizes that some of the terms that are currently used in our industry and in this publication are not in alignment with the movement toward inclusive language in technology. We are proactively collaborating with industry peers to find alternatives to such terms and making changes to our products and content. Please excuse the use of such terms in our content while we implement these changes.

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