Re: [foxboro] RE : RE : RE : Barriers to migration to Windows

As mentioned below by Russ, Foxboro is soon to offer a good backup =
solution using two versions of Symantec Backup Exec, one for P91 and =
P92. One version is the same as Ghost for the P92s, but has a new =
Symantec name, and the other is full Backup Exec for Servers which is =
more expensive. This should have been done initially by Foxboro, as I =
applied Ghost and Server Backup Exec to our boxes as soon as they =
arrived. This proved quite useful during our initial installations, as =
we had to restore both a P91 and P92 during this process. In both cases, =
the restore was 100%, quick and easy.
I highly recommend you purchase either Foxboro's new backup solution =
this fall, or purchase your own Symantec solutions ASAP for your MESH =
installations. Symantec also has an even more expensive Enterprise =
Backup Solution for really large systems.

I will qualify this, in that I have not had the opportunity to restore a =
P91 or P92 which had the historian running, etc at the time an online =
backup was performed. For this reason, purchase of Foxboro's backup =
solution, with full documentation and support may be the wisest choice.

By the way, this new backup solution for Windows makes the old UNIX tape =
backup method look extremely slow, unreliable, and this new backup can =
be done on-line, even with the P91 servers. If that's not improvement, I =
don't know what is! If only Foxboro had provided it initially with all =
new MESH installs.

Jack Easley

-----Original Message-----
From: foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] =
On Behalf Of Boulay, Russ
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 8:24 AM
To: foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [foxboro] RE=A0: RE : RE : Barriers to migration to Windows

Terry,

Don't know much about the object information.

As to standardizing a ghost backup offering:

At the Boston user group, the Invensys offering scheduled for an October =
re=3D
lease was fully demo'd to many attendees and even had scheduled info =
sessio=3D
ns.

There is a Server type offering where all machines backup to that =
server.
Also a manual offering to USB connected hardrive that you can move from =
wor=3D
kstation to workstation.

Both procedures allow workstation backup online while plant is running.


-----Original Message-----
From: foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] =
On=3D
 Behalf Of Doucet, Terrence
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 8:01 AM
To: foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [foxboro] RE=3DA0: RE : RE : Barriers to migration to Windows

Kevin,
 =3D

1. I agree.  Invensys should look at adding the optional package (Ghost, =
et=3D
c)
   to their Product so that it is supported and documented, etc. But we =
hav=3D
e to agree =3D

   not to complaint too much when their sell price is 5 times what you'd =
ha=3D
ve to pay
  at your local WALMART.
 =3D

2. Alex or Russ  -  Can you comment on which Application library =
resources =3D
were available under
   Solaris (IA V7.1) and are not available under MESH AW70 ? =3D

 =3D

 =3D

Terry
________________________________

De: foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx de la part de Kevin Fitzgerrell
Date: ven. 2007-08-31 00:05
=3DC0: foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Objet : Re: [foxboro] RE : RE : Barriers to migration to Windows



Terry,

To clarify:
1) I specifically mentioned the use of Ghost or True Image for backups
and restores.  If this is the backup/restore method of choice, I'd
like to see this qualified, supported and documented by Foxboro, and
available as one of the ticks on the software license, or as a
separate offering.  My point is not that there is no effective method,
but rather that there is no effective documented/supported method.
How much time was spent with each customer discovering this, creating
their own SOP and deciding to support this themselves?  How many more
customers don't have an effective backup/restore method in place
because Foxboro hasn't qualified one?
2) My comments about the libraries and header files are based on an
event several years ago trying to assist a developer in accessing the
IA system.  I'm afraid I'd have to dig through old emails to remember
exactly what was missing and what Foxboro offered.  I do remember that
even working with FoxAPI numerous problems were encountered and that
Foxboro was extremely uninterested in addressing the CARs we raised.
3) I've had better luck with the Windows telnet rather than the Exceed
one.  As I recall there have been issues with both.  I'm not actually
using either currently, as I'm just working with Invensys on quoting
my mesh system now.  My comments are based on previous experience with
Foxboro XP boxes at 8.0/8.1.

Regards,

Kevin FitzGerrell

On 8/30/07, Doucet, Terrence <tdoucet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Please clarify these comments:
>
> 1) You can easily do tape backup/restore of the Solaris boxes.
> Windows it's fairly straightforward to do backups but full restores
> are not possible - need to re-install Windows, re-install I/A,
> re-commit and then restore custom files. ....................
>
> I have used Ghost many times to dump an AW70 hard drive to a "spare" =
driv=3D
e and have booted the AW70 from both drives to ensure that the back up =
is w=3D
orking correctly.  It is very fast. I think about three minutes.  We =
build =3D
the AW70 once only. We do not have to re-install anything.  Although =
Ghost =3D
can use many other types of media, we felt that a spare hard drive could =
ge=3D
t the computer back faster than any other media.
>
> The two hard drives are identical.  I suspect that if the computer =
died a=3D
nd we had to get another DELL from Foxboro which does not match the dead =
co=3D
mputer, then we might have to go through the whole build and perhaps =
take a=3D
 day to get it working. You are correct in that it is not part of the =
Foxbo=3D
ro offering and therefore not documented by standard Foxboro edoc.  But =
if =3D
you look at the Ghost cost  per license, it is very low and very easy to =
us=3D
e.
>
>
> It's interesting that you say that you can buy the Windows
> header/library files for ICCAPI, Object Manager and FoxAPI.  I was =
told
> flatly that these were not available.  Who did you talk to?
>
>
> I was under the impression that the only library that was not =
available i=3D
n the Windows world was Object Manager. The work around was to use =
FoxAPI o=3D
r AIMAPI. On AW70 we have many custom C programs that use AIMAPI to =
access =3D
the IA data.
>
>
>
> 3) All Solaris workstations are servers.  It is easy to open a remote
> DM/FV from any workstation to any other workstation.  Telnet, ftp,
> rmount, rcp, rlogin, rsh, nfs all just work.  SSH can be made to work.
> XP boxes are not really servers.  FTP works pretty well.  Telnet under
> the Nutcracker suite has some issues. ......................
>
> There are two telnet applications available to be activated on the 70 =
Ser=3D
ies,  Exceed's version and the WinXP (under Services).  The Exceed =
applicat=3D
ion is pretty old and does not seem to perform as well as the WinXP =
service=3D
.  Which are you using?
>
>
>
>
>
> Terry
>
>
>
>
> -- No attachments (even text) are allowed --
> -- Type: application/ms-tnef
> -- File: winmail.dat
>
>
>
>
> =
_______________________________________________________________________
> This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys =
Process
> Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here =
at
> your own risks. Read =
http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html
>
> foxboro mailing list:             =
http://www.freelists.org/list/foxboro
> to subscribe:         =
mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=3D3Djoin=3D

> to unsubscribe:      =
mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=3D3Dleave=3D

>
>


_______________________________________________________________________
This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys Process
Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here at
your own risks. Read http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html

foxboro mailing list:             http://www.freelists.org/list/foxboro
to subscribe:         =
mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=3D3Djoin
to unsubscribe:      =
mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=3D3Dleave




-- No attachments (even text) are allowed --
-- Type: application/ms-tnef
-- File: winmail.dat


 =3D

 =3D

_______________________________________________________________________
This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys Process
Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here at
your own risks. Read http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html
 =3D

foxboro mailing list:             http://www.freelists.org/list/foxboro
to subscribe:         =
mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=3D3Djoin
to unsubscribe:      =
mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=3D3Dleave
 =3D




Confidentiality Notice:
The information contained in this electronic message and any =
attachment(s) =3D
to this message are intended for the exclusive use of the recipient(s) =
and =3D
may contain confidential, privileged or proprietary information. If you =
are=3D
 not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately, =
delete a=3D
ll copies of this message and any attachment(s). Any other use of the =
E-Mai=3D
l by you is prohibited.


=20
=20
_______________________________________________________________________
This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys Process
Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here at
your own risks. Read http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html
=20
foxboro mailing list:             http://www.freelists.org/list/foxboro
to subscribe:         =
mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=3Djoin
to unsubscribe:      =
mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=3Dleave
=20
 
 
_______________________________________________________________________
This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys Process
Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here at
your own risks. Read http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html
 
foxboro mailing list:             http://www.freelists.org/list/foxboro
to subscribe:         mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=join
to unsubscribe:      mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=leave

Other related posts: