If Geo SCADA does not recognize a dongle that was previously functioning properly (after upgrading or migrating to a new PC), these instructions can help.
This issue might arise for a number of reasons, therefore in order to troubleshoot it, we need to determine which of the following components is the source of the issue.
As a prerequisite for using the Dongle key for licensing, make sure that the Safenet Sentinel Protection Drivers are checked during the installation process, whether you are installing the Geo SCADA for the first time or migrating it from a different machine.
To start the process of diagnosing the problem, verify that the USB driver is installed properly by looking at Device Manager. Device Manager should display "SafeNet USB SuperPro/UltraPro".
An alternate approach to see if the computer has detected the dongle is to use the Windows Powershell application to run the following command:
Get-PnpDevice -PresentOnly | Where-Object { $_.InstanceId -match '^USB' }
This command displays a list of every USB device that is linked to the Machine.
The next step is to confirm that the Sentinel System Driver installer version you installed is compatible with the Geo SCADA server.
Normally, the executable file which is compatible with the Geo SCADA version is in the installation folder: ClearSCADA\Redistributables\Sentinel System Driver Installer.
The Sentinel System Driver installation version that is installed on your machine can be found in Programs and Features, as shown in the figure below.
The ReadMe file, which is provided with the Sentinel System Driver Installer executable file, contains more valuable information such as Windows compatibility, driver installation repair, and so on.
If you have followed these steps and the problem has not been fixed, you should verify if the dongle is valid in the Geo SCADA server and Configure Connection tools.
Examining the GEO SCADA server's license validation
After upgrading the Geo SCADA server, the license source setting will be initialized the first time the server is started. If a valid dongle is attached, the value will be set to dongle; otherwise, it will be set to the license file.
The Licence Source’ setting in the GEO SCADA server can take the following values:
- 0 - Dongle
- 1 - License File
- 2 - AVEVA Enterprise Licensing (AEL)
It is essential that you confirm that the value of the License source is set to the Dongle option.
In order to verify the Licence Source and its validity, you need to review the Geo SCADA's License Details.
To display the Geo SCADA Expert server's License Details dialog:
-
Right-click on the Geo SCADA Expert Server icon in the Windows taskbar.
-
Select the License Details option from the menu.
Ensure that the source field is set to ‘dongle’ as shown in the screen shot below.
There is another, more complicated approach to modify these values in addition to the one described above, and it involves using the Registry key path.
This would be useful if you intended to change the registry key instead of installing the Aveva Enterprise License resdistributables.
Launch the Microsoft Windows Registry Editor.
Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Schneider Electric\ClearSCADA\DB
Select LicenceSource (REG_DWORD) and modify it to 0 for dongle, 1 for file, or 2 for AVEVA Enterprise Licensing (AEL).
Checking the Validation of the Configure Connection License
To open the Configure Connections tool, click the Windows Start Menu, expand the EcoStruxure Geo SCADA, and then select the Configure Connections.
From the Geo SCADA Expert client Window right side, Click on the 'Licenses' button.
On the Client Licensing Window, verify the License mode and its Validity. The license must be valid and the license mode on the dongle must be set, as seen in the image below.
Verifying the launch of the Service Manager tool
The next component that affects the Dongle function is a check to verify if the Service Manager tool launches the Geo SCADA Expert License Server.
To open the Service Manager tool, click the Windows Start Menu, expand the EcoStruxure Geo SCADA, and then select the Service Manager.
Make sure that the Geo SCADA Expert License Server is running.
Reviewing the Validation of the Locking Code
The final component that could cause the issue is locking code validation.
The Geo SCADA Expert Dongle Field Exchange Utility can be used to determine whether the code is valid.
To open the Service Manager tool, click the Windows Start Menu, expand the EcoStruxure Geo SCADA, and then select the Dongle Field Exchange Utility option.
Make sure that the Geo SCADA Expert hardware dongle is connected to the computer.
Select the Get Locking Code button on the Field Exchange Utility.
A locking code is shown in the field above the Get Locking Code button.
If, upon clicking the Get Locking Code button, you are unable to view the code and receive an error, the following URL identifies some of the common issues that are associated with dongle licensing and the Field Exchange Utility.
After confirming the above if the problem still exists an examination of the USB port and dongles is recommended. Please contact your local SE Technical Support team if the issue persists.
