Upload Configuration

Associated with: SCADAPack x70 DNP3 outstations

Security permission required to access this pick action: Configure

You can use the Upload Configuration pick action to upload the configuration in the SCADAPack x70 device into Geo SCADA Expert.

To upload the configuration in the SCADAPack x70 device into Geo SCADA Expert:

1. Use DNP3 SAv2 for secure communications with the SCADAPack x70 device and to mitigate the risk of malicious substitution.
2. Before you upload the configuration from a SCADAPack x70 device to Geo SCADA Expert, ensure that the configuration is being read from the intended device. To verify this, check the device's serial number using the DNP3 device attributes or the SCADAPack x70 system parameter.

   If checks are not done to confirm the device identify before an upload, this could potentially result in configuration being uploaded from an unintended device, either due to malicious or accidental substitution of communication identity. If this happens, this could result in erroneous replacement of/damage to the existing configuration in the Geo SCADA Expert database and/or future download of the wrong configuration.

3. If there are any existing database items associated with the SCADAPack x70 device, ensure that the SCADAPack x70 names of existing database items in the Geo SCADA Expert database match those of the corresponding objects in the SCADAPack x70 device (see Ensure that SCADAPack x70 Names Match Following a Rename).
4. Select the Upload Configuration pick action.
   The Upload Configuration dialog box is displayed.

   

5. Select the required Mode. The Mode determines how Geo SCADA Expert updates the database. Select from the following options:
   • Merge—Select this option if you want Geo SCADA Expert to preserve any changes that you have already made to the configuration in Geo SCADA Expert. When Geo SCADA Expert merges the new uploaded configuration with the current configuration in the database, it only updates the configuration that has not already been modified.

     If any part of a record has already been changed in Geo SCADA Expert, the entire new record in the uploaded configuration will be discarded and the existing changes preserved. The records can be, for example Modbus Server Devices or I/O Modules.

   • Replace—Select this option if you want the uploaded configuration to overwrite the entire configuration that is already in place for the database items, such as the SCADAPack x70 Device Configuration item, I/O modules, Analog, Digital and Counter Configuration items. This is the default option.
   • Minimal—Select this option if you want Geo SCADA Expert to only create any missing database items and update the SCADAPack x70 logic application. The option does not update any existing database items.

     This option is designed to be used in a Group Instance where the configuration is defined by the associated Group Template.

6. Select the OK button to confirm the selected Mode.
   The configuration is uploaded to Geo SCADA Expert.

When you select the Upload Configuration action, the driver reads the configuration from the SCADAPack x70 device with which the outstation is associated and stores it in the associated SCADAPack x70 database items in Geo SCADA Expert.

After importing a configuration file from RemoteConnect or uploading the configuration into Geo SCADA Expert, the database is updated to align with the imported/uploaded configuration. For example, the configuration of existing database items might be updated, and/or new database items created (in the same group where the SCADAPack x70 Device Configuration item exists) to align the Geo SCADA Expert database with the imported/uploaded configuration. If the database items exist in Geo SCADA Expert but not in the configuration that is being imported/uploaded then, based on the selected Mode those database items may be taken out of service in the Geo SCADA Expert database (see The 'In Service' Check Box and Items Taken Out of Service). You should check whether the out of service database items are no longer needed, and if so, delete those obsolete database items from the Geo SCADA Expert database (see Ensure that SCADAPack x70 Names Match Following a Rename).

The imported/uploaded configuration is matched with the existing database items that are associated with the SCADAPack x70 device in the Geo SCADA Expert database. The configuration is mainly matched using the SCADAPack x70 names of the database items, except for Modbus Scanners that do not have a SCADAPack x70 name. For more information about how the Modbus Scanners and other database items are matched during an import/upload, see Ensure that SCADAPack x70 Names Match Following a Rename.

The names of the new database items that are created by an import/upload match the SCADAPack x70 names in the configuration file, with the following exceptions:

• Derived Data Type objects—In RemoteConnect, the SCADAPack x70 name of this type of object comprises a Derived Data Type (DDT) instance variable name and a Derived Data Type element name. The two parts of the name are separated by a dot (.). Geo SCADA Expert does not accept a dot (.) in a database item's name. When imported/uploaded to Geo SCADA Expert, the dot (.) is converted to a space. For example, AnalogPoint.1 is converted to AnalogPoint 1. The name of a Derived Data Type object can contain a maximum of 64 characters. However, Geo SCADA Expert only accepts up to 63 characters for the database item name. Hence, any additional characters beyond the accepted number are truncated in Geo SCADA Expert.
• Array objects—If the object is an element of an array, in RemoteConnect the SCADAPack x70 name has the syntax '<name>[<index>]'. However, Geo SCADA Expert does not accept the square brackets and converts them into parentheses. For example, AnalogPoint[1] is converted to AnalogPoint(1) on import/upload into Geo SCADA Expert.
• Object Browsers—With Object Browsers in RemoteConnect, the SCADAPack x70 names can include characters that are not accepted in the other object types, this includes dots(.). When importing/uploading into Geo SCADA Expert, any dots (.) in the name are converted into spaces in Geo SCADA Expert.
• Modbus Scanners—Modbus Scanners do not have a SCADAPack x70 name. When a Modbus Scanner is created in Geo SCADA Expert the name of the new database item is based on the following combination of properties:
• The name of the associated Modbus Server Device
• The Modbus Data Type
• The Modbus Register Start Address
• The Modbus Register Quantity—The end address is calculated from the start address and the quantity.

The syntax of a Modbus Scanner name in Geo SCADA Expert is as follows:

MBUS_<server-device-name>_<data-type>_<start>-<end>

where <data-type> is either Disc, INT, DINT, UDINT, REAL or UINT, where 'Disc' stands for 'Discrete' (see Configure the Modbus Point Scanner Configuration).

Example: MBUS_ServerDevice1_REAL_30000-30009

where the Modbus Scanner is associated with 'ServerDevice1' that has a data type of REAL and consists of 10 registers from 30000 to 30009 inclusive.

Once you have uploaded the configuration into Geo SCADA Expert, you can use the SCADAPack x70 Device Configuration item's status attributes to view information about the uploaded configuration (see Status Attributes that are Specific to SCADAPack x70 Device Configuration Items).

In Geo SCADA Expert the content of the SCADAPack x70 configuration is uploaded into SCADAPack x70 Configuration items in two parts:

Part 1 of the Upload Process

• Geo SCADA Expert reads the configuration from the SCADAPack x70 device
• After the configuration is read, Geo SCADA Expert validates it.

  If the validation completes without detecting any issues, Geo SCADA Expert proceeds to the next part of the upload process.

  If the validation detects any warnings, a report is generated and Geo SCADA Expert proceeds to the next part of the upload process.

  If the validation detects any errors, then the upload fails. An event is logged in the Event Journal and a report is generated (see Configuration Reports for SCADAPack x70 Devices).

Part 2 of the Upload Process

The Geo SCADA Expert database is updated with the new configuration.

This part of the upload process consists of various phases. Uploading configuration in an incremental manner enables the SCADAPack x70 configuration to be uploaded with the minimum of impact on system performance while that upload is in progress.

• The following events are logged in the Event Journal:
  • Upload x70 configuration transaction queued—This entry is logged in the Event Journal to indicate that Geo SCADA Expert has read the configuration from the SCADAPack x 70 device and the new configuration is queued to be updated in the Geo SCADA Expert database. Geo SCADA Expert processes one upload request at a time. If further upload requests are made while an upload is in progress, those requests are queued until the current upload completes. Geo SCADA Expert then processes the pending upload requests one at a time, in chronological order.
  • Upload x70 configuration transaction queued at <Time> completed—This entry is logged in the Event Journal once the last phase of Part 2 of the upload process is complete.

  The Transactions section of the Geo SCADA Expert Server Status Tool provides further details about the progress of each phase of Part 2 of the upload process:

  

• The database items that are being added from the SCADAPack x70 device to the database as a result of the upload are created in the database. Each newly created database item is available, for example, from the tree structure in the Database Bar.
• Each item is initially marked as ‘Import in Progress’ and has invalid configuration until the upload is complete. The next phase of the process uploads the configuration for each item. After the configuration is uploaded, any existing database items that are not being uploaded, are taken out of service.
• When this phase is complete, the uploaded items are finalized and validated. The upload is deemed complete at the end of this phase. At the end of the upload process, Geo SCADA Expert generates a report if there were any errors, if any items were taken out of service or any of the uploaded items have validation errors (see Display Configuration Report). If a report has been generated, make the necessary changes to the configuration in response to that report.

An upload can succeed, succeed with warnings, or fail. You can view any errors and warnings in a report (see Display Configuration Report, and see Configuration Reports for SCADAPack x70 Devices).