ScadaAdmin on Linux

[JW]

Hi,

Mostly I will use windows to edit project file, but sometimes I will do some minior edit (e.g. change pw) on linux server if it has GUI using:
sudo mono ScadaAdmin.exe

When start/stop/restart the scada server/communicator or uploading a project:
Sometime it will show a success message correctly;
Sometimes it will freeze for a minute then shows a pop up with error message, but actually the command seems been executed correctly;
Sometimes it will freeze for a minute then shows a pop up with error message, while the command wasn’t executed.

The behavior seems pretty random to me, any idea to improve this?

—–Error—–
Error sending service command.:
The Operation has timed out.

[Merdock]

Hello as far as I know you should pass the project already loaded and running from Windows to Linux.
ScadaAdmin.exe, I don’t think it’s programmed to work on Linux.
But the final word on it is Mikhail.
Regards.

[Merdock]

Hello as far as I know you should pass the project already loaded and running from Windows to Linux.
ScadaAdmin.exe, I don’t think it’s programmed to work on Linux.
But the final word on it is Mikhail.
Here an instruction.
https://www.industrialshields.com/en_ES/blog/arduino-industrial-1/post/how-to-install-and-use-rapid-scada-on-touchberry-pi-and-bananatouch-49
Regards.

[Mikhail]

Hi,

sudo mono ScadaAdmin.exe

It’s possible to run the Administrator app on Linux. But it has many restrictions because Mono Windows Forms are not really supported. And they have no future. I suggest editing projects on Windows and then upload to Linux.

Rapid SCADA 6 Administrator will be ported to .NET 5, so it will be impossible to run it on Linux. Of course, Server, Communicator and Webstation will work on Linux. There several way that are open to edit projects on Linux in the future:
1. Avoid editing projects on Linux ))
2. Microsoft wrote about merging WPF and Xamarin Forms. So when they do this, it would be possible to develop cross platform desktop Administrator.
3. Develop full featured web Administrator and deprecate the existing desktop Administrator. It requires a lot of efforts.
4. Develop lightweight web Administrator for professionals and keep existing desktop Administrator up to date.

[JW]

This question is originated from the challenge of remote support for some project. Here are some of my experience and consideration. Hope it can provide some info for you to consider what to do with the ScadaAdmin on Linux in the future development.

For project installation, we usually need to provide HMI/GUI hardware (client pc, monitor…). For some project, we provide remote support with 4G mobile network + Teamviewer (because normal 4g sim doesn’t provide fixed public IP).

For the server setup and remote support, I tried the following options. Each of them have pros and corns, I haven’t decide which one to use for future projects.

Linux server with GUI
This will save cost and simplified installation. Linux server is easier to manger than windows server.
But when I need to remote update the project, I have to connect with teamviewer, send the updated project file, then use the not full functioning ScadaAdmin on linux.
User GUI operation may affect the server.

Window server
This solve the no problem updating scada.
But sometimes the windows server is not as convenient to manage, if I need to run other service along with SCADA.
User GUI operation may affect the server.

Linux server + Windows Client
Easy to manage server and no problem updating scada.
User GUI operation will not affect the server.
More hardware and higher cost.

Recently, I tried 4G simcard with fixed public IP, which enables me to upload scada project to the server directly from my PC from any where (and other benefits such as SSH/VNH…), no matter what server setup I am using.
The fixed public IP plan can be very expensive.
At some remote locations, maybe only 1 ISP have good mobile signal, but that ISP doesn’t provide fixed public IP plan.

In summary,
Editing projects on Linux is not necessary and should be avoided.
While Start/Stop of server/communicator and Download/Upload project file, via command line / GUI would be useful.

[manjey73]

I installed rapidscada on a Debian 10 VPS server with a public IP address

Some remote objects are also connected to this server with the installed Communicator via 4G networks

On the server, raise l2tp/IPsec
packages – strongswan (ipsec) and xl2tp

The remote communicator transmits data to the Scada server and at the same time has an IP address in the VPN network. By connecting to the server as an l2tp client from a Windows PC you can access remote communicators both via SSH and to download projects

I use a Raspberry Pi (Zero) for remote Communicators and can prepare an image with version 5.8.2 by spending a little time over the weekend deleting my server’s keys and passwords. Would you be interested ?

[Mikhail]

Editing projects on Linux is not necessary and should be avoided.
While Start/Stop of server/communicator and Download/Upload project file, via command line / GUI would be useful.

It’s a very important topic.
You can easily start and stop services by *.sh files that are already in the scada directory and subdirectories.
Talking about download and upload, do you mean performing this actions locally on the target server or remotely?

[Mikhail]

While Start/Stop of server/communicator and Download/Upload project file, via command line / GUI would be useful.

I suppose, it’s possible to develop a web plugin to do all of these functions. Especially for start, stop and upload.
Downloading project is not so clear because an instance doesn’t contain full project.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by Mikhail.

[JW]

Thanks manjey73 for your help. I actually did similar things on one project a while ago with pi 3. So the image is not needed. When the server has public IP, things are simpler.

But when the server has no public IP, e.g. on 4G or inside Lan but not NAT, it become not convenient, unless I set another VNP server on cloud.

[manjey73]

You can link one way or another if you have at least one public IP. There is no other way. Even the MQTT server requires a public IP to be able to forward data from one subscriber to another.

[JW]

You can easily start and stop services by *.sh files that are already in the scada directory and subdirectories.
Talking about download and upload, do you mean performing this actions locally on the target server or remotely?

Adding a CLI command/scripts that can upload project locally would be very helpful. then I can make a local GUI/CLI utilizing those scripts.

I suppose, it’s possible to develop a web plugin to do all of these functions. Especially for start, stop and upload.

This would be even better.

For some project that server and sensor are in a LAN without public WAN IP / NAT, end user can monitor SCADA in LAN, but I will need to use TeamViewer remote desktop to provide support if needed. The operation on TeamViewer is more like local operation instead of remote operation.

(at some extreme case, the customer doesn’t not allow physical access nor remote access. I have to send they the project file and instruct them how to upload it. Uploading via mono ScadaAdmin.exe is usable, but can be success / fail very randomly. which may look very weird to the customer.)

[manjey73]

Does the client have all the PCs on Linux on the local network ? You can connect via TeamViewer to any PC on the network and download the project from it, as well as control its work. Why does the Scada server also need a graphical shell, if we are talking about Linux, although you can run TeamViewer in it or just use SSH. The scripts are located in the Communicator and Server folders, as well as in the scadaagent folder if there is a need to overload any of the components. Don’t forget to give them execution rights.

[JW]

Usually I need to provide a server machine and a GUI client machine to the customer. The customer will run the webpage of scada 24*7 on the client I provided, and occasionally on their own computer.

For some project, I used a server with GUI to simplify hardware setup and save cost.

It did cause some problems. Lesson learned. I think I will switch back to separated server + GUI Client setup for upcoming projects.

For GUI client, Windows pc maybe better option at the moment. When upload project can be done from Linux client, then I can switch to Linux GUI client.

[manjey73]

You can also run Scada Administrator in the Linux GUI. I ran it, but there are features, disabled drop-down lists due to problems with WCF as I understand it. In any case, you need to connect to the Linux server remotely, for example via RDP, but if there is a remote connection, then it is not so important how this happens. Toli in the graphical table of Linux itself, or with a Windows PC using Scsada Administrator

[Mikhail]

In case I can’t use the Administrator application, I usually use WinSCP to copy Rapid SCADA project from Windows PC to Linux server, and use Putty to restart services.

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