Installation and Startup

ABB Field Information Manager Learning Center

 

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Operating System Requirements

Field Information Manager Client and/or Server:
For installation and execution of Field Information Manager Client and/or Server, the following requirements have to be fulfilled by the Operating System:

  • Windows 10 (64 Bit) or alternatively on Windows Server 2019 or 2022.
    Please find more information about the supported Windows Server OS versions in System Guide Summaries for ABB Ability™ System 800xA 6.0.3 (3BSE078159) and 6.1 (3BSE091794).
  • 10 GB storage space.
  • 1 Gigabyte RAM.

Connectivities:
For installation and execution of connectivity/bridge services, the following requirements have to be fulfilled by the Operating System:
  • Windows 10 (64 Bit) or alternatively on Windows Server 2019 or 2022.
  • Please find more information about the supported Windows Server OS versions in System Guide Summaries for ABB Ability™ System 800xA 6.0.3 (3BSE078159) and 6.1 (3BSE091794).
  • 5 GB storage space.
  • 1 Gigabyte RAM.

Note:
Specified storage space and RAM size are minimum requirements, additional storage or memory is recommended for large projects.

General Installation Information

Field Information Manager supports various types of installation for different use cases.

The Field Information Manager Installer requires administrator rights to be started and guides the user through the installation process.

It provides different profiles to preconfigure the installation scope for an easy setup. The Installer remains on the node and is always available via Windows Apps & Features to modify the installation scope (i.e. to add or remove components).

Note:
Microsoft .NET Framework is required and installed automatically if not existing yet.

Note:
The Field Information Manager Client can be installed on an RDP server with one of the supported operating systems. Users can open an RDP session by using their login credentials and start an individual Field Information Manager Client.

Standalone Installation

Standalone installation means Field Information Manager Server and Client both running on one node.

Typical profiles for this use case are the following:

  • Handheld or Standalone to install Field Information Manager Server and Client on the node. Required connectivities on this node can be selected in addition.
  • Connectivities to install required connectivities on other nodes if needed.

Field Information Manager Server starts automatically in the background after installation.
Field Information Manager Client connects automatically to the local Server at startup so that the tool behaves as a standalone application.

 


Client/Server Installation

Client/Server installation includes one Field Information Manager Server running on a central node with various Field Information Manager Clients connecting to this server via network.

Note:
The Field Information Manager Server can be installed for a Workgroup or Active Directory environment which is selected during installation. For more information about the preconditions for Active Directory, please refer to Field Information Manager - User Guide (Appendix A: Setup of Field Information Manager Server for Domains).

Typical profiles for this use case are the following:
  • Server to install Field Information Manager Server on the server node. Required connectivities on this node can be selected in addition.
  • Client to install Field Information Manager Client on a client node.
  • Connectivities to install required connectivities on other nodes if needed.

Field Information Manager Server starts automatically in the background after installation on the server node. At first startup, a Field Information Manager Client asks for server connection details which are saved to connect automatically to the last used server at later startups.

Custom Installation

The custom profile allows the manual selection of all required components for full flexibility.

Upgrade from Version 3.0 or later

Existing installations of Field Information Manager 3.0 or later can be upgraded to the latest version.
The Field Information Manager Installer detects components already installed on the node and selects them for upgrade automatically.

Upgrade from Version 2.5 to 3.0 (as preparation for upgrade to latest version)

Field Information Manager 2.5 is required for upgrade to version 3.0. If running a version older than 2.5, please upgrade to version 2.5 first. Field Information Manager Server 3.0 must be installed on the same node as the previous installation of version 2.5 to take over data.

Note:
A restart of the machine is necessary after installation of Field Information Manager 2.5 before starting the upgrade to version 3.0.
Please uninstall version 2.5 manually if it is still listed in Windows Apps & Features after completing the upgrade.

Note:
Machines on which Windows was installed with certain languages (e.g. Swedish) might use other decimal symbols than required by Field Information Manager 3.0 and 3.0.1. This can lead problems in the upgrade path from version 2.5 over 3.0 or 3.0.1 to the latest version. Please follow the workarounds described in Troubleshooting.

Upgrade on same node

Upgrade on the same node allows an easy migration to version 3.0:
  1. Start the Field Information Manager Installer on the node with version 2.5.
  2. The Installer detects installed components and selects them for upgrade automatically.
    Note: Field Information Manager Client needs to be selected manually for standalone applications on that node.
  3. Additional components (e.g. connectivities) can be selected if needed.
  4. Start upgrade via Installer, wait until it is finished and most data is taken over into the new installation.
  5. Open Field Information Manager Client, connect to server and complete last migration activities manually:
    • Tools Menu - OPTIONS - REPOSITORY SETTINGS:
      Enable/Disable online repositories and add same offline repositories as in version 2.5.
    • Tools Menu - PROJECTS - PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
      Open the previously used project if it not active automatically.
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Upgrade to different node

Upgrade to a different node allows the installation of version 3.0 on a different node while taking over most of the relevant data:
  1. Start Field Information Manager on the previously used node.
  2. Export the required projects via Tools Menu - PROJECTS - PROJECT MANAGEMENT to a specified file location.
  3. Start the Field Information Manager Installer on the new node with version 2.5.
  4. Within the Installer, select the required components for installation.
  5. Start installation via Installer and wait until it is finished.
  6. Open Field Information Manager Client, connect to server and complete last migration activities manually:
    • Tools Menu - OPTIONS - REPOSITORY SETTINGS:
      Enable/Disable online repositories and add same offline repositories as in version 2.5.
    • Tools Menu - OPTIONS - NAMESPACES AND COMMON NAMES:
      Import the same user-defined namespaces as in version 2.5.
    • Tools Menu - OPTIONS - UPLOAD PROCESSES:
      Define the same process groups and assign all parameters to these groups as in version 2.5.
  7. Import the projects via Tools Menu - PROJECTS - PROJECT MANAGEMENT and open the previously used project.

Uninstallation

The Field Information Manager Installer is available in Windows Apps & Features to uninstall components.

Click the "Modify" button of the Field Information Manager Installer entry in Windows Apps & Features to modify the installation scope and remove one or multiple selected components in one attempt.

Alternatively, use the "Uninstall" button of the Field Information Manager Installer entry to remove all installed components.

Note:
The Field Information Manager Installer is removed automatically when uninstalling the last component from the node.

Performance Note

The performance of Field Information Manager can differ due to various conditions.

These include:
  • The performance of the machine running the FIM (computer / tablet)
  • The network topology of the system
  • The number of available devices within the system network
  • Other activities in the system network
  • Etc.

Please note:
The Device Status Dashboard is a powerful functionality. Therefore, it is recommended to close it before performing other consuming engineering operations (e.g. bulk upload, compare, etc.).

Troubleshooting

Regional Settings Issues with Upgrade to Version 3.0/3.0.1 or Installation of Version 3.0/3.0.1
Field Information Manager 3.0 and 3.0.1 require the decimal symbol "." in regional settings for the following two scenarios:
- Successful upgrade of version 2.5 to 3.0 or 3.0.1.
- Successful start of Field Information Manager Server after a new installation.
Machines on which Windows was installed with certain languages (e.g. Swedish) might use other decimal symbols. This leads to the following problems for version 3.0 and 3.0.1:
- Upgrade of version 2.5 to 3.0 or 3.0.1 fails and new version cannot be installed.
- New installation of version 3.0 or 3.0.1 succeeds, but service of Field Information Manager Server fails at startup.
Workarounds for both scenarios exist and might be required for in the upgrade path to the latest version. Please find more details in the Troubleshooting chapter of Field Information Manager - User Guide (7PAA000045*).

Previous Software Version still listed after Upgrade
After performing an upgrade, the previous software versions are usually removed from the list of installed software in Windows Apps & Features.
If a previous software version is still listed as installed, please run the uninstaller of the previous software version to remove it manually from Windows Apps & Features.

Service of Field Information Manager Server cannot start successfully
Usually, the installation of Field Information Manager Server takes care of all configurations so that the corresponding service can start successfully.
Group policies are part of these configurations. Windows systems have a policy called "Log on as a service" that allows accounts to run as a service,. This policy is available by default on most machines and is required for the service user of the Field Information Manager Server.
If these group policies have been modified or are not available, the service of the Field Information Manager Server might not be able to start successfully. In such case, please open the group policy editor and browse to User Rights Assignment.
Enter the group "Everyone" in the policy and install the Field Information Manager Server.
After successful installation, remove the group "Everyone" from the policy and enter the service user of the Field Information Manager Server instead. For installations of type "Workgroup", this is "NT SERVICE\ABBFIMSvr". For installations of type "Active Directory" please enter the name of the Managed Service Account (MSA).
Please ensure that these changes are stored persistently and that they are not reset by the domain controller.

Field Information Manager cannot be reached due to network problems
A network connection between Field Information Manager Client node and server node is required.
Please test the network connection between the nodes by using the ping command in Windows Command Line Tool. Also ensure that the used port (as defined in the Add Server dialog) is not blocked by any firewall.

Field Information Manager cannot be reached due to incorrect domain configuration
The installation of Field Information Manager Server with authentication method "Active Directory" requires a domain configuration as described in the Appendix of Field Information Manager - User Guide (7PAA000045*).
A Field Information Manager Client cannot establish a connection to the server if the Service Principal Name (SPN) is not registered correctly. The authentication details used for the connection attempt are listed when expanding the section "Details" in the dialog about the failed connection to server.
Please ensure that the listed SPN from the dialog is also assigned to the user running the Field Information Manager Server. This check can be done on any machine in the domain with Active Directory Admin privileges via the following powershell command (assuming the Managed Service Account is FimServer1):
setspn /l FimServer1
If the SPN from the dialog is not included in the output of the command, then it must be added with the following powershell command (assuming the SPN is MyFIMServerComputer.MyDomain/FimServer):
setspn -U -S MyFIMServerComputer.MyDomain/FimServer FimServer1
Please check if the SPN has been assigned correctly be repeating the first powershell command:
setspn /l FimServer1
The previously assigned SPN should be listed as output now. If this is the case, then try to connect Field Information Manager Client to server again. 
The assignment of the SPN might take a moment to be synchronized and become active. Please wait a moment if the connection attempt does not work yet.

Field Information Manager Installer cannot be removed
If using the Field Information Manager Installer to uninstall the last component, the Installer is removed automatically.
However, the Installer might remain on the node if the last component is uninstalled individually using the "Uninstall" button of the component entry in Windows Apps & Features.
In this specific scenario, the Field Information Manager Installer cannot be removed in this case by clicking the "Uninstall" button. Please start it via the "Modify" button and install any component. Afterwards, start the Installer via the "Uninstall" button and remove the previously installed component. The Field Information Manager Installer is removed automatically from the node as well with this workaround.

Tool shutdown even when activities are ongoing
The user can stop the Field Information Manager even when activities are ongoing, such as device modal dialog requires a user input, or a bulk operation is running.
Usually the tool waits until all activities have been ended before closing itself. However, there might be situation that the user needs to stop it right now.
Please note that a hard stop of Field Information Manager might cause device problems as soon as any ongoing communication is interrupted and the device might remain in a status being inoperable.
  1. Assume the user has tried to stop a User Interface Plugin with a click on the ABORT button, but the User Interface Plugin remains open for a few minutes. Now the user decides to interrupt the tool.
  2. The user clicks the Field Information Manager close button to stop the tool.
  3. A message is displayed explaining that there are modal dialogs open which prevent the tool from closing.
  4. The user accepts that message and clicks the Field Information Manager close button a second time.
  5. Another message is displayed explaining that the user can force the tool for closing.
  6. The user accepts that message and selects the YES button.
  7. Tool is stopped.

Installation and Software Configuration

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