“There are no current instructions… but this recipe step has instructions!”
“Why are there question marks next to all the prompts on the equipment screen?”
“eProcedure Service – STOPPED??”
“Why won’t eProcedure service restart?”“What do I do now!??”
eProcedure is a Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Batch component that manages, sequences and documents the execution of manual operations. It can be used to post instructions, prompts and other operator interactions with batch, such as confirming temperatures and batch sizes. Most of the time it works flawlessly, but every now and then eProcedure services will not start. This typically happens after an area model change, requiring a restart of the batch server. The eProcedure service needs to be manually restarted. So you launch the FactoryTalk Batch Service Manager and select FactoryTalk eProcedure Server from the service list. After clicking the “Start” button and some suspenseful time that feels like forever, you are returned with a red stoplight and the text “STOPPED”.
Not to worry though, we can help! This failure to start services is typically caused by a mismatch in one or more instruction file names between the area model and the .html file located in the instruction folder. Occasionally files are accidentally misnamed while the .html instruction is created or spaces are inadvertently included in the file name among other things.
If you are working on a project with only a few instruction files, you might be able to check these manually against the area model. But what about a project with hundreds or thousands of instructions? It would take quite a while to check them all manually and leave an opportunity for an auditing error. Well, with a few steps we can automate the file-name verification process and correct any issues quickly and easily.
The below instructions will assist in comparing the eProcedure instruction files in the area model with the instruction folder.
First you will want to export the area model so it can be compared to the instruction folder:
Next you will want to generate a list of the .html instruction files to compare to the area model export. The easiest way to do this is with a command prompt instruction:
Now we can extract the instruction file name information from the area model export:
OK, we now have all the information needed. Let’s see what we have:
If all the fields were entered correctly, you will be left with a Validate column reporting values of “Ok”. If you find any marked “N/A”, there is an issue with the instruction file name. Let’s discuss the example below:
These issues often happen accidentally when generating the .html instruction files, or making a change in the area model. After correcting the instruction file name issues, return to batch services manager and eProcedure should start without issue. If you make a change to the area model to correct the file name, you will need to restart the batch server then start the eProcedure service.
So you’ve just saved the day and now production can restart! Give yourself a pat on the back, nice work. Be sure to contact us here at Hallam-ICS for any assistance or questions.
About the author
Robert has left Hallam-ICS to pursue other endeavors, but his contributions to the company continue to be valued.
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About Hallam-ICS
Hallam-ICS is an engineering and automation company that designs MEP systems for facilities and plants, engineers control and automation solutions, and ensures safety and regulatory compliance through arc flash studies, commissioning, and validation. Our offices are located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Vermont and North Carolina and our projects take us world-wide.