Installing the iFIX Software

The steps that follow outline how to install the iFIX software from the product installation.

NOTE: The iFIX DVD no longer includes GE Historian or WebSpace (previously known as iFIX WebSpace) installs. These products are now distributed  on separate media. To install or upgrade these products, you must obtain the media for that product.

IMPORTANT:

  • Installing or uninstalling iFIX via a remote desktop connection or through a terminal server session is not supported.
  • When configured for WebSpace, none of the iFIX SCU’s on WebSpace Server should be configured to start iFIX as service, as this is an unsupported configuration.

For iFIX upgrade steps or for more general information on upgrading iFIX, refer to the Upgrading from an Earlier Version of iFIX and Upgrading from FIX 7.x sections.

The log file for the iFIX install is named iFIX65_SETUP.log. The log for the Configuration Hub portion of the install is named iFIX 6.5_ConfigHubMSI.log. Both logs appears in your Windows folder. These log files can be used to troubleshoot any issues that occur during install.

To install iFIX software:

  1. Log in to Windows with Administrator privileges. You must be an Administrator to install iFIX. Ensure that there are no iFIX or GE processes running, and close any other programs that are running.

NOTE: It is important to shut down any GE or Proficy services and licensing prior to installing iFIX.

  1. From the install media, open the iFIX installation screen.

NOTE: If this screen does not automatically appear when browsing the DVD or ISO, double-click the InstallFrontEnd.exe file on the DVD to display it. A message may appear with a security warning. If it does, select Run to proceed.

IMPORTANT: Be aware that if you do not already have .NET 4.6.1 installed and you choose to install iFIX, the .NET 4.6.1 install will run first. After it installs, you will be prompted to restart your computer. After the restart, the iFIX install continues. The install media must be available or connected to the target machine the entire time for the install to finish.

  1. Click the "Install iFIX" link. A message box appears asking you to confirm the install. By default, you will be prompted to install iFIX installs in secure mode. As the message indicates, before starting the installer:

1.) Identify a Windows users group (local or domain) for users who will start iFIX. Either create this group beforehand, or let the installer create a local group for you.

The currently logged in user will be added to this local group if the install has privileges to do so.

IMPORTANT: If you are using a network domain group, iFIX and its applications will not be able to run if this machine becomes disconnected from the network.

2.) Identify the user name and password of a user account that iFIX services will run under. This user will be added to the local group specified in step 1.

3.) Identify other Windows users who will need to use or operate iFIX on this computer. You can later add them to this same Windows users group after installing iFIX.

Are you ready to proceed?

  1. Click Yes to proceed.  The install continues.

TIP: If you see this message during the iFIX installation, you will need to install a Microsoft update before you can continue: “A necessary Windows security update for the Universal C Runtime component is missing on this computer. Please install the latest Windows updates and then install iFIX. For details, check the New Features section of the IPIiFIX.chm found in ReleaseNotes folder on this install media.” Install the Microsoft Update, KB2999226, and then try installing iFIX again. To install KB2999226, you may need to install other updates first. For Windows Server 2012 R2, you must have KB2919442 and then KB2919355 installed before installing KB2999226. For Windows 8.1, you just need KB2999226.

  1. An informational message box appears. Click OK to proceed.

NOTE: If a previous version of iFIX already resides on your computer when you try to install the latest version of iFIX, a message box appears during the installation suggesting that you upgrade your existing iFIX install. It is recommended that you elect to upgrade iFIX when this message appears. By following the upgrade process, iFIX installs to same folder where your previous version existed. For example, if you have iFIX installed to the C:\Dynamics folder, when you upgrade, the newer version of iFIX installs to the C:\Dynamics folder. After the iFIX upgrade completes and you restart iFIX, your SCU file is upgraded automatically, and the original file is backed up with a .^CU extension. For more information on upgrading SCU files, refer to the SCU Files and the Upgrade section.

The install program starts and the Welcome screen appears.

  1. Click Next to continue. The license agreement screen appears.
  2. If you want to proceed, click "I accept the terms of the license agreement" and then click Next.

IMPORTANT: If a previous version of iFIX is detected, you can choose to upgrade iFIX. For iFIX versions before 4.0, you have the choice to upgrade or install iFIX to a completely new folder, without upgrading. If you want to upgrade, it is suggested that you do so using the install at this point.

The Setup Type screen appears.

  1. Select an option and click Next:
    • Complete – Installs all iFIX components, including options such as Electronic books (e-books), Sample System, the My-T-Soft virtual (on screen) keyboard, Configuration Hub, the Water and OEM Solutions Packs, and the Productivity Tools.
    • Custom – Installs iFIX and the options that you choose. You are prompted to enter your options after you select an install path.
    • Typical – Installs iFIX, Configuration Hub, and the Electronic books (e-books).

The Choose Destination Location screen appears.

  1. Leave the default path or click Browse to select a folder.

    2. NOTES:

  • If you enter a custom install path, be aware that the path can be no greater than 100 characters long.
  • If you are upgrading from FIX32, make sure that you choose a location other than the folder that contains your FIX32 software, if it is installed on the same computer. Do not install over a current FIX32 installation.
  • If you want to use 6.x drivers, the iFIX compressed install path must be no greater than 64 characters long. iFIX uses the Microsoft compression algorithm to try to fit longer paths within this boundary. Some paths are not compressible to the 64 character maximum length. Please be aware of this. In addition, make sure that the registry key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation, is not enabled (is set to 0) when the install folder is created. When set to 1, the compression algorithm is disabled. Refer to Microsoft help for more information on the GetShortPathName() compression algorithm.
  • After installing a 6x driver, the driver is listed in the SCU in the Drivers Available dialog box (which can be accessed from the I/O Driver Name browse button in the SCADA Configuration dialog box). You need to manually add the driver to the Configured I/O Drivers list in the SCADA Configuration dialog box.
  1. Click Next to continue.

NOTES: If you selected a Custom install, instead of Complete, the Select Features screen appears next. Select the features you want to install, and click Next.

The Ready to Install Program screen appears.

  1. Click Install. The progress of the installation displays on screen as the files are copied.
  2. Wait as iFIX installs. After a few minutes, a Firewall setting message appears.
  3. Click Yes to enable iFIX through the Windows firewall. The install continues. The next screen that appears is for Configuration Hub – the Install and Register with Configuration Hub screen.

  1. Select either "Install and register the local instance of Configuration Hub" or "Register with existing Configuration Hub" if Configuration Hub is already installed either on the same machine or on another server.

  2. If you selected "Register with existing Configuration Hub," click Skip (select the Launch Registration Help button to display information for steps to take after you install iFIX). Otherwise, if you are Installing a local instance of Configuration Hub, the Register with Configuration Hub screen appears.

  1. Enter a Client ID and Client secret. The client secret must be eight or more characters long and must contains at least one number and one letter.

NOTE: Only English alphanumeric characters values and the following symbols are supported in the client ID and client secret fields: "-><~!@#$%^&*?|"

IMPORTANT: Be sure to take note of the values you enter in these fields. You need this information to register, update, or unregister Configuration Hub. For example, you would need the client ID and client secret if you want to configure a remote Configuration Hub.

  1. Click Install to install the Configuration Hub option. When the installation and registration completes, the iFIX Configure Wizard dialog box appears.

  1. Enter the Node Name, Node Type, and Connectivity Type, if applicable, and then click OK. For example, if you want to set up a SCADA server without any remote nodes, select SCADA and Stand-alone. If you want a networked SCADA server, select SCADA and Networked. If you want to configure a networked client, select View and Networked.

TIP: As a best practice, be sure to enter a new name in the Node Name field. Use a name other than the default name of FIX for your node name. This distinction is important if you have multiple SCADA nodes on the same network.

After you configure your settings and click OK, and if prompted to enter your remote nodes (for a networked node), enter the name of your Remote SCADA node(s), click Add, and then click OK. Otherwise, click Skip and you can configure this later in the SCU (from the Configure > Network menu option).

The install continues and the iFIX Install Mode screen appears.

  1. Leave the default "Install iFIX in secure mode" option selected.

NOTE: You can optionally select the "Continue without Secure Mode" option, but it is not recommended for security purposes.

  1. If using a domain network group as the scope for validation, enter a domain name (for example mycompany.com). Otherwise, specify the local computer name (the default).
  • When using the network domain group, iFIX and its applications will not be able to run if this machine becomes disconnected from the domain.
  • If you specify a local group and it does not exist, the installer will create it for you. By choosing secure mode, the currently logged in user will be added to this Windows group. All other iFIX users will need to be manually added.
  1. If you want to run iFIX as a service, select the "Assign a Windows user account to iFIX services" option, and enter and user name and password. iFIX will run under this account when configured to run as a service.
  • This user must exist in the specified Windows group name.
  • If you choose not to provide this information, then iFIX cannot be configured to run as a service.
  • It is recommended to use a least privilege account, and not an administrative account.

TIP: If you selected "Continue without secure mode", you can later run this wizard post install to secure iFIX. This wizard can be run by using the ConfigureWizard.exe application in the iFIX Install directory.

  1. Click OK.
  2. When a message box appears requesting that you view the release notes, click Yes. Close the release notes after you finish reviewing them to resume the install. The Install Complete screen appears.
  3. Select Finish to restart your computer.
  4. After you restart your computer and the install completes, update your product licensing. For information on installing and configuring your license, refer to the GE Support site.
  5. Restart the computer again after licensing is configured. As the computer restarts, log in to Windows with the same user name (with Administrator rights).
  6. Check if there are any required Service Packs or SIMs to install for iFIX on the GE Support web site, and install them.
  7. If you just installed a SCADA Server, change the default iFIX Administrator password in the Security Configuration program. iFIX must be running to do this. For steps on how to change the password and other user account settings, refer to the Modifying a User Account topic in the Configuring Security Features e-book. Make sure you save this password.
  8. If you are using iFIX on a Domain, in a client/server networking configuration, update the HOSTS file with the name of the iFIX SCADA Server, to ensure the highest reliability for connectivity. This update must be done on the server and all clients, as the contents of the HOSTS file should be identical on each node (client and server) in your TCP/IP network. If your iFIX SCADA Server node name is different from the computer name where iFIX is installed, you also need to add this name to each HOSTS file.

TIPS:

  • You can find the HOSTS file in the C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc folder.
  • Depending upon your permissions, you may need to copy this file to another folder, edit it, and then copy it back to the etc folder after your edits are complete.
  • Use a text editor such as Notepad to edit the HOSTS file. To prevent Notepad from automatically adding a .TXT file extension when you save the file, in the Save as Type field, select “All Files.”
  • An example entry in the HOSTS file is as follows:  198.212.170.4 SCADA01.  If SCADA1 was the iFIX SCADA Server node name, but the computer name where the iFIX SCADA Server was installed was AREA1, you would need to add a second line to the HOSTS file for AREA1: 198.212.170.4      AREA1.
  • If you do not know the TCP/IP address of the SCADA computer, run the IPCONFIG command on the SCADA Server.
  • Be sure to update the HOSTS file on the SCADA Server and each iFIX Client that you install.
  • The same, identical entries should appear in the HOSTS file for the iFIX SCADA Server and each iFIX View node (Client) on your network.
  1. If you just installed an iFIX View (iClient) node, and you want to be able to view pictures from the SCADA Server from this node, you need to either copy the pictures from the iFIX SCADA to the iFIX client (no database or other files need to be copied), or map a drive on the View node to the picture folder on your SCADA Server to share the pictures. You should then update the SCU (with Configure > Paths menu option) on the View node to point to this mapped drive location.

IMPORTANT: To view pictures from the View (client) node, the View node needs to match the iFIX version of the iFIX SCADA server.

NOTE: If you are using a shared PIC directory on a drive other than the one on which iFIX is installed, you must enter the full path to the PIC directory. For example, if you want to use a shared PIC directory on the G:\ drive, you must enter G:\PIC in the SCU.

If you want to allow multiple clients to open the same picture file past the Windows concurrent limit, you need to make sure that the PIC folder on your iFIX Server is set to read-only and that the pictures in that folder are also read-only. Additionally, the following entry needs to be added to FixUserPreferecnes.ini:

[FileOpenMethod]

FileOpenStyle=1

The limit of 20 concurrent users opening a file at one time is a Microsoft limitation when using the IStorage object. This limitation is documented in the Microsoft online reference for the IStorage object, located here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa380364%28v=vs.85%29.aspx.