Troubleshooting Web Client Applications

Issue: History of Work Order Manager Stops Working

In the Standard Plant Applications Web Client, if the History section does not display the events associated with the work order, or if the work order history stops working, you must verify Tomcat Web Application Manager to check the running state of Kafka dependent services. If the Kafka dependent services are down (indicated by false in the Running column of Tomcat Web Application Manager), it implies that there is an issue with Kafka log message, or that the message broker is down and stopped:

The issue with the Kafka broker may be due to the following reasons:
  • PA web client Master control did not start GE PlantApps Zookeeper and GE PlantApps Kafka in a specific order or, there was a delay in starting Kafka after Zookeeper started.
  • Kafka\Kafka-logs is in crash state.
To troubleshoot the issue, follow the below steps:
  1. Open the Services window from the search box.
  2. Stop GE PlantApps Zookeeper and GE PlantApps Kafka services.
  3. Delete Kafka log messages from:
    • C:\Kafka\kafka-logs and
    • C:\Kafka\logs.
  4. Restart GE PlantApps Zookeeper and then GE PlantApps Kafka services.
    Note: There should not be any waiting time or time delay, after you restart GE PlantApps Zookeeper.
  5. Verify Tomcat Web Application Manager to ensure that the below mentioned Kafka dependent services are up and in running state.
    • approval-cockpit-service
    • comment-app-service
    • erp-export-service
    • labor-service
    • operator-app-service
    • plant-execution-service
    • supervisor-app-service
    • work-order-history-service

Result: The Kafka dependent services that were down, will restart now (indicated by true in the Running column of Tomcat Web Application Manager). This indicates the Kafka broker is working as expected.

Issue: Time Booking records cannot be modified

In the Security application, the Moderate time booking records role enables you to edit the time booking records of other users using the Time Booking application, and this permission is only applicable at a Site/Plant level resource.

As a supervisor or an operator, if you are not able to modify labor records in Time Booking even if you have the required permissions, it means that the role assignment is not done at Site/Plant level resource.

Follow the below steps to troubleshoot the issue:

  1. Navigate to the Security application.
  2. Select the Roles tab and select against the required role (the role that was assigned to the user who is not able to modify time records).
  3. Select the Time Booking tab from ROLE CATEGORY and ensure that the Moderate time booking records toggle is enabled.
    Note: If the user is not given permission at a Site/Plant level resource from the Security application, you will not be permitted to change the user capabilities even if the Moderate time booking records permission is enabled for that specific user.
  4. Select Assignments tab and select the assignment you want to edit (the assignment that includes the user who is not able to modify time booking records).
  5. From the Resources tab, add the required Site/Plant level resource to that assignment.
Result: In the Time Booking application, you will be able to modify the user capabilities, when you select Change User located below your username.
Note: In the Security application, each permission has a lowest level of resource that should be added to an assignment. For more information, refer to About the Security Application topic in Plant Applications Help.

Issue: Cannot create raw material lots in PA2022

After upgrading to PA2022 from 8.1 or 8.2 version, user may have issues in creating raw material lots. This is because, in 8.1 or 8.2 version the lowest resource level that should be added to the assignment was the unit at which the produced material was executing. In PA2022, the lowest resource level that should be added to the assignment is the unit at which the raw material is stored.

To troubleshoot this issue, the assignment for the user (for creating raw material lots) must be changed from the unit at which the produced material was executing to the unit at which the raw material is stored.

For more information on how to modify an assignment, refer to Modify an Assignment topic in Plant Applications Help.

Issue: Cannot find the serial/lot no. or work order or operation added to Work Queue

In the earlier versions of Plant Applications, when you added a new serial/lot no. or work order or operation to Work Queue application, it was added to the first row of the grid.

In PA2022, the content of the grid is sorted based on the ascending alphabetical order of the WORK ORDER column. Hence, you can locate the newly added serial/lot no. or work order or operation based on the alphabetical order of the WORK ORDER column.

Issue: Cannot create Work Order or Clock on

Even if the user has enabled with the required permissions in the Security application to Create a work order and to Execute a work order, the user may receive ''you cannot create a work order" or "you cannot clock on" error message. The following are the prerequisites to create a work order or execute a work order:
  • The user must have Create a work order permission at the line level, or higher, for creating a work order and Execute a work order permission at the unit level, or higher, for executing a work order.
  • The user must have permission to Add Security permission to Create a work order and Edit Security permission to Execute a work order in display view of PA thick client (Plant Applications Administrator).

Follow the below steps to troubleshoot the issue:

In Plant Applications Web Client:

  1. Select against the required role (the role that was assigned to the user).
  2. Select Work Order Management tab from ROLE CATEGORY and ensure that Create a work order toggle is enabled.
  3. Select Work Order Execution tab from ROLE CATEGORY and ensure that Execute a work order toggle is enabled.
  4. Select Assignment and from Resources tab ensure that you include required resource level for that assignment or assigned role. Also, ensure that the user is member of the group added to the assignment.

In Plant Applications Administrator:

  1. On the left side of the main screen expand Plant Model tree and select your line, and then right-click the line to select Route Enable<...>.
    Note: When you route enable the line, a display view is created for the work orders with naming convention RESchedVw<...>.
  2. Expand Client Management, and from Displays tree, expand the line name.
  3. Right-click Change <> Security.
    • If you have a security group, make a note of it.
    • If you have <No Security Group> continue.
  4. Right-click RESchedVw<...>, and then select Edit RESchedVw<...>. The Edit display window appears.
  5. Select Display Options and navigate to Security section.
    • Referencing the Security group from step 3, only the users with at least the role specified in AddSecurity can create work orders.
    • Referencing the Security group from step 3, only the users with at least the role specified in EditSecurity can execute work orders.
    • If step 3 had <No Security Group>, the value of the user role must be less than Admin.
Example: If John wants to create or execute a work order, and if a group called Leaders is the security group in the display view of RESchedVw<...>, then:
  • John must be member of the Leaders user group.
  • John must be member of the group and have at least the level of access specified in AddSecurity and EditSecurity (Example: If Manager is selected for AddSecurity and EditSecurity then the user must be member of a group with at least Manager level permission).