kckku

ProjectsDefault.opt

11 posts in this topic

Our IT group changed some policies and now I get this message when I save or exit Sysmac Studio. Looks like they are denying access to the C: drive folder. What is this error prompt complaining about? What's this ProjectsDefault.opt file? 

2022-05-26_13-55-55.jpg

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Our IT group changed the policy and took away my administrator rights. Now I have to request admin rights every 7 days to do my job.

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2 hours ago, kckku said:

Our IT group changed the policy and took away my administrator rights. Now I have to request admin rights every 7 days to do my job.

Oh joy..  

On a side note looking at the contents of that file it seems to do next to nothing.

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Time to start using VM's, it would seem.

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1 hour ago, kdobsontn said:

Time to start using VM's, it would seem.

I am not sure how this would work. Do you mean to install Sysmac Studio on a virtual machine?

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27 minutes ago, kckku said:

I am not sure how this would work. Do you mean to install Sysmac Studio on a virtual machine?

That's correct.  You'd basically install an OS within a VM to do your work within, and then if you needed to pull anything out of it, you should be able to copy it to a flash drive.  This is fairly common practice if IT locks things out or Windows pushes an update that renders your software useless. 

There are some additional hoops to go through when trying to connect to a PLC via Ethernet, but there are some good resources for setting it up.

Main thing is to think of it as your personal sandbox.

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34 minutes ago, kdobsontn said:

That's correct.  You'd basically install an OS within a VM to do your work within, and then if you needed to pull anything out of it, you should be able to copy it to a flash drive.  This is fairly common practice if IT locks things out or Windows pushes an update that renders your software useless. 

There are some additional hoops to go through when trying to connect to a PLC via Ethernet, but there are some good resources for setting it up.

Main thing is to think of it as your personal sandbox.

Will this be transparent to our IT group? I know they regularly scan for software on the network and they might see something like Virtual Box and then flag it and then will disallow it? Is this a possibility?

Also interested to find out how you would connect to a physical device like the PLC from a VM. Not sure how to do this either.

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2 hours ago, kckku said:

Will this be transparent to our IT group? I know they regularly scan for software on the network and they might see something like Virtual Box and then flag it and then will disallow it? Is this a possibility?

As a Controls Engineer, there are definitely special permissions I require to get things done i.e. modifying network adapter to set an IP address to the subnet of your hardware or software installations for new hardware to test with.  Someone in finance who uses Excel all day has no need for something like this.  They should already be aware of this case, but maybe not.  If there's any doubt, you would want to contact them and ask.  I'm sure they would notice the unapproved software and flag it, but I could not tell you how strict their policies are.  When in doubt, ask.  

2 hours ago, kckku said:

Also interested to find out how you would connect to a physical device like the PLC from a VM. Not sure how to do this either.

COM ports are usually mapped without any issue from the Host to the Client, but network connections would require you to bridge the network adapter and setup the VM to NAT translate.  There are too many factors to explain here without knowing your hardware, the VM you plan to use, the device your connecting to, and the subnet it's on.  

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If you're looking to run a VM on a Windows 10 Desktop System with wired ethernet then check out Hyper-V.  It comes "free" in most business grade Windows 10 Versions.  It's not that hard to learn to operate and as it's windows native IT won't have much of a leg to stand on to throw their tantrum from.

BUT, and a big one, If you're looking to run a VM on a laptop and connect the Serial or USB Ports to it, then spend the money for VMWare or VirtualBox.  Hyper-V is a mess mapping host resources.

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On 5/27/2022 at 1:58 PM, BobLfoot said:

If you're looking to run a VM on a Windows 10 Desktop System with wired ethernet then check out Hyper-V.  It comes "free" in most business grade Windows 10 Versions.  It's not that hard to learn to operate and as it's windows native IT won't have much of a leg to stand on to throw their tantrum from.

BUT, and a big one, If you're looking to run a VM on a laptop and connect the Serial or USB Ports to it, then spend the money for VMWare or VirtualBox.  Hyper-V is a mess mapping host resources.

VMWare Workstation (free) has been my go to for years. My IT department either turns a blind eye to it or allows it. Its very easy to pass through Ethernet, USB, and serial connections. Due to its popularity there are many pre-built images floating around the internet for various operating systems. Grab one, install all the software you need, and back it up. You're set for life. I heard it's a great way to reuse trial versions of software but who knows...

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Not having to put up with any corporate IT, I get to pick the best.  And that is KVM via libvirtd.

Only available on Linux, as it is part of the Linux kernel.

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