MES Model-Driven Application Content (Version 5.0) Readme

Last revision: 3/9/2022

About This Release

The model-driven application content is designed to allow you to use the forms and workflows as is for inventory, job, quality, and work order management, or to customize them to meet the requirements of your specific production environment.

This version of the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) model-driven application content is being delivered as the following Work Tasks packages:

• The Inventory Management version 5.0 package (MES_PKG_Inventory_Management) includes forms and workflows that allow supervisors and operators to receive and manage inventory among lots and storage locations.
• The Job Management version 5.0 package (MES_PKG_Job_Management), along with the Split Control version 5.0 package (MES_PKG_CustomControl_Split), include forms and workflows that allow operators to manage jobs in a job queue, add job production, add BOM consumption, and manage utilization events for entities.
• The Quality Management version 5.0 package (MES_PKG_Quality_Management) includes forms and workflows that allow operators to view current, past, and future quality samples and record their characteristic result values.
• The Work Order (WO) Management version 5.0 package (MES_PKG_Wo_Po_Management) includes forms and workflows that allow supervisors to manage work orders, a work order's job bill of materials (BOM) records, and a work order's job specifications.

This version includes localization for all packages for the following languages: Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. It also includes a Language Installation wizard to simplify the set up of localized files.

Enhancements

• On the Quality Management Samples form, a Last N Hours filter has been added. This allows an operator to specify the time range by selecting the number of previous hours of sample data to show. This is in addition to the previously available method of entering start and end dates for the time period.
• The performance and usability of the Job Queue form has been improved. For example, now the job selection persists when switching between tabs.
• Localization of all column headings is now supported, including those that are not displayed by default.
• Hidden fields are now visible in design time.
• Error messages resulting from problems with the MES Web API configuration provide a better indication of the cause of the problem.
• Improvements to the MES Model-Driven Application Content Installation Guide:
  • Clearer explanations of how to set up Work Tasks, MES, and the Work Tasks Connector and Extension for MES to ensure proper communication between and user access to the components
  • Comprehensive troubleshooting information for issues that might be encountered

System Requirements

AVEVA Software Requirements

The following AVEVA software is required for using MES model-driven application content.

Platform Common Services (PCS)

PCS is required as it includes the service that provides users with access tokens for MES. PCS can be installed as part of MES, Work Tasks, or System Platform installations.

Note: The PCS service that provides access tokens has also been referred to as ArchestrA Identity Manager (AIM), which is the name used throughout this document.

Work Tasks

Work Tasks 2020 U1 is required.

Work Tasks 2020 U1 requires hot fix AWT2020-U1-HTFX-7.1.2035.2:

• To work properly with Chrome version 91.x and some later releases
• To work properly with systems using a non-U.S. English language version of Windows

This hot fix is provided with the MES model-driven application content installation files.

MES

MES 2020 (version 6.2) is required.

MES requires the following hot fixes:

• HF_1055331, to work properly with the Quality Management package
• CR IMS-1577968, to work properly with the Quality Management package and Split Jobs control.

  Note that this hot fix includes the fix that was in hot fix CR IMS-1569379, which fixed MES to work properly with the Quality Management package. If you had previously installed CR IMS-1569379, you can safely install CR IMS-1577968. However, installing CR IMS-1569379 after installing CR IMS-1577968 would overwrite the latter hot fix and remove the fix for the Split Jobs control.

These hot fixes are provided with the MES model-driven application content installation files.

Note: MES model-driven application content supports only OS Group and OS User MES users, but not native MES users.

Work Tasks Connector and Extension for MES

Work Tasks 2020 U1 Connector and Extension for MES 2020 (version 6.7) is required.

Note: Previous versions of Work Tasks Connector and Extension for MES cannot be upgraded to version 6.7. You must uninstall the previous version, then install version 6.7.

A hot fix for CR IMS-1715257 is available to fix an issue in distributed environments where the MES Connector configuration gets removed in Work Tasks when the connector's server is rebooted.

Intelligence/BI Gateway

Intelligence 2017 U1 is required. A non-licensed limited version is included with the MES 2020 installation software. The full version is optional.

BI Gateway 2021 (the next version of Intelligence) is also supported, and it is required to support SQL Server 2019. It must be downloaded and installed separately.

System Platform

For solutions using automated data and event capture, the following software is required:

• System Platform 2020 R2 P01 (Application Server, InTouch, Historian).
• Work Tasks Connector and Extension for the latest available update of System Platform 2020. This connector is included with the Work Tasks 2020 U1 installation software.

When Upgrading, MES Model-Driven Application Content Version 4.0

• When upgrading MES model-driven application content to this version, version 4.0 must be installed. Upgrades directly to version 5.0 cannot be performed with versions prior to version 4.0.

Operating System, SQL Server, and Browser Requirements

For a particular node when implementing MES model-driven application content, the Windows operating system version, SQL Server version, and web browser must be compatible with all of the AVEVA products that are being installed on the node.

For the current compatibility information, see the Technology Matrix, which is available in the Knowledge and Support Center.

The recommended configuration is:

• For servers, Windows Server 2019. For clients, Windows 10.
• SQL Server 2019.
• For the web browser, the latest available version of Chrome is required.

Hardware Requirements

The Windows operating system and SQL Server versions that are being used in the Model-Driven MES solution impose hardware requirements for the nodes in the solution. Refer to the Microsoft MSDN web site for the hardware requirements for the versions of Windows and SQL Server that are being used.

In addition, it is strongly recommended that the Work Tasks server node and all nodes that will support client Work Tasks web browser user sessions have at least 16 GB of RAM to optimize performance. For more hardware requirement details, refer to the Work Tasks Administration Guide help and to the MES Deployment Guide.

Installing MES Model-Driven Application Content

For complete system requirements and instructions about how to install a system to support MES model-driven application content and how to install or update the application content Work Tasks workflow packages, see the MES Model-Driven Application Content Installation Guide.

Extracted Installation Files Folder Structure

The folder structure of the MES model-driven application content installation files, after being extracted from the installation Zip file, is described below.

Top Level Folder

• Additional Files folder The additional files that support MES model-driven application content forms and workflows. The required additional files are installed automatically using MSI files when a package is installed. They are provided separately here as well, if needed.
• Hot fix folders
  • Work Tasks 2020 U1 hot fix AWT2020-U1-HTFX-7.1.2035.2 is required to support Chrome version 91.x or later and systems using a non-U.S. English language version of Windows.
  • MES 2020 hot fix HF_1055331 is required to use the Quality Management package.
  • MES 2020 hot fix CR IMS-1577968 is required to use the Quality Management package and the Split Jobs control.
• Package files The MES model-driven application content package files.
• User documentation files The Readme, Installation Guide, and Developer Guide.

Additional Files Folders

• CSS The CSS files for all packages.
• DLL The DLL file for the Job Management Split control.
• Help The folders that contain the help files, by package.
• JS The javascript files for all packages.
• JSON The MES Web API JSON file.
• Locales The localized text files for all packages, organized by the locales of the supported languages.
• MDMSplit Image files for the Split control.
• MDMTHEME Image files that are used by forms and controls for all packages.
• MSI The additional package MSI files and the Language Installation MSI file.

Resolved Issues

The following important issues were resolved in this release, listed by its CR number.

In addition, the following issues were resolved:

• The retrieval of domain names now returns the proper domain string in complex scenarios (e.g., computer.na.corp.company.com).
• The following Quality Management form labels for languages other than English are now being translated properly:
  • On the Sample tab Create panel, “current" and “custom"
  • On the Results tab Result Values panel, "min/default/max"

Known Issues

Display Issues on Non-Windows Devices

MES model-driven application content has been optimized for web browsers on Windows devices. While Work Tasks does not support browsers on non-Windows devices, MES model-driven application content has been tested on a limited number of these devices (that is, Android and iPad tablets). Best results were found with Chrome in landscape mode (if the tablet device is used in portrait mode, you might experience limitations in the display of the forms). Future versions of MES model-driven application content will further address mobile device needs and support for the Work Tasks Pro application.

Using MES Model-Driven Application Content with InTouch OMI

Full integration of MES model-driven application content with InTouch OMI is not fully implemented. This will be addressed with the next releases of Work Tasks and MES model-driven application content.

Non-English Characters Being Passed Using the MES Web API

With Windows running in a non‑English language, when Work Tasks uses the MES Web API for a Quality Management operation and the data includes non‑English characters, the operation fails. Therefore, the use of non‑English characters are only supported with Windows running in the English language. Further investigation and resolution of this issue is planned for the next release.

Quality Management Issues

• When saving sample results, the Verified Write feature is not currently supported.
• For a finalized sample, the fields on the Result tab are incorrectly shown as editable. However, any edits can't be saved because the sample is finalized.
• On the Result tab, there is an issue when you add samples up to the maximum allowed but then skip any of the rows when entering result values. For example, say the normal sample size is 3 and the maximum sample size is 5 and on the Result Values panel you add 2 rows. If you then enter values only for samples 1, 3, and 5 (skipping 2 and 4) and save your entries, when you reopen the Result Values panel there will only be 3 rows, with values for 1 and 3. If you enter values for rows 1, 2, and 3 but leave 4 and 5 empty, you would see rows 1 through 3 when you reopen the panel, but 4 and 5 would not be shown because values weren't saved for them.

  So, to ensure the expected behavior when you've added samples, make sure you don't skip entering values for any of the samples.

• On the Result tab, some of the strings on the results history chart can't be localized. This issue is planned to be fixed in the next release.

Package Uninstall Issues

• When uninstalling a package, the workflows don't get removed. Delete them manually in Enterprise Console. This issue is planned to be fixed in the next release of Work Tasks.
• If multiple MES model-driven application content packages are installed, when uninstalling a package the shared lookups, the Web API, and the shared additional files don't get removed. Manually delete the shared lookups and Web API in Enterprise Console and delete the shared additional files in Windows Explorer.
• When uninstalling the Split Control:
  • The Work Tasks services are stopped. Manually restart them.
  • If the MSI uninstall fails, uninstall the package again (it should succeed the second time).
  • Note that the Job Management package has to be uninstalled before the Split Control package. This is as designed: the Job Management package requires that the Split Control package be installed, so it has to be uninstalled first.

Performance

Performance testing of MES model-driven application content version 5.0 has shown that the Job Management form loads 2 seconds slower than it did in version 4.0 when loading 1,000 jobs from a database with 55,000+ job records. Also, the Quality Management form in version 5.0 loads 5 seconds slower that version 4.0 when loading 1,000 samples from a database with 2 million+ records.

To minimize these increased load times, the following is recommended:

• For the Job Management form, filter it to load only the jobs that an operator would currently be working on.
• For the Quality Management form, filter it by an entity as this shows significant load time improvement in the internal testing environment.

Additional Known Issues

Following are additional known issues:

• During an upgrade to Work Tasks 2020 U1, MES 2020 (version 6.2), and Work Tasks 2020 U1 Connector and Extension for MES 2020 (version 6.7), errors might appear in the SMC Logger until you complete the Work Tasks 2020 U1 Connector and Extension for MES 2020 installation and configuration.
• When updating packages, a warning message might appear in the install window. Also, two errors and a warning message are logged in SMC. The error relates to the folders created in Forms to separate each package. The error does not affect proper functionality of package features.
• On a tablet only, when using the Gantt chart in the Utilization form, the Merge and Split pop‑up forms are not being called. The workaround is to use the buttons in the tool bar. A fix is expected to be available in the next release of Work Tasks.
• When a form lookup is called and no records are returned, a warning message is logged in SMC because the MES Web API returns a null instead of an empty JArray. This issue does not adversely affect the use of the form.

MES Model-Driven Application Content Documentation

The MES model-driven application content documentation set includes the following:

MES Model-Driven Application Content Installation Guide

Provides information about installing Work Tasks, MES, Work Tasks Extension and Connector for MES, Work Tasks Extension and Connector for System Platform, and Intelligence to support using the MES model-driven application content. Also provides information about installing or updating the MES model-driven application content packages.

Work Order Management Help

Provides information about using the Work Order Management form.

Job Management Help

Provides information about using the Job Management form.

Inventory Management Help

Provides information about using the Inventory Management form.

Quality Management Help

Provides information about using the Quality Management form.

MES Model-Driven Application Content Developer Guide

Provides information about how to use MES model-driven application custom controls in Work Tasks forms.