MAC36NL - Commissioning - Problem with performing the commissioning

Issue

It is not possible to perform the commissioning process in the MAC36NL-family controller.

Possible causes and solutions

No time synchronization

In the commissioning process, all steps have been performed successfully, but the controller’s time synchronization error comes up in the Completing Commissioning window,

WhatsApp Image 2023-12-23 at 1.03.39 PM (1).jpeg

Solution

Such a situation may occur when the controller’s hardware is damaged.

Different Niagara versions

If a station is moved from one MAC36NL controller to another on a new site, the error comes up, which prevents the commissioning process from completing.

The reason to this is an expired signature of modules listed in the Software Installation window.

The fact that the same station works correctly on the old site and cannot start on the new one may be rooted in using different Niagara versions (newer version is installed on the new site). Previous versions were by default set to lower security levels, which allowed to ignore the lack or expiration of JAR modules digital signatures.

There are a few possible solutions.

Solution 1

The most reliable method is to verify if the module update is available. It solves the problem instantly and allows to avoid errors as well as possibly use new functionalities of the module.

Please note that the ismaRoomDevices and ismaModules modules are no longer supported and have been replaced by the iClib module.

Solution 2

Individually sign the JAR module. To this end:

go to the Certificate Management in Workbench (Tools menu);
create a new Code Signing certificate with a long validity period;
export it as a public key to a PEM file;
then, go to the Jar Signer Tool (also in the Toolsmenu), select the JAR module to be signed and the created code signing certificate;
confirm the Jar Signer with OK and select a target location for the signed module (indicating the modules folder will result in an error);
next, turn off Workbench and copy the signed JAR module from a temporary location to the modules folder (if the error persists, switch the Niagara deamon on the local PC to another version and bring back the target one after the copying is complete);
turn on Workbench again;
go to platform → Cerificate Management → User Trust Store and import the public key (PEM file) of the code signing certificate.

Solution 3

The last solution is not recommended - switch the security level (niagara.moduleVerificationMode) to low in the system.properties file. To this end:

open the File Transfer Client in the controller’s platform;
create the Defaults folder in the controller’s main location;
create the system.properties file in the Defaults folder;
paste the below contents in the file:
uncomment (remove a # mark) the line including the niagara.moduleVerificationMode parameter and enter the value low;
save changes and restart the controller.

No option to save files to the controller

By the end of the commissioning process, while uploading files to the controller, the following message comes up preventing the preliminary configuration of the controller from completing:

CODE

Stopping applications...
No running applications to stop.
Checking file /niagara/defaults/bacnetObjectTypes.xml
Checking file /niagara/defaults/lonStandardConversion.xml
Checking file /niagara/defaults/migrator.properties
Checking file /niagara/defaults/niagaraAxBacnetObjectTypes.xml
Checking file /niagara/defaults/system.properties
Checking file /niagara/defaults/unitConversion.xml
Checking file /niagara/defaults/unitDifferentialConversion.xml
Checking file /niagara/defaults/units.xml
Checking file /niagara/etc/extensions.properties
Checking file /niagara/lib/licenseAgreement.txt
Checking file /niagara/lib/readmeLicenses.txt
Checking file /niagara/security/policy/java.policy
Checking file /niagara/security/policy/java.security
Checking file /niagara/security/policy/signing.properties
Checking directories to be cleaned
Checking file /niagara/npsdkUpdates/nrecore.tar.gz
Checking file /niagara/npsdkUpdates/nrecore.tar.gz.sig
Checking directories to be cleaned
Checking file /niagara/npsdkUpdates/system.tar
Checking file /niagara/npsdkUpdates/system.tar.sig
Checking directories to be cleaned
Transferring files...
Sending !modules/platDataRecovery-rt.jar
Sending /niagara/etc/extensions.properties
Sending /niagara/defaults/lonStandardConversion.xml
Sending /niagara/defaults/niagaraAxBacnetObjectTypes.xml
Sending /niagara/defaults/unitConversion.xml
Sending /niagara/defaults/migrator.properties
Sending /niagara/defaults/unitDifferentialConversion.xml
Sending /niagara/security/policy/signing.properties
Sending !defaults/platform.bog
Sending /niagara/defaults/units.xml
Sending /niagara/lib/licenseAgreement.txt
Sending /niagara/npsdkUpdates/nrecore.tar.gz.sig
Sending /niagara/npsdkUpdates/system.tar.sig
Sending /niagara/security/policy/java.policy
Sending !modules/baja.jar
Sending /niagara/defaults/system.properties
javax.baja.sys.LocalizableRuntimeException: Error posting to 
192.168.41.10 : POST /niagara/defaults/system.properties?transaction=current&transactionId=MTYzMzUwMzY1NTg0OQ==&csrfToken=FzWkq7Nw3SzKf%2BY83O8twimUXuAQhQAp
at com.tridium.platform.daemon.DaemonFileUtil.transfer(DaemonFileUtil.java:693)
at com.tridium.install.InstallScenario.commit(InstallScenario.java:1444)
at com.tridium.platDaemon.ui.commissioningwizard.FinishPane.run(FinishPane.java:739)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)
Caused by: java.net.SocketException: Connection reset
at java.net.SocketInputStream.read(SocketInputStream.java:210)
at java.net.SocketInputStream.read(SocketInputStream.java:141)
at java.io.BufferedInputStream.fill(BufferedInputStream.java:246)
at java.io.BufferedInputStream.read(BufferedInputStream.java:265)
at javax.baja.net.HttpConnection$StatusLine.readVersion(HttpConnection.java:1118)
at javax.baja.net.HttpConnection$StatusLine.<init>(HttpConnection.java:1106)
at javax.baja.net.HttpConnection.readResponse(HttpConnection.java:624)
at javax.baja.net.HttpConnection.readResponse(HttpConnection.java:613)
at javax.baja.net.HttpConnection.postComplete(HttpConnection.java:495)
at com.tridium.platform.daemon.DaemonFileUtil.transfer(DaemonFileUtil.java:635)
... 3 more

The reason to this is an attempt to update the distribution on the MAC36NL controller, which cannot be uploaded directly to the controller if its current distribution is of a different version. Before the 4.8 distribution, updating to any higher Niagara distribution must have been performed from the 4.4 base version.

Solution

If there is a 4.6 or 4.7 version installed on the controller, first, it is required to perform a cleanDist to the 4.4 version and, then, it is possible to upgrade the version to 4.6, 4.7, or 4.8. Please note that it is not possible to upgrade the distribution from the 4.4 version directly to 4.8 (or higher). In this situation, it is required to, first, install the 4.8 version and, then, freely upgrade it to any of the versions supported by the MAC36NL controller.