Is it possible to link an HMI across VMs

[robertmee]

In the past when testing a particular HMI with a CLX program I'd use rsemulate with rslinx virtual backplane driver and create a dde topic for the hmi pointing to the clx program in emulate. I have a project with wonderware on a virtual machine the customer provided me...I'd rather not have to rebuild linx, logix, emulate and all the aops on the wonderware vm. So is it possible to just install linx on the ww vm and have it somehow point to the emulator running on a different vm?

 

[Ken Roach]

Do you have an RSLinx Classic Gateway license running on that Emulator VM ?

As tricky and frustrating as Remote OPC can be, that's the first thing I would try, to use the VM with Emulate 5000 and RSLinx Classic as a Remote OPC Server.

Another thing to try would be to put only RSLinx Classic on the Wonderware VM, and set up the Emulate 5000/RSLinx Classic VM as an RSLinx Gateway, which would let you use the "Remote Devices via Linx Gateway" driver on the Wonderware/RSLinx VM.

 

[robertmee]

I have full license on both VMs....I saw the remote server via gateway driver on the WW VM but was unsure how to set it up as when browsing for a server nothing shows up. I'll play around with that idea and see how far I get.

 

[Paullys50]

This is something you would want to use SoftLogix instead of RSEmulate, however I know SoftLogix isn't much of an option after v20 and I'm not sure if AB is improving RSEmulate...

I've done many virtual setups where a VM is running a Softlogix and many other VMs are either IO servers, Runtime Clients, Development clients...etc. All virtualized. Largest setup I did was ~20 or so VMs total, included redundancy.

Softlogix makes it just like a physical PLC w/and IP address. Go that route if you have the option.