Metasys 11 Upgrade Issues

Johnson Controls released Metasys 11 several months ago and more organizations are making the move to the latest version. There are many new features in the latest version of the software that is making Metasys a truly enterprise system, giving you access to a lot more data analytics.

The upgrade we recently did had a few issues that I wanted to share. As of the time of this article we upgraded from Metasys 10 to Metasys 11 as well as migrated to a split ADX server.

Reviewing System requirements is the first step

It is important for any organization to first consider the system requirements for the latest version of Metasys. The hardware and the operating system you’re running play a critical role in the reliability of your overall system.

The ADX server we had been running was not compatible with the latest version of the Metasys 11 software. We also needed to upgrade to a newer version of Microsoft Server and SQL Server as part of the process.

We held a couple meetings with representatives from our local Johnson Controls branch as well as our IT department to discuss the best options for our system. During the discussions it was recommended that we migrate to a split ADX server due to the size of our site in order to give optimum performance of the system.

The existing machine was repurposed to become the webserver and we purchased another server that would become the SQL database server. We added a virtual machine to be used as the SCT Database.

Consider your timeframe for upgrading your system

Before you begin the process of upgrading your system to Metasys 11, it is important to consider how the disruption will affect your organization. Our decision was driven by the way our campus was operating at the time. We were on a very limited schedule of operation that increases the closer we get to the next semester.

It took us a total of three days to get the system back to a useable condition due to the time it took overcoming issues we encountered. It is important to plan this into your upgrade process. Work with the technicians, not the sales representatives, to get a good idea of the potential downtime you could face in the event of problems.

It is impossible to implement this big of an upgrade without some disruptions in operation. The goal should be to minimize the unintended effects as much as possible. Consider your abilities to directly access supervisory devices directly in the event of a delay in getting the servers operational.

If you regularly use HVAC scheduling of areas in your organization, it is a good idea to bring all of those areas occupied within the system to ensure occupant comfort in the event the upgrade process takes longer than expected.

Leave the existing system running as long as possible during the upgrade

Since we were moving to a split ADX server system, we left the original, single server, running on Metasys 10 until all of the upgrade work on the two new machines was completed before upgrading it to Metasys 11.

There is no need to shut down a running system until it becomes the last piece in the upgrade. However, you should limit any database changes as much as possible until after the overall upgrade is completed. Changes you make after a backup of your system is made will be blown away during the process.

Pay close attention to the Server IP addresses

Make sure the new webserver has the same IP address as your previous machine unless you want to go to every device in your system and point it to a new server IP address. As part of the installation process you will need to tell the system the address for each of the other servers in the system.

It is also important to keep your SQL database server and SCT server in the same subdomain to ensure smooth operation of your system. Your IT department needs to be involved with this part of the process to ensure all network security changes can be made.

Get Metasys 11 SCT running first

SCT is the database that contains all of your system programming, user views and much more. If you lose an NAE, NCE or even have a server crash, you can reload those devices from the SCT backup if you have it.

Getting SCT installed in the SCT server was the first step in the installation process. Our local JCI tech wanted to ensure we had a solid backup of our entire system before making any major chances to our existing server.

Once the newer version of Metasys SCT was up and running on the server and my laptop, we made multiple backup copies of the entire database in the event of losing one during the process.

The SQL Database Server and Web Server were next

After having good backups of the entire database the next step was to get the SQL database server up and running and loading the database into it.

Once the SQL Database was running on the new machine, our IT department took down the original ADX server, installed a newer version of Microsoft Server operating system and added additional memory to the machine.

At this point we were at a critical time in the process since we cannot access Metasys. We could only access devices directly to make any necessary changes to the system.

Remember the lessons you learn installing the SQL Database and SCT Database servers

As the old saying goes, “the more you do something, the easier it gets.” The lessons learned getting the ADX webserver and the SCT server up and running reduced the downtime of the system.

The solution to the problems encountered with those two machines were replicated on the webserver, allowing for a quicker installation of the Metasys software.

Once Metasys 11 was installed on the webserver and pointed to the SQL database, it was time to start working through other issues created by the upgrade.

Corrupted files caused devices to go offline

After getting the machines back online we downloaded the database into the new machine. This is why it is critical to have a good backup of your entire database.

The first thing we noticed when Metasys 11 came online for the first time is that many of our devices, NAEs, NCEs, were offline. This was an issue we worry about every time we go through an upgrade.

We verified that the devices themselves were communicating by logging into them directly across our network. Due to the total number of devices that were offline as well as being able to log into them directly, it was clear the issue was with the server.

Fortunately during the next call to the field service center, our JCI tech was able to speak with someone who was very familiar with this issue.

During the Metasys 11 upgrade process there is a text file that became corrupted. Inside that file was a name list of each device in the system. For some reason, a “#” was added in front of each of the devices.

Deleting it out allowed the device to come back online. The unusual part is that not all of our devices were offline because not all of them had the “#” in front of the device name.

There were also some devices that had completely disappeared from the text file list. Those devices had to be manually reentered into the file before they would come back online with the system.

Corrupted Objects caused by Metasys 11 upgrade

Another issue we noticed once the system was back online was that we had several schedules that no longer appeared in the new Metasys User Interface (MUI). This issue only seemed to effect one of our buildings.

The schedules were still visible and working in SMP but not in MUI for some reason. After more time spend working with tech support, our JCI tech tried to rebuild one of the schedules from scratch, causing it to appear in MUI.

Due to the timeframe of getting the system back online we made the decision to rebuild the corrupted schedule objects to get them working again instead of spending more time trying to investigate why they were corrupted.

Johnson Controls should make it easier for their field technicians

There were a few issues getting SQL Server installed on the SCT machine, the web server and the SQL database server which required help from the Field Service Center as well as some google searches for a couple of registry hacks.

The issues with the corruption of files and objects added to the stress of getting the upgrade completed and our system back online with Metasys 11.

Those issues are something I believe that Johnson Controls could make easier for their field technicians by implementing some of those necessary system changes into the installation packets of the software.

Johnson Controls should also spend more time testing their software to eliminate the bugs that caused file and object corruption in the system. Speaking with others who use Metasys 11, they experienced the same issues.

An inexperienced field technician will not be able to get the software installed very easily. The challenges faced getting the system back online and running correctly are a direct result of software engineers at Johnson Controls in my opinion.

How Metasys 11 is performing

I can’t end this article with only talking about the problems we faced during the upgrade process without mentioning how the system has been performing since.

Overall the system is running great now that the upgrade has been completed. Some of the negative changes to the system include the inability to reuse exception schedules within the system. Instead of simply changing the date on a currently existing exception schedule, you must create an entirely new exception.

The system has been very stable so far and is performing well. There are a lot of new features within Metasys 11 that greatly simplify many of my job responsibilities by automating some of the reports I’ve pulled manually before. They’re not perfect but a HUGE step forward.