How to replace a Johnson Controls NAE with an SNE

The one consistent part of working with technology is that technology will continue to change. The Johnson Controls NAE (Network Automation Engine) has been in service for several years but is now being replaced with the next generation device, the SNE (Series Network Engine).

Johnson Controls SNEs have more memory and a new operating system that allows them to run the newer versions of the Metasys Building Automation System. The newer devices are also physically smaller than some of the NAEs, giving you more mounting options in your panel. After replacing an NAE 55 with an SNE 2200 there was a significant amount of empty space in the panel.

Technology changes are driving the need to upgrade the Johnson Controls NAE

Most older generation NAEs and NCEs cannot run the newer versions of Metasys with almost all of them being unable to run anything past Metasys 9.9. The NAE 55 Rev 3 is capable of running newer versions of the system but will eventually become obsolete as well. Many of the team from Johnson Controls i work with have told me they are moving away from all “gray boxes” as part of the modernization in technology.

The original operating system for a Johnson Controls NAE was an embedded form of Microsoft Windows. We are all aware of the changes at Microsoft and their abandonment of older Windows operating systems. Johnson Controls SNEs run on Linux instead of Windows which is a much more stable platform for these types of devices.

With Microsoft ending support for older versions of Windows, a lot of organizations no longer allow devices running those versions to be connected to their network. All organizations need to maintain a technology upgrade program that continually evaluates technology changes and develops a plan to keep their system relevant.

Important considerations before replacing a Johnson Controls NAE with an SNE

There are some key points to consider before replacing an NAE with an SNE that cannot be ignored. If you are installing a Johnson Controls SNE on a network which has an ADX server as the site director, you must first be sure the server is running an equal or higher level of Metasys than the SNE. A Metasys network must have the server at the highest level of the operating system in order for it to communicate to the devices.

Upgrade your SCT database before installing the device

The first step in the process of replacing an NAE with an SNE is to upgrade the SCT database for the device. The process for upgrading the SCT database is a simple process that only requires a few basic steps. This video shows the process step by step.

SCT Pro can auto discover an SNE when it’s first powered up

The newer version of SCT known as SCT Pro is web based and has some nice features that can make installing new devices a little easier. Connect a switch between your laptop and the SNE and make sure your laptop is set to DHCP Enable. Open SCT Pro from your laptop and go into the device discovery option. Power up the SNE and click the “Discover” button on the upper right.

Eventually the IP address for the device will appear in the list. Go back into the network settings on your laptop and change your laptop IP address to be in the same subnet as the device. Once you change your laptop IP address use the “Actions” option at the bottom of your screen in SCT Pro to launch into the SNE. You can also enter the IP address of the SNE into the Launcher Tool.

Problems you may have loading the SCT Database into the SNE

It is easy to try to make the process of replacing a Johnson Controls NAE with an SNE sound simple but the reality is that there are problems that can happen. If you are connected directly to the Johnson Controls SNE with your laptop using a switch, you may not be able to directly download the database into the device. SCT will appear to start downloading but will eventually time out.

It is very common to download a Johnson Controls NAE from a laptop or any other computer running SCT but the SNEs are a bit different. The difference in downloading a Johnson Controls NAE and a Johnson Controls SNE is the port settings on your computer. It would be impossible to give all of the details surrounding the settings so we will jump to the solution that worked for me.

Once I got into the SNE I updated the name and the IP address for the device but didn’t point it to the server. You will not be able to point it to the server if it is not directly connected to a network that has access to the server. The SNE will ask for the login information to the server and will give you an error if it can’t see it.

A Johnson Controls SNE is set as its default to be a site director and must be demoted by pairing it with a server if it isn’t used as one. It MUST be able to see the site director in order to pair it where it will populate on your network tree.

Once you get the device configured with the name and IP address that is in your SCT database connect the SNE to your network. Once the device is on a network capable of seeing the server, try downloading it through your network. If you still cannot load the device from your laptop, try downloading the database from your server instead.