Could you please give us some advise about the following?
We are using the AnywhereUSB boxes in the following config:
Win XP SP2 Vitrual machine <-> LAN <-> router <-> AnywhereUSB (ie digibox) <–> USB JTAG emulator
- Firmware version is 1.90.5.
- Awusbcfg.exe version is 1.90.1.
- get IP address via DHCP from the router
From time to time the Digibox disappear from the Concentrator configuration utility and re-appear shortly after.
The effect is that the SW in the Win XP machine talking to the USB jtag emulator looses connection.
We can not recover smoothly because:
a) The network connection is still available as I can ping the digibox from the Win XP machine (it is expected since the digiboxed is discovered).
But the Concentrator configuration utility shows it as disconnected (does not appear in bold anymore) but looking at the led the box still looks connected (all leds are green and none blinking). Additionnally the connect button is greyed (see enclosed screenshot).
Looks like that the only solution is to power off the digibox and end manually the Awusbcfg.exe process (closing the program is not enough as it still appear in the "windows task manager "processes.
This force us to restart all over again the config procedure and establish again a USB link between the PC and our USB JTAG device and start again the PC SW that
talks to the USB emulator.
b) We would like to be able to recover without to have to power off the digibox.
Ideally to have a way to disconnect and connect again (but the disconnect button neve appear again).
I tried to use the reboot button but (even if the digibox reboots and the Awusbcfg.exe process is ended when the Concentrator configuration utility is launched again) the system is in the same state as before:
digibox shown as disconnected (does not appear in bold anymore) and connect button is greyed (see enclosed screenshot).
the box still looks connected (all leds are green and none blinking).
Q: Is there a way to recover without to have to power off the digibox? Is there a utility to force to disconnect without to have to reboot/power off?
Q: Is the problem network related (from our understanding there is a permanent connection between the Win XP machine and the digibox) or in the Concentrator configuration utility SW?
Good morning Anthony and thank you for the detailed information.
If you look at the bottom-right of the AnywhereUSB Configuration Utility in your screen capture, note the Status value. “Connected to 192.168.254.52”. This means that the AnywhereUSB is connected to a different host with that IP address, and this is why the Connect button is grayed out.
In case you weren’t aware (this question comes up often), multiple hosts cannot be connected to an AnywhereUSB at the same time.
With that being said, my first question is, “What is 192.168.254.52?” Is it a PC that you were testing the AnywhereUSB on? Or do you ultimately plan to use the AnywhereUSB on both that host and the host that you sent me the screen capture from?
I’d like to address this first before we begin troubleshooting the issue you reported about the AnywhereUSB periodically disappearing. It will make things less confusing for both of us.
I have now updated to Firmware 2.30.5 and Cfg utility 2.3.0.
Here is the sequence of what happens:
The communication goes well from sometimes.
But after some period our host will automatically stop (Virtual image is undeployed). This means that the Digibox reports (looking at the log) the following:
0000000B Software Reboot (Host Inactivity)
Firmware v2.30.5 Uptime 2hrs 19min 18s
So the digibox stays in the discovery mode (green leds blinkings).
We resume the host operation (deploy it again, but not rebooting again). The box is discovered and We can see from the status that the box is available for connection (see attached .jpg file).
We press the connect button but the box never connects again.
Even if I reboot or power off the digibox I still can not connect.
I have to reboot the host machine and then the box is automatically re-connected after boot (no need to press connect).
So it looks like that some “hosts status” are kept in the digibox and when the host is re-deployed something prevents the connection.
What we want to be able to do is:
re-deply the host and be able to connect again staight on (without to have to reboot the host or reboot the Digibox).
Q: Is there an options to force a disconnection from the host (for example via a cmd line utility)?
Q: have you seen such behavior already?
Since we are in a virtual environement (Vmware ESX server running some Host Virtual machines) it assumed that after some points the Hosts will become undeployed automatically. This is the expected behavior.
However recovering the digibox connection is not straight forward since you need to reboot the host which is not a needed steps in a Virtual environement.
It sounds like your AnywhereUSB is periodically rebooting. To answer your question, yes, we’ve had reports of this behavior before. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to re-create this issue because we don’t know exactly what causes it. At this time, we suspect that a compatibility issue with certain “high end” switches may contribute towards the issue. With that being said, what kind of switch is your AnywhereUSB connected to (what is the make/model)? What is the port that the AnywhereUSB is connected to configured for? For example, auto or something manual like 100 megabit full? If possible, experiment by changing those options to see if the issue-at-hand still occurs or not.
Has this issue always occurred or did it recently start occurring? If the latter, what changed related to the AnywhereUSB that may be the cause of the issue?
If you haven’t already, try a different driver version for the USB JTAG device. Try a newer driver first, if one is a available. Or try an older driver, if you’re already running the latest version.
Concerning a workaround so you don’t have to reboot the host machine, the next time this issue occurs, go to “Edit / Connection List” and remove all IP address entries. Close the Connection List then click the Connect button. Are you then re-connected to the AnywhereUSB?
Took me sometime to follow up. To answer your questions:
> what kind of switch is your
> AnywhereUSB connected to (what is the make/model)?
> What is the port that the AnywhereUSB is connected
> d to configured for? For example, auto or something
> manual like 100 megabit full? If possible,
> experiment by changing those options to see if the
> issue-at-hand still occurs or not.
The switch is a Cisco Catalyst 6500.
Tried with both port Settings:
auto negotiated 100MBit full duplex)
fixed speed setting 100Mbit Full-Duplex
Still see the same issue occur. The digi box reboots after some points because of Host inactivity.
On the Host side a reboot of the machine is needed in order to recover the connection even if the box is “discovered” and the status “available for Host connection”.
> Has this issue always occurred or did it recently
> start occurring? If the latter, what changed related
> to the AnywhereUSB that may be the cause of the
> issue?
Since we started to investigate the USBAnywhere solution the issue has always been present when using it with a VWware Virtual environement (Labmanager).
>
> If you haven’t already, try a different driver
> version for the USB JTAG device. Try a newer driver
> first, if one is a available. Or try an older
> driver, if you’re already running the latest
> version.
From the USB JTAG device side we use the latest drivers available.
> Concerning a workaround so you don’t have to reboot
> the host machine, the next time this issue occurs, go
> to “Edit / Connection List” and remove all IP address
> entries. Close the Connection List then click the
> Connect button. Are you then re-connected to the
> AnywhereUSB?
I tried to remove all the IP addresses from the connection list. Close the Cfg tools and re-open it to connect but this does not look to work neither.
Q: Any advise on which direction we could investigate? From your side what additionnal information would you need in order to narow down the issue?
Note: We have an other issue but I will make a new post since it is not related with this one.
We need to pinpoint what’s causing the issue and my best guess is that Cisco Catalyst 6500 switch. For troubleshooting purposes, can you connect the AnywhereUSB to a different switch, ideally something more “SOHO” (Small Office / Home Office) like a smaller, simpler 4-port switch?
I see in your other topic that you connected a lower-end switch in between the Catalyst and the AWUSB, and that did not make a difference with regards to that other issue. Did it make a difference with regards to this issue? I presume not but let me know for sure.