Creating jobs
This guide explains how to create jobs in octoplant to back up FANUC CNC devices.
Prerequisites
A licensed installation of FANUC LADDER-III is required, either on the octoplant server or on an agent.
FANUC CNC memory types
FANUC CNC devices use two types of memory, each with specific characteristics in octoplant:
- SRAM: Battery-supported RAM that stores parameters, offsets, variables, and other essential data.
- FROM: Flash ROM that contains the PMC program, SRAM backups, and additional stored data.
Understanding these memory types is key to configuring efficient backups in octoplant.
Recommended backup strategy
To ensure comprehensive backups and enable disaster recovery, we recommend creating three separate jobs for three different components, aligned with the file structure in the Project Tree:
- CNC Data Backup: To safeguard machine-specific settings and offsets
- PMC Data Backup: To ensure automation logic integrity
- SRAM Data Backup: Full system recovery in case of critical failure.
For this job, set Do not compare under Upload and compare as the compare policy.
This structured approach ensures that each type of data is properly backed up and facilitates a more reliable restoration process when needed.
Configuring jobs for FANUC CNC components
- Start the AdminClient and open the Jobs module.
- Select your FANUC CNC component in the Project tree.
- Click on the Create button in the ribbon or drag and drop the component into the Jobs area.
- Check that the upload type Fanuc CNC is displayed in the Job configuration area.
- Configure the general sections General, Notification, Upload and compare and Create a version automatically after job run. The sections Notification and Create a version automatically after job run are only displayed if the settings required for this have been made.
- Configure the Fanuc CNC settings section as follows:
- Select the Connection type.
- For an HSSB connection, the computer, from which the upload is to be executed, must have a suitable interface card from FANUC and the corresponding drivers. In addition to this, a node number must be specified in the job configuration. The default value for the node number is 0.
- For a connection via Ethernet you must enter an IP address or the device name and the FOCAS port. The default port is 8193.
- To restore your FANUC CNC devices with a backup, select the checkbox Copy disaster recovery data and select how the SRAM backups should be copied in the dropdown list.
- Create SRAM backup Select this option only if you know that the device is in emergency stop during job execution. This is the only option where a complete emergency restore backup will be created.
- Copy all SRAM backups from F-ROM Select this option only if you know that the device is running (i.e. NOT in emergency stop) during job execution. This is the only possible option if it is not possible to create a valid SRAM backup due to the device type or firmware version.
- Try to create SRAM backup, copy SRAM backups from F-ROM if SRAM is blocked Select this option only if you want option I. (see above) to be applied to stopped devices and option II. to be applied to running devices. This is the preferred procedure for octoplant.
- Determine whether PMC data, CNC data and user data should also be copied when the job is executed.
- Save the job and execute it.
- Select the Connection type.
Info
You can implement further settings for jobs of this upload type in the AdminClient in the Global settings dialog.
Unlike FANUC CNC devices, FANUC Robots do not have a dedicated upload type. Instead, backups are performed using generic FTP jobs.
- If you are backing up a FANUC CNC device, FTP settings are not required.
- If you are backing up a FANUC Robot, FTP settings must be configured manually in the generic FTP job.
FAQ
Problems when removing the program directory of FANUC robots
When creating a job to save the programs of FANUC robots via FTP, make sure that the directory name \mc:
is entered in the Subdirectory text field in the FTP Settings area.
Explanation
The operating system of FANUC robots requires that directory names end with a : (colon). This rule is in direct contradiction to the notation of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) commands. Although FTP commands can or must contain one or more colons, it is not intended that an FTP command ends with a colon.
A FANUC robot or the data on its storage medium is backed up via FTP (upload type).
If a Job for backing up FANUC robots via FTP is now created using the AdminClient, each robot is specified using its IP address or (computer) name. The IP address or computer name must be entered in the FTP Settings area. The Subdirectory text field can also be found in this area.
As long as no other directory has been specified by entering a path in the Subdirectory specified text field, the data located in Directory\mc:
is saved. The directory name \mc:
represents the robot's hard disk.
However, it is not the operating system that is to be backed up, but the robot programs. These are stored in the directory \mc:
. This directory represents a flash disk that is integrated into the robot's file system when it is started.
Info
Directory\mc:
can only be accessed or the contents of the directory displayed if the flash card corresponding to has been inserted.
If the flashcard is not present and an attempt is still made to access the program directory, the following error message will be displayed:
Error when calling an FTP function [Name: IwcdFtpDLXComPtr::GetFile][Error text: Requested action not taken. File unavailable (e.g., file not found, no access).][Details: /mc:/from00.img][40550]