Network goes into degraded state?

Why would my network suddenly report the following:

2010/05/05 09:08:32 C-Gate : Rx "#c# //MIDSTRM/254/p/4 #State=error #OID=da5bc220-3a2f-102d-a79b-ec4c40292571"
2010/05/05 09:08:32 C-Gate : Network 254, unit 4 now in Error state

I am running PICED 4.8.3 and every now and then I get the above error and then it eventually goes away. I get the same error for unit #5 as well. Both units 4 and 5 are DIN 8-Channel Dimmers.

Everything still works perfectly, it's just the error message in the log and the PICED status bar that caught my attention.

Ingo

 

The only way to know for sure what is going on is to look at a C-Gate event level 9 log. The details in the log are probably not going to make much sense, so you may have to send it into Tech Support (and they will probably refer it to me).

The most likely cause is that these units are not replying to C-Gate during the background sync process. The most likely cause of that is communication problems. You could try running the C-Bus Diagnostic Utility with the Traffic Analyser going. At the time you get these errors from C-Gate, see if there is a spike in the C-Bus error rate.

 

That might be a bit tricky, I need PICED loaded to see when the errors happen but then I need the diagnostic utility active to capture the network traffic. I think they are mutually exclusive unless there is another way I can 'see' when the errors happen.

Ingo

 

Yes. You will need two separate connection to C-Bus unfortunately.

 

Darren,

Here is a quick extract of both the PICED log and the CGATE log. The message is actually self explanatory so what I am going to do is to run the same test from a PCI, without a serial-to-ethernet converter on, maybe the converter messes up a packet or two every now and then.

2010/05/06 20:55:30 C-Gate : Rx "#c# //MIDSTRM/254/p/12 #State=error #OID=d55c3a70-3b60-102d-8926-90761cb6079a"
2010/05/06 20:55:30 C-Gate : Network 254, unit 12 now in Error state

20100506-205530 757 //MIDSTRM/254 d528a750-3b60-102d-87d4-90761cb6079a command-fail-count=1 unit=12 reason=no response (\460C001AF201)
20100506-205530 753 //MIDSTRM/254 d528a750-3b60-102d-87d4-90761cb6079a Net Sync: Sync failed for unit 12
20100506-205530 753 //MIDSTRM/254 d528a750-3b60-102d-87d4-90761cb6079a Net Sync: address 12 type RELDN12 version 1.3.0 catalog L5512RVF
20100506-205530 999 //MIDSTRM/254 d528a750-3b60-102d-87d4-90761cb6079a SyncPointer=13

I did run the Diagnostic Utility all morning and the error rates are all way down low, I don't think that errors on the bus have any effect on this problem.

Ingo

 

This shows that unit 12 did not reply to C-Gate and so C-Gate put the unit into the failed state.

 

Yes, the network seems perfect, I checked all those variables and they are fine. This was just one of the error messages, the others are exactly the same, the only difference is that it happens for any unit on the network.

I still think my serial-to-ethernet converter might be causing this, I just need to find time to check with the PCI only. I'll post results probably after the weekend.

Ingo

 

I captured the required data, via my PCI only, and sent it off to support. It wasn't the serial-to-ethernet device, results are the same as before.

Ingo