SiteManager ORMSM1315 – GateManager Connection Issue Resolved by Updating GateManager Address

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1

Hello,

I experienced a GateManager connection issue with a SiteManager device. The device was not able to connect properly to GateManager.

After checking the SiteManager settings, I resolved the issue by logging into the SiteManager GUI and changing the following parameter:

SiteManager GUI > 1. GateManager tab > GateManager Address

The previous value in this field was an old domain/number-based address. I replaced it with the following address:

gm01.br-automation.com

After applying this change, the GateManager connection was restored and the system started working normally.

However, I am not sure whether this issue may occur again in the future. I wanted to share this experience in case it helps anyone else. If anyone has a different recommendation or a better explanation for this issue, I would be happy to hear it.

Thank you.

2

Thanks for sharing, Ahmet! I’ve moved your post into the 'Share Info & Ideas" category so that others can find it easier.

If I recall correctly, this change was recommended by B&R a while back because the hosted GateManager moved servers. A fixed IP address works great as long as it never changes. However, using the URL instead will ensure DNS gives you the most up-to-date IP address of the server even if it changes.

3

Hello Ahmed,

Public IP addresses can change periodically, due to the nature of how batches are assigned to ISPs and the limitations of IPv4 IP addresses. Likely, the ISP of the GateManager server changed the public IP address, the GateManager server was migrated, or the server was restarted for maintenance. Business/server IP addresses are typically static for months/years at a time, leading to long-term connections without issue. This change can occur on almost all internet facing public services (with rare exceptions, ex. Google’s public DNS servers).

The solution is to utilize the host name (gm01.br-automation.com) which will use DNS, Domain Naming Service, to find the current IP address of the server for connection. DNS is essentially a large look-up table of names and associated IP addresses, including a system for looking up information. DNS works in the same way for websites; you haven’t had to memorize the IP address (ex. google.com, br-automation.com) or noticed when they change. You should no longer have the same issue as long as the domain server is registered, and DNS is still working (if it’s not, we all have much bigger internet problems).

Best regards,
Austin