The Errata provides additional information about viewLinc 5.2 product functionality. For current system specifications, see viewLinc Enterprise Server 5.2 Datasheet (B212751EN).
Important notices
- viewLinc 5.2 enforces the use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 in all communications. As a result, all Vaisala VaiNet AP10 Access Points in the installation must operate on firmware version 4.5 or newer. AP10 hardware version F and older must be replaced. For more information, see viewLinc 5.2 Compatibility Requirements for VaiNet Wireless Access Points AP10 Technical Note.
- viewLinc uses a certificate and security key to establish a secure connection between network PCs and the viewLinc Enterprise Server. During upgrade, you will be asked to confirm the exact list of URLs and aliases to allow users to connect to the viewLinc webserver. Users will only be able to connect to viewLinc using the names contained in the certificate, even if they were able to connect in earlier versions.
- Ensure that you acknowledge all missing historical data alarms before upgrading to viewLinc version 5.2. If there are any unacknowledged missing historical data alarms when the upgrade occurs, they will persist after upgrade and it will require the help of Support to remove them. Note that this is fixed in Service Update 1.
- For a complete list of all feature changes, see viewLinc Enterprise Server 5.2 User Guide (M212933EN), “What’s New”.
Active Directory setup
- To be able to use the Active Directory Sync feature, viewLinc requires that your Active Directory server uses a 2048-bit RSA certificate.
- viewLinc does not support nested groups with Active Directory. Ensure that there are no groups within other groups inside the OU specified for viewLinc.
- For the
Host name
field, specify the domain server's hostname and not the viewLinc server's hostname, otherwise it's possible that the users will not be imported.
System
- It is recommended that you stop viewLinc services before running Windows Updates, taking backups, or making any other changes to the Operating System hosting viewLinc. Use the start/stop application commands included with your viewLinc installation at .
- The email server connection when using SMTP only supports ASCII usernames and passwords.
- viewLinc Aware functionality cannot be enabled from the viewLinc UI; to start/stop viewLinc Aware, use Windows Services.
- Twilio voice or SMS web services require that TCP traffic be allowed to access viewLinc Enterprise Server (via incoming TCP port 12500).
- Events triggered by changes to the Windows OS clock cannot be disabled.
- Attachments sent by email may arrive as .dat files, depending on the email server type. To open a .dat file, first save the file as .pdf.
- Custom email/SMS messages created in a specific language are only available to users with the same language preference set in their user profile.
- Security certificates:
- If the Vaisala OPC UA server finds an invalid CA, it terminates. This issue is caused by multiple certificates being installed in the Trusted Roots.
- Vaisala OPC UA Server needs the viewLinc certificate installed in the localMachine store, NOT the current user.
- If multiple instances of viewLinc or other systems are accessing a Modbus device, viewLinc may not be able to collect data from the Modbus device.
Alarms
- When a user pauses alarming on a Location, all existing alarms in that Location are auto-acknowledged and turned off.
- For DL series loggers, data sample inconsistency alarms only occur with temperature and humidity probes. To reduce the number of false alarms, the system no longer detects prolonged differentiating real-time and historical readings for DC Voltage, MilliAmp, and Thermocouple channel types.
Data loggers
- During a data logger swap, device alarm settings are automatically copied to the new data logger.
- When swapping data loggers, it is important to allow the new data logger to come to equilibrium before placing it on the port to ensure that data recorded from outside of the environment is not included on reports.
- To prevent Location threshold alarming after a swap, either clear the data logger before swapping it back into viewLinc, or wait for the automatic backfill to complete (wait 5-10mins for DL data loggers; force 4 beacons for HMT140; wait up to 12+hours for RFLs) before linking the channel to the Location.
- RFL Data Loggers:
- When swapping a probe on an RFL connected to viewLinc, make sure the new probe has the same number of channels, channel types.
- Before a probe swap, make sure viewLinc is communicating with the RFL data logger and all backfills are complete (do not power off the RFL).
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Changing a single-probe RFL data logger to dual-probe (T/RH to T+T): To avoid new probe data being applied to an incorrect Location, first unlink both of the temperature and RH channels from their linked Locations, then remove the probes. Connect the new temperature only probe(s) following the instructions provided with the probe, and then link them to the correct Location(s).
- VDL200:
- When swapping a probe on a VDL200 connected to viewLinc, make sure the new probe has the same number of channels, channel types.
- Before powering off a VDL200 for a probe swap, make sure all backfills are complete
- DL Data Loggers:
- Before removing a probe on a DL data logger, deactivate the data logger if you want to prevent a configuration alarm.
- HMT140 Series Data Loggers:
- If you use NIC-teaming redundancy products, HMT140 data loggers require a dedicated Network Interface Card (NIC) and IP address to avoid communication interruptions.
- HMT140 data loggers can have a device-specific password. If there are multiple HMT140 loggers with different device-specific passwords connected to viewLinc, bulk change actions to all connected HMT140 loggers simultaneously are not possible.
- Backfill from offline HMT140 series data loggers may be unpredictable. Irretrievable loss of data samples may occur if the offline time period exceeds the memory capacity of the device (e.g., 30 days with 15 minute samples or 10 days with 5 minute samples). To avoid this issue, do not allow these devices to be disconnected for time periods that exceed the memory capacity.
300-Series transmitters
- The Firmware version must be 5.04 or later.
- Upgrade to Firmware version 5.10 where it is possible (please contact Vaisala Technical Support if you require assistance).
- 300-series transmitters without LOGGER-1 modules do not support the historical data backup retrieval and data restoration process.
- If 300-series transmitters are configured with a sample interval greater than the viewLinc scan period, brief configuration alarms may occur.
Reports
- Manually generated and scheduled reports are processed in a queue displayed in the Reports Downloads window, in the Progress column. Since non-admin users can only see the progress of their own reports, the Progress column may update periodically to indicate a change in the queue sequence of the report, in relation to all other reports in the queue. This could be a significant period of time depending on the size and quantity of reports already in the queue.
UI functionality
- The Events Locations filter does not identify all Location-related events generated when editing the Locations Manager tree. To filter these events, use the text filter.
- The Google Chrome browser is recommended for devices accessing the viewLinc Display feature.
- In Views Manager, avoid creating views when a search filter is active.
- In Views Manager, trends that show historical data cannot be saved.
Mobile UI functionality
- Mobile UI updates are performed on a timer basis and not via server push messages.
- Mobile UI does not reflect changes in the Locations tree structure. Refresh the Locations panel to view the latest changes.
- When the mobile keyboard is visible, orientation changes may cause rendering problems.
- The Trend window opens directly if opened from a previously created bookmark.
- The option, "Pause device alarming", only applies when selecting individual Locations.
Other notices
- Microsoft deprecated Basic Authentication in its Microsoft 365 email services. If you are currently using Microsoft 365 for viewLinc email notifications, viewLinc will be unable to receive alarm acknowledgments, or send alarm notifications via email after this change. viewLinc Enterprise Server has implemented Open Authentication 2.0 (OAuth2) support for email authentication to enable continued use of Microsoft 365 with viewLinc.
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viewLinc will automatically unlink a channel from a location if the units for the channel change. When this happens, viewLinc generates an event, but not a Device Configuration alarm.