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Extendable Controllers Troubleshooting#

This section provides solutions for common issues encountered when working with extendable controllers.

Common Issues#

Import Fails Due to Missing Parent#

When imports fail due to missing parent controllers, ensure that parent controllers exist in the target system and are in Active or Effective state. If the parent controller is missing or inactive, the import will fail with dependency errors. Consider using Full Tree export instead, which includes all parent controllers and eliminates dependency issues during import.

Workflow Name Conflicts#

Workflow name conflicts occur when there are duplicate names within the controller hierarchy. Verify that new workflow names are unique across the entire inheritance chain, and check for conflicts with inherited workflow names from parent controllers. Rename workflows to resolve conflicts, ensuring each workflow has a distinct name within the controller scope.

Task Version Mismatches#

Task version compatibility issues arise when parent and child controllers use incompatible task library versions. Ensure parent and child controllers use compatible task versions, and update task versions in parent controllers if necessary to maintain compatibility. Check for protocol-specific task requirements that may impose additional version constraints across the inheritance chain.

Driver Name Conflicts#

Driver naming conflicts prevent successful controller creation or import operations. Ensure new driver names don't match parent driver names, and use descriptive, unique names for new drivers to avoid confusion. Check the entire inheritance chain for naming conflicts, as driver names must be unique across all levels of the hierarchy.

Inheritance Chain Depth Issues#

When inheritance chains become too deep (more than 3-4 levels), they can become difficult to manage and troubleshoot. Consider flattening the hierarchy by merging some levels or restructuring the inheritance relationships. Document the inheritance structure clearly to help with maintenance and troubleshooting.

Performance Degradation#

If you experience performance issues with extendable controllers, check if the inheritance chain is too complex or if there are circular dependencies. Ensure that parent controllers are optimized and don't contain unnecessary elements that would be inherited by all child controllers.

Support Resources#

When troubleshooting extendable controller issues, several resources can help diagnose and resolve problems. Check controller revision history for parent relationships to understand the inheritance structure and identify potential dependency issues. Use export functionality to backup controllers before making changes, ensuring you can restore previous configurations if needed. Test inheritance relationships in a development environment to validate functionality before deploying to production systems. Consult system logs for detailed error information during import/export operations, which often provide specific details about failures and their underlying causes.

Diagnostic Steps#

Step 1: Verify Dependencies#

  1. Check that all parent controllers exist in the target system
  2. Verify parent controllers are in Active or Effective state
  3. Confirm version compatibility across the inheritance chain

Step 2: Validate Naming#

  1. Check for duplicate workflow names across the hierarchy
  2. Verify driver names are unique within the inheritance chain
  3. Ensure all element names follow established conventions

Step 3: Test in Isolation#

  1. Create a test environment with minimal dependencies
  2. Import/export controllers one at a time to isolate issues
  3. Test inheritance relationships with simple workflows first

Step 4: Review Logs#

  1. Check system logs for detailed error messages
  2. Look for dependency resolution failures
  3. Identify any circular dependency issues

Step 5: Escalation#

  1. Document the specific error symptoms and conditions
  2. Gather relevant log files and configuration exports
  3. Contact support with detailed information about the inheritance structure