David's Astronomy Pages
Notes - Session 924 (2021-10-13)

 
Bullet Session Aims & Highlights
 - Observing Result
 - Night Summary Plot
 - Session Event Log
 
Bullet Operational Issues
  - Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (2),  Small Defects (3),  Continuous Improvement (14)
 
Bullet Images from 2021-10-13 >>          [ Local Files >> ]
2021-10-14
Bullet Investigation -  AstroPlan stopped uploading files to website

Session Aims & Highlights (2021-10-13)

Main aims

  1. Targets. Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by time & conditions.
  2. AstroMain Test fixes and new features in AstroMain 3.44

Equipment & Software

Highlights

Notes:

  Forecast                              2021-10-13 20:19  (Local)
  Minimum Temperature         Ok        9.4°C             (Min. Temperature between now and sunrise)
  Temperature Change (High)   Ok        0.0°              (Temperature change between now and sunrise)
  Temperature Change (Low)    Ok        -2.6°             
  Maximum Wind Speed          Ok        11.1 mph          (Max. Wind speed between now and sunrise)
  Maximum Wind Gust           Ok        17.8 mph           

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan
Image
  
Observing Result
Image
   
Dome & Scope Slewing Performance
Image
  
Slew/Centering Performance
Image
  
Guiding Performance
Image
Image
  
Sky Conditions (Locate Frames)
Image
 
  
Night Sky Summary Plot
Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s)
Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)
Image   
  
Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast
Image
Image   
  
Session Event Log
Time     Event Detail
20:14:18 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 20:14 & 05:36
20:14:21 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (20:14)
20:15:04   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -10°C)
20:15:06 Session Created Live Session Created (2021-10-13 S00924, ImageSaveNum: 924001)
20:15:08   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox.
20:16:49   Services Started Observatory Services started
20:16:56 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode
20:17:01 Session Pending Session pending (2021-10-13)
20:17:03 Session Initiating Session initiating (2021-10-13)
20:17:05   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.25)
20:19:05   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (, Plan ID: 672)
20:19:17   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -10°C)
20:19:24   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6)
20:19:47 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration
20:20:32   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s)
20:20:34 Session Running Session running
20:20:36   Queue Started Observing Queue started (35 targets selected)
20:20:39     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 21, HIP 103850)
20:22:19       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
20:25:12       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide)
20:27:20       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1)
20:27:24       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap)
20:29:49       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide)
20:31:42       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2)
20:32:02     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 21, HIP 103850)
20:32:05     Target Started (1/35) Target started (1/35, NGC 6500 w/SN2021wuf)
20:36:22       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
20:38:09       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3)
20:54:36     Target Completed Target completed (1/35, NGC 6500 w/SN2021wuf)
20:54:38     Target Started (2/35) Target started (2/35, NGC 6184 w/SN2021wkv)
20:58:10       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S)
21:14:22     Target Completed Target completed (2/35, NGC 6184 w/SN2021wkv)
21:15:51     Target Started (3/35) Target started (3/35, GCVS AM Her)
21:19:19       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:21:18       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4)
21:27:24     Target Completed Target completed (3/35, GCVS AM Her)
21:27:26     Target Started (4/35) Target started (4/35, GCVS S Cyg)
21:31:01       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:33:13       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5)
21:41:54 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter)
21:41:56   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud)
21:42:02     Target Aborted (4/35) Target aborted (4/35, GCVS S Cyg) due to cloud
21:42:04   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension
21:42:06 Session Suspended Session suspended
21:42:49   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 45s)
21:50:37     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (5/35, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud
22:00:19     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/35, (2) Pallas) due to cloud
22:07:42     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (7/35, Vega) due to cloud
22:18:07     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (8/35, GCVS RR Lyr) due to cloud
22:25:40     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/35, Vega) due to cloud
22:44:32     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (10/35, AT2021zkf) due to cloud
22:59:46     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/35, Nova Cas 2021) due to cloud
23:19:08     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (12/35, AT2021yvz) due to cloud
23:41:00     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (13/35, NGC 9 w/SN2021zju) due to cloud
23:53:22     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (14/35, MPL 532 Herculina) due to cloud
00:12:44     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (15/35, UGC 505 w/SN2021ukt) due to cloud
00:23:54     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (16/35, GCVS HH And) due to cloud
00:32:09     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (17/35, WDS GRB 34) due to cloud
00:40:24     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (18/35, GCVS RX And) due to cloud
00:51:45     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (19/35, GCVS TT Ari) due to cloud
01:11:22     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (20/35, UGC 2505 w/SN2021bge) due to cloud
01:51:48     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (21/35, PGC 3792) due to cloud
02:15:40     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (22/35, NGC 1166 w/SN2021zby) due to cloud
02:29:32     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (23/35, M31 w/AT2021aaxp) due to cloud
02:43:09     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (24/35, GCVS U And) due to cloud
03:03:30     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (25/35, UGC 235 w/AT2021aazm) due to cloud
03:19:52     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (26/35, Nova Per 2020) due to cloud
03:40:44     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (27/35, UGC 3240 w/SN2021vau) due to cloud
04:01:56     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (28/35, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) due to cloud
04:21:33     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (29/35, NGC 940 w/SN2021vtl) due to cloud
04:43:25     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (30/35, UGC 2605 w/SN2021wvw) due to cloud
05:01:55     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (31/35, 88P/Howell) due to cloud
05:18:25     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (32/35, 17P/Holmes) due to cloud
05:32:55     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (33/35, C/2019 L3 (ATLAS)) due to cloud
05:52:32     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (34/35, IC 482 w/SN2021heh) due to cloud
06:17:36     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (35/35, GCVS YZ Cnc) due to cloud
06:17:42   Queue Completed Job Queue completed
06:17:46 Session Closing Session closing
06:17:51   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 21:42, closing time 45s)
06:19:14   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 75s), Az: 90.0 deg
06:20:36   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 76s)
06:20:51   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox)
06:21:12   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch.
06:22:03   Services Stopped Night Services stopped
06:22:05 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files)
06:22:11 Session Finished Session Finished
 
Session Alerts
Time     Alert Detail
00:29:15 Dome Shutter Pulsar Shutter is deemed to be asleep (last fresh data was at 00:09:10)
00:29:35 Dome Shutter Pulsar Shutter has woken up (fresh data started at 00:29:35, outage 0.0 mins)

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Operational Issues (2021-10-13, S924)

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Critical Issues

Major Issues

Minor Issues

Small Defects

Continuous Improvement

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2021-10-14


Investigation -  AstroPlan stopped uploading files to website

Issue 
AstroPlan stopped uploading files from Observatory Computer to website (01:31)   

Description
AstroPlan stopped uploading files from Observatory Computer to website at around 01:31.   Uploading of ObsCam and Alll Sky pictures from AllSky/Weather Computer continued however and it was the morning ObsCam picture which was useful in showing that the Dome was shut and parked, that the tlescope was successfully parked in normal position and the night's session had returned to General /Manual mode (again consistent with normal operations). 

This is ongoing occassional issue.  Need to look at log and report files to see if it sheds a new light on the problem.  

Analysis
Report files shows that the last FTP upload was at 01:31:13.   Log file show first exception at this time.

2021-10-14 01:31:15.33 | Exception in UploadFileFTP (outer catch) for Session.LatestReport.htm
2021-10-14 01:31:15.33 | Error: Unable to Upload File : C:\Data\CCD Imaging\Live\Session.LatestReport.htm
2021-10-14 01:31:15.33 | Error: The process cannot access the file 'C:\Data\CCD Imaging\Live\Session.LatestReport.htm' because it is being used by another process.
 

This was then followed by an ongoing series of exceptions like the following until AstroPlan was eventually manually restarted in the morning at 09:02.

2021-10-14 01:31:45.35 | Exception in 'UploadFileFTP2' whilst getting RequestStream for Session.LatestLog.log
2021-10-14 01:32:15.36 | Exception in 'UploadFileFTP2' whilst getting RequestStream for Session.ObservatoryReportFlag.dat
2021-10-14 01:32:15.36 | Error: The operation has timed out.

There were no messages from the FTP Overseer which is meant to be monitoring the performance of the FTP Uploader with checks to see if loader has stalled at all.  The FtpOverseer thread would have started at Program startup and should have still been operating at the time. 

It would seem that the FTP Queue was operating ok, but was failing to achieve success uploads. The FtpOverseer currently only spots problems where the FTP Queue actually activity stops for more than 60s. It can not currently spot issue where queue is active, but upload attempts are all failing) .   The Session.LatestReport.htm (28 KB in size) was last uploaded at 01:31:00  in 2.65s. It would have probably have loaded again at around 01:31:23 or so.

With the ongoing failure to fix the root cause it is proposed to add a new operational check in AstroPlan to not only recognise that uploading has stalled, but to operate a procedure/process that closes and then automatically restart AstroPlan (a manual restart of AstroPlan is so far the only known workaround to the issue).  This is raised as a continuous improvement ticket (see below).
Image Fix attempted but monitor for future occurences  (AstroPlan 1.25.1)

Conclusion
This is still an ongoing occasional issue.  Further action required

Actions
With the ongoing failure to fix the root cause it is proposed to add a new operational check in AstroPlan to not only recognise that uploading has stalled, but to operate a procedure/process that closes and then automatically restart AstroPlan (a manual restart of AstroPlan is so far the only known workaround to the issue).  This is raised as a continuous improvement ticket (see Operational Issues section above for details). Following actions identified and raised as ticket items (see Operational Issues section above for details)

Update (2022-05-16)
Issue is significantly less frequent now (2022-05-16), and is considered to be manageable and can be closed.

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