Error with using Docker version of Thingworx installation

[amittal-3]

Hello,

I have been using Thingworx Trial edition (Docker Version) for some time now. But while using it suddenly one day it started throwing an error while trying to start the platform.

I have attached the screen shot for the error with this query. Please let me know if there is any solution for it, or any other information is required from my side.

Thanks in advance

Regards

Aditya Mittal

[jwyatt]

Greetings,

I am not 100% certain, but I *believe* that you may have run into a known issue with some Docker versions. 

Upon computer shutdown / reboot, Docker can corrupt Containers that have not been fully shutdown prior to the computer going down. 

I would recommend issuing several "thingworx trial edition stop" commands (ALWAYS AS ADMINISTRATOR). Wait a few minutes (to ensure that everything really is stopped). Do a computer reboot. Then try "thingworx trial edition start" (once again, as Administrator). 

If you're still getting the same error, then I'm afraid it's possible that you've run into the Docker issue, and DockerMachinePTC has been corrupted. 

If that really is the case, then your only option would be to uninstall TTE (as Admin), delete the ThingWorxTrialEdition folder, issue an Admin CLI "docker-machine rm DockerMachinePTC", and then reinstall TTE. 

Once again, if I'm right, it's an issue with Docker, not TTE itself. Still, it's unfortunate. 

Personally, I always Tag and Export everything I'm working on at close-of-business or before computer restart after having run into this issue myself. It won't help you in this case, but it might prevent data loss in the future. 

Apologies if I'm correct,

Jason

[amittal-3]

Hello Jason,

Thanks for your reply. And also I am glad you shared some good practices while using TTE Docker version. I agree, and even I do take backup of my entities towards the end of my day and that is really helpful.

I would, at this point, also like to know, that is there a way to know (maybe through process/task manager) if the docker has been properly shutdown so as to minimise such unwanted effects.

Because as per your suggestions, I follow the same steps every day, to shut down the docker machine completely as administrator (I verify this in VirtualBox UI, till the machine is completely powered off) and only then shut down my PC.

Please let me know if you have any other information to share.

Thanks again

Regards

Aditya

[jwyatt · Accepted solution]

From my understanding of the Docker issue (and I am in no way a Docker expert), the issue is that, even though you may have told it to shutdown a particular Container, *something* is still running. And it's that still-running component that is getting corrupted. 

It's not like the entire Container is "really" up and ok. It's some "leftover". 

The best you can do is probably the following:

1) While TTE is running, export and archive all Entities about which you care.

2) Shutdown TTE as Admin, then wait a few minutes.

3) In an Admin CLI window, issue the command: docker-machine ip DockerMachinePTC.

4) Confirm that the return of that command indicates that no IP is assigned to DockerMachinePTC.

5) Attempt a Shutdown / Reboot of your computer.

6) If you get a Windows warning saying that Virtualbox or Docker is still running and do you want to force the shutdown/reboot... you're probably about to run into the issue.

At that point, I would probably cancel the shutdown / reboot, boot TTE back up, and Export all my important Entities *AGAIN*, just to 100% make sure that I'm not going to lose anything. Then follow the procedure above and force the shutdown / reboot if necessary. 

Fortunately, uninstalling / re-installing TTE isn't that long. Recreating lost TTE Entities? Now *that* can be time-consuming. 

Once again, sorry if this really is the issue you've run into,

Jason

[Leigh]

Hi @amittal-3

Just wanted to follow up to see if Jason's support and feedback was able to answer your question.  If so, please indicate his response as an Accepted Solution for the benefit of the rest of the Community.  If not, please let us know your current status.

Thanks!

Leigh