An FME data translation routine reading AutoCAD files and writing them to an ESRI Filegeodatabase, suddenly stopped working. This routine previously worked and no changes to the workbench were made. FME error messages are:
ERROR |BADNEWS: File C:\Program Files\FME\metafile/autocadCorrTemplate .fmi could not be opened (tabrdr_classic.cpp:2715... ERROR |BADNEWS: File C:\Program Files\FME\metafile\MULTI_WRITER.fmf could not be opened 2018-01-30 12:50:38| 1.8| 0.0|INFORM|File Geodatabase release: '10.0'
Updating all Readers and Writers in the FME Workbench did not fix the problem. Neither did performing a disk-check, a disk cleanup and reinstalling the latest version of FME. So what’s going on?
Last time these routines worked was prior renewing ESRI license. Could it be a licensing issue?
Changing the Writer from Esri Geodatabase (File Geodb) to Esri Geodatabase (File Geodb Open API) appears to fix the problem – the translation still throws an error but not until the translation has completed. The Esri Geodatabase (File Geodb) is the full Esri reader/writer with full geometry support. It requires ArcGIS to be installed and an Esri license to be available. The Esri Geodatabase (File Geodb Open API) Writer does not require any Esri technology installed or licensed. However, it doesn’t include full GDB feature support.
In this particular scenario, the version of ArcMap was Ver 10.5.1 – which is not the latest version, running on Windows 7 – which is no longer covered by Microsoft mainstream support.
Advice from Safe Software indicates that this issue is related to the recent Microsoft updates addressing the Meltdown and Spectre processor vulnerabilities:
We are aware that after applying the Microsoft Windows Updates KB4056894, KB4056568, and KB4056897, there are issues experienced when working with Esri Formats in 64-bit FME on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008R2.
Esri has published a blog article identifying the issue and their recommendations for dealing with this issue.
https://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2018/01/08/meltdown-and-spectre-processor-vulnerabilities/“
So there are a number of possible solutions that remain open:
- Upgrade to Windows 10 – which will be a major piece of work
- Run FME 32 bit version – which does fix the issue for me.
- Use Esri Geodatabase (File Geodb Open API). This appears to work though there still is an FME EXE has stopped working warning message – this message does not appear till after the translation routine has run, and it can be dismissed without any apparent effect on the software.
PS. the InSpectre tool, developed by Steve Gibson and available on his Gibson Research Corporation website can be used to see if Meltdown and Spectre process vulnerabilities have been addressed as well as disabling the protection – through the disabling part did not work on my particular machine.
