TUFLOW crashing

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Introduction

From time to time TUFLOW simulations can crash. There are multiple reasons why it could happen. This page can be used as a guide to find and rectify the cause of the crash.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Use the latest TUFLOW release available at the TUFLOW website.
• If using GPU, update the graphics card driver to the latest version from the Nvidia website.
• Restart the modelling machine.
• Check the end of .tlf file for an error message.
• Test running the model on a different machine.
• Save all outputs (checks, results and logs) to a local drive and use TUFLOW executable from a local drive to determine if network is causing the issue.
• Monitor if the issue is happening to a single model only or every model, at specific time during the simulation or randomly.

TUFLOW simulation DOS window only flicks and disappears

Problem might be in the filepath of TUFLOW executable in the batch file.

TCF does not exist

A number of reasons could be causing this message and simulation not running:

• Check the name of the .tcf file and filepath (if used) is correct.
• TUFLOW doesn't currently support UNC paths. The folder with the model has to be opened with mapped drive.

TUFLOW crashes during model initialisation

• This crash might be connected to an erroneous input data or an error in the control files. It might be captured as standard TUFLOW error or as a Fortran compiler error leaving messages only in the console window:
  • Insert "pause" at the end of the batch file to keep the console window open. The control file/GIS layer written just above the error should be the cause of the issue.
  • Let the console window be written to a text file, e.g. “TUFLOW.exe my_model.tcf > dump.txt”. This will redirect console output massages as well as the standard error stream to the “dump.log” file, and likely it will record more error information than the normal TUFLOW log file.
• If multiple large models are initialising at the same time, this could cause a memory overload and stop the simulations. To confirm, display "Peak working set (memory)" in the Task Manager, it is not on by default. Try inserting "timeout xxx" in the batch file between the runs to spread them out, where xxx is a number of seconds to wait for the next run to start.
  

If there is no clear indication of what the cause might be, send a snapshot of the DOS window and .tlf to support@tuflow.com.

TUFLOW crashes randomly at any time during the simulation

This can happen when TUFLOW is writing results out to a network drive and/or model uses TUFLOW executable located on a network drive and the computer loses connection to the network. There could be no message box when this happens or a window stating that TUFLOW.exe has stopped working. This applies to Windows 10, 8, 7 operating system. With Windows XP, the simulation would only pause and restart itself when the access to the network drive is back on. The difference in the behaviour is unfortunately based on the operating system and as far as we are aware we are unable to do anything within the TUFLOW code to handle this situation.
To prevent this from occurring, we recommend you set a local drive as the output drive using .tcf command such as “Output Drive ==”. If you wish to immediately have the results copied back to the network drive at the simulation end, Robocopy can be added to the end of the .bat file. Example of such batch file is in the attachment.
Should the cause for the crash not be due to the network failure, contact support@tuflow.com, attaching the .tlf file and snapshot of the console window.

@echo off

set TUFLOWEXE_iSP=O:\TUFLOW\Releases\2020-01\2020-10-AA\TUFLOW_iSP_w64.exe
set RUN_iSP=start "TUFLOW" /wait "%TUFLOWEXE_iSP%" -b

set A=5m 2.5m
set B=EXG DEV
set source_results=D:\TUFLOW\results
set source_log=D:\TUFLOW\runs
set destination_results=O:\TUFLOW\support\results
set destination_log=O:\TUFLOW\support\runs

FOR %%a in (%A%) do (
	FOR %%b in (%B%) do (
		:: Run model
		echo Running Cell Size %%a Model Scenario %%b
		%RUN_iSP% -s1 %%a -s2 %%b M10_~s1~_~s2~_003.tcf
		
		:: Move results folder to different location
        robocopy "%source_results%" "%destination_results%" /e /move
        
        :: Move log folder to different location
        robocopy "%source_log%" "%destination_log%" /e /move
        timeout 5
	)
)
pause

TUFLOW is crashing at the same/similar time of the day

This could be connected to the licence allocation. Something might be preventing the simulation from writing to network drive such as scheduled backup, updates, restart, deduplication or other scheduled processes. TUFLOW is not releasing the licence at the end of the simulation, rather CodeMeter system is determining that the TUFLOW application is no longer running and is therefore releasing the licence - this would show as “Handle xxx automatically released. The application is no longer available.” in the cmDust file.

TUFLOW crashes at the end of the simulation before writing out maximum results

The output drive might not have enough free space to write out the full results. If multiple TUFLOW simulations run in parallel, the free space might be filling up faster than expected. There can also be other processes filling up the drive, e.g. other software, backups, other users copying data. The target drive should never be planned to be filled to the brim, as performance will suffer for all processes.
If the output drive does have more than enough space, insert "pause" at the end of the batch file to keep the console window open and send a snapshot of this window and .tlf to support@tuflow.com.

TUFLOW can't find a valid licence

Confirmation that licence is the issue can be mostly found in the .tlf.

Unmaintained dongle

Once a year (usually after mid-year) a new TUFLOW release will need the licence to be updated. This will show in the .tlf file as (Unmaintained since <year>). Follow WIBU Licence Update Request to get the licence updated.

Running very old TUFLOW releases

When using an old legacy model with the original TUFLOW release there might be an error "Could not find standalone or network dongle server". Such version of TUFLOW can only run with the old softlok blue licence dongle. If you only have the metal Wibu dongle you should be able to run DB version of the same year release. We do have some of the old dongles still in possession and if you wish we can rent it out.
More information on TUFLOW licence dongles and which releases are affected: TUFLOW Licensing

No TUFLOW licence settings files found

Some users might mistake this sentence in the .tlf file as there is an issue with the licence. The real cause of the crash would be noted in the last couple of lines of the .tlf. The "No TUFLOW licence settings files found" sentence is followed by "Default settings applied" and the default settings are listed on the next three lines, e.g. WIBU Retry Time, WIBU Retry Count, WIBU Dongles Only. Only if these settings are required to be different, the licence control file (.lcf) would be created.

Technical licence issues

Wibu Dongles Troubleshooting