Rockwell DeviceLink backups are failing with error: "LgxSrv_E_SECURITY_ERROR - A Security error was reported by the RSLogix5000 Services layer"

Overview

The error LgxSrv_E_SECURITY_ERROR typically indicates an authentication or authorization failure. This error is most often associated with misconfigured or unreachable FactoryTalk Directory services, especially in systems that rely on the FactoryTalk Services Platform for user authentication and application integration.

This guide walks you through potential root causes and resolutions, and provides a series of diagnostic and corrective actions.

Common Causes of the `LgxSrv_E_SECURITY_ERROR`

1. FactoryTalk Directory Connection or Configuration Issue

This error is commonly triggered when the FactoryTalk Directory is not correctly configured or is unreachable from the client system. Possible causes include:

The client cannot authenticate to the FactoryTalk Network Directory.
The local or network FactoryTalk Directory service is down or not properly started.
The agent is executing under a context where FactoryTalk cannot authenticate the session.

2. Session-Based Authentication Problem on Windows Server

FactoryTalk authentication relies on an interactive Windows session. If you're running the agent in a disconnected RDP or a service (non-console) session, authentication can silently fail.

In such cases:

Ensure the agent is run within an active user session on the desktop.
Avoid running the agent in disconnected Terminal Services sessions.

Use the following batch script at logoff to return to a console session and avoid this error:

for /f "skip=1 tokens=3" %%s in ('query user %USERNAME%') do (
  %windir%\System32\tscon.exe %%s /dest:console
)

3. User Not Authenticated to FactoryTalk Services Platform

Sometimes FactoryTalk loses its login state. To recover:

Run the following command to quietly reauthenticate with the FactoryTalk Services Platform:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\silentFTDCW.exe

This utility performs a silent FactoryTalk Directory login under the current Windows user context.

Diagnostic Step: View FactoryTalk Logs

To understand what is failing under the hood (e.g., whether this is a credential rejection, directory connection issue, etc.), consult the local FactoryTalk Diagnostics logs.

Refer to the guide “How to view my FactoryTalk Logs on my DeviceLink Agent?” for step-by-step instructions on locating and interpreting the logs.

The logs can provide specific failure details like token expiration, network path issues, or mismatched FactoryTalk versions.

Additional Information

If your Rockwell DeviceLink backups are failing with the following message, you likely need to resolve the issue on the Agent in the FactoryTalk Security application.

LgxSrv_E_SECURITY_ERROR - A Security error was reported by the RSLogix5000 Services layer

First, access the computer that the Copia Agent is running on. Attempt to use Studio 5000 to manually perform an upload of the Device that failed in Copia. If you are able to perform this backup manually without issue, the Copia Agent should be able to as well. If this is the case, please contact Copia support for further assistance in determining the root-cause of the issue.

This Rockwell Knowledge Base article (BF29492) describes the steps needed to resolve the issue. A PDF of the article can be viewed using this link.