Running EnergyPlus from the Command Line with Template Objects sometimes fails

[KarenWGard]

Issue overview

I am generating idf files with an external ruby program and then simulating them using the command line interface (also through Ruby). When the idf files include template objects, the EnergyPlus simulation sometimes fails with the following in the .err file:

Program Version,EnergyPlus, Version 23.1.0-87ed9199d4, YMD=2023.11.04 08:22,
   **  Fatal  ** Input file path C:\Users\kwalk\Dropbox\EP Test\import\HVACTemplate-5ZoneFanCoil\231104_Base\eplusout.expidf not found
   ...Summary of Errors that led to program termination:
   ..... Reference severe error count=0
   ..... Last severe error=
   ************* Warning:  Node connection errors not checked - most system input has not been read (see previous warning).
   ************* Fatal error -- final processing.  Program exited before simulations began.  See previous error messages.
   ************* EnergyPlus Warmup Error Summary. During Warmup: 0 Warning; 0 Severe Errors.
   ************* EnergyPlus Sizing Error Summary. During Sizing: 0 Warning; 0 Severe Errors.
   ************* EnergyPlus Terminated--Fatal Error Detected. 0 Warning; 0 Severe Errors; Elapsed Time=00hr 00min  0.01sec

The ruby code used to simulate EnergyPlus is:

ep_command = '"' + @@energyplus_path + '\\energyplus" -w "' + weather_file_path + '" -d "' + temp_output_directory + '" -x -r "' + file_name + '.idf"'

pid = spawn(ep_command)`

I stress that this error happens some of the time, but not all of the time.

Details

Some additional details for this issue (if relevant):

• Platform: Windows 10
• Version of EnergyPlus: 22.1

Checklist

Add to this list or remove from it as applicable. This is a simple templated set of guidelines.

• [ ] Defect file added (list location of defect file here)
• [ ] Ticket added to Pivotal for defect (development team task)
• [ ] Pull request created (the pull request will have additional tasks related to reviewing changes that fix this defect)

[shorowit]

Maybe it has to do with Dropbox? Can you reproduce the issue if you run outside a Dropbox directory?

[KarenWGard]

hi @shorowit - thanks for the response. I just ran it again, both with Dropbox and non-dropbox locations and both ran OK. It's a finicky bug, in that it doesn't happen all the time. My understanding is that Dropbox is basically a program for syncing files between a local drive and the cloud. There were no incomming changes from the could for the folder used in the simulation, so I don't think Dropbox would've effected it.

My guess is that sometimes the expidf takes an extra split second to be released from the generation program, and it is enough to be unavailable for simulation.