# Nodes Disabled, But Configuration Nodes Still Running (and Causing Problems)

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [23 April 2023 18:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857 "2023-04-23T18:55:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ChZeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@ChZeman](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ChZeman)\
**Post date:** [23 April 2023 18:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857/1 "2023-04-23T18:55:40Z")

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I have a single flow I deploy to a Pis in a large number of machines. Each machine is different (different PLC, tags, etc.). I have everything set up so I can make updates (code fixes, additional features, etc.) from my development machine and trigger an inject node to deploy the flow to all the Pis so I don't have to update each one individually. This was working fine until now.

I have one tab of the flow which contains a node for each machine in the field. The following screenshots show an example of what I have. Each of the eth-ip nodes are configured for different machines. The PLCs in two of the machines have the same IP address (each machine is on an isolated network) and different tags. The eth-ip 4 in machine 1 (which uses eth-ip 1) generates an uncaught exception.

I disabled all the eth-ip nodes except for the one required by that particular machine, but the configuration node was still active and had the same result. I disabled all the configuration nodes except for the one required by that machine and everything worked well. Since enabling/disabling configuration nodes at runtime isn't possible from what I'm seeing in the forum, I'm at a loss. I could leave everything disabled, deploy, and then log in to each instance of Node Red and enable what is needed, but that's between 40 and 50 Pis I would have to do that with. I'm looking for a much better solution. I can't programmatically configure an eth-ip or pccc node because they lack that functionality and @machadotiago indicated in another thread that it's not possible to implement that functionality.

```auto
23 Apr 13:23:21 - [error] TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading '_members')
    at TagList.getTemplateByTag (/home/sftp/.node-red/node_modules/st-ethernet-ip/src/tag-list/index.js:212:47)
    at Controller.newTag (/home/sftp/.node-red/node_modules/st-ethernet-ip/src/controller/index.js:1327:43)
    at extController.addTag (/home/sftp/.node-red/node_modules/st-ethernet-ip/src/controller-manager/index.js:91:22)
    at createTags (/home/sftp/.node-red/node_modules/node-red-contrib-cip-st-ethernet-ip/red/ethernet-ip.js:140:41)
    at extController.onConnect (/home/sftp/.node-red/node_modules/node-red-contrib-cip-st-ethernet-ip/red/ethernet-ip.js:192:13)
    at extController.emit (node:events:513:28)
    at /home/sftp/.node-red/node_modules/st-ethernet-ip/src/controller-manager/index.js:52:12
    at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:96:5)

```

 ![MWSnap-RC3Desktop 2023-04-23, 12_55_53](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/e/6/e6c51723258cd26776f9e0fc3b9821ed40293266.png)

![MWSnap-RC3Desktop 2023-04-23, 12_57_26](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/7/0/70e28d63db8b290e6537803021420ca361a41037.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [23 April 2023 19:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857/2 "2023-04-23T19:02:07Z")

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Do you deploy the exact same flow to all devices or a custom version flow to each device?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ChZeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@ChZeman](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ChZeman)\
**Post date:** [23 April 2023 19:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857/3 "2023-04-23T19:13:38Z")

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It's the same flow to every device.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [23 April 2023 21:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857/4 "2023-04-23T21:41:29Z")

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For reference, @ChZeman raised an issue here: [Populate Vartable from Environment Variables · Issue #36 · st-one-io/node-red-contrib-cip-ethernet-ip · GitHub](https://github.com/st-one-io/node-red-contrib-cip-ethernet-ip/issues/36)

In the MQTT nodes, we permit the user to uncheck "Auto Connect" in the `config` node and permit the user to send a the string "connect" or "disconnect" in `msg.action` to any regular MQTT node. Additionally, the MQTT node permits dynamic subscriptions by sending "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the `msg.action` - along with the topic to subscribe in `msg.topic`

I suspect this node requires something similar. Perhaps you could mention something like this as a feature request in the issue. OR fork the node, add the feature and raise a PR back to the original node.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ChZeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@ChZeman](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ChZeman)\
**Post date:** [25 April 2023 01:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857/5 "2023-04-25T01:16:23Z")

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That would be an excellent approach, Steve! It's frustrating that the config nodes are still active even when the nodes they're configured for are disabled.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [25 April 2023 01:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857/6 "2023-04-25T01:31:13Z")

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Some config nodes are used for more than one node. Also, depending on the type, it might need to stay enabled. It is up to the developer to provide a means of dynamically controlling what their config node does - node-red can't assume I'm afraid.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [24 June 2023 01:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/nodes-disabled-but-configuration-nodes-still-running-and-causing-problems/77857/7 "2023-06-24T01:32:03Z")

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