Getting to know Workbench

Workbench is the name for the framework’s graphical user interface. There are several ways to start Workbench. Depending on your configuration and licensed features additional information may be required.

You are working on a PC.
  1. To open Workbench click start and navigate to the Niagara folder.
    The Start menu displays the Workbench options.
  2. Click on one of the following:
    • To open from an Administrator: Command Prompt window, type -- start_wb or -s in the command prompt.

      The splash screen opens.

    • To open with a background command-line console and launch Workbench, click (Console), type wb at the console command prompt, and press Enter.

      Workbench opens with a console, which stays open even if you close the program.

    • To openWorkbench and a console, click Workbench (Console).

      This opens a command window that immediately launches the program. Closing this console closes the corresponding instance of Workbench.

    • Click Workbench alone or double-click its icon on your desktop.

      The splash screen opens.

    Tip: Opening Workbench with a background console ensures that you (and Technical Support) have ready access to important diagnostic information in the event that something goes wrong in the Supervisor platform or station. If you wait until you are already experiencing symptoms before you open the console, you may miss the opportunity to gather important data.


    If you skipped the passphrase when you installed the software or if your installation requires FIPS, and the passphrase you created does not meet the FIPS requirementsWorkbench prompts you to define the passphrase now.



  3. Enter the current passphrase (defaults to the platform password for new installations), and create a new passphrase or skip it again and click OK.
    If the platform requires FIPS, skipping this configuration window disables FIPS.
  4. If you skipped updating the FIPS passphrase, click File > Non-FIPS Restart.
    Workbench starts again and prompts you to confirm that you choose to work without FIPS.
  5. Later, to re-enable FIPS, click File > FIPS Restart.
    Workbench restarts.