Platform Service Container Plugin (platform-PlatformServiceContainer)

The Platform Service Container Plugin allows you to view and edit platform properties on the host running an opened station. It is the default view for a station’s PlatformServices container. It is also the container for other plugins, such as the TcpIpService, LicenseService, CertManagerService, and others depending on the host station operating system.

All plugins are also available as Hx pages.

Figure 1. Platform Service Container Plugin on a controller

To open this view expand Config > Services in a running station, scroll down and double-click PlatformServices.

The following properties are some that can be configured using this view.

Note: It is recommended that you leave engine-related properties and other advanced settings at default values, unless you have been directed otherwise by Systems Engineering.

Property	Value	Description
Name	read-only	Reports the name of the running station.
Host	read-only	Reports the IP address of the host platform.
Model	read-only	Reports the controller model name or Workstation.
Model Version	read-only	Reports the version number of the host model platform.
Product	read-only	Reports the product.
Host ID	read-only	Reports the controller’s ID, a string of unique alpha and numeric characters that identify this platform.
Niagara Version	read-only	Reports the version of the Niagara distribution running in the host platform.
Java VM Name	read-only	Reports the Java virtual machine used, for example, “Java HotSpot(TM) Embedded Client VM” for any N4 controller, or “Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit ServerVM” for a Supervisor on a Windows host.
Java VM Vendor	read-only	Reports the vendor for Java VM: Oracle Corporation.
Java Vm Version	read-only	Reports the version of Java VM, for example, “25.0-b 70” for the Java 8 compact3 VM on a controller, or “25.31-b07” for the Java 8 SE VM on a Windows host.
OS Name	read-only	Reports the operating system name, such as “QNX” or “Windows 10.”
OS Arch	read-only	Machine architecture for OS, such as “arm” or “ppc” (controller hosts) or “amd64” (Windows hosts).
Os Version	read-only	Operating System version, such as “6.5.0” (QNX) or “10.0” (Windows 10).
Platform Daemon Port	read-only	Reports the port number on which the platform daemon that started the station is listening for its platform server (3011, or another port number). This can prove useful in case you changed the platform port, but then forgot what the new port is.
Platform Daemon TLS Port	read-only	Reports the port number on which the platform daemon is listening for its platform TLS server: 5011 or another port number provided that platform TLS is enabled. If platform TLS is disabled, this property reads `Unknown`. This can prove useful in case you changed the platform TLS port, and then forgot what the new port is.
Locale	string	Determines locale-specific behavior, such as date and time formatting, and also which lexicons are used. A string entered must use the form: `language` [“_” `country` [“_” `variant`]]. For example U.S. English is “`en_US`” and traditional Spanish would be `es_ES_Traditional`. See Oracle documentation at http://docs.oracle.com/javase/1.4.2/docs/api/java/util/Locale.html for related details.
System Time	read-only if a Windows host; hours minutes seconds if a controller host	Reports or configures the current local time in host.
Date	read-only if a Windows host; date if a controller host	Reports or configures the current local date in host.
Time Zone	read-only if a Windows host; drop-down list if a controller host	Reports or configures the current local time zone for host.
Engine Watchdog Policy	drop-down list (defaults to Terminate)	Defines the response taken by the platform daemon if it detects a station engine watchdog timeout. The engine watchdog is a platform daemon process, to which the station periodically reports its updated engine cycle count. The purpose of the watchdog is to detect and deal with a hung or stalled station, and is automatically enabled when the station starts. Log Only generates a stack dump and logs an error message in the system log. The station should ultimately be restarted if a watchdog timeout occurs with the Log Only setting. Terminate kills the VM process. If Restart on Failure in the Application Director, the station restarts. Reboot automatically restarts the host controller platform. If Auto-Start is enabled in the Application Director, the station restarts after the platform reboots.
Engine Watchdog Timeout	hours and minutes (defaults to 3 minutes)	If the station’s engine cycle count stops changing and/or the station does not report a cycle count to the platform daemon, defines how long to wait before generating a stack dump for diagnostic purposes. The platform daemon causes the VM to generate the stack dump, then the daemon takes the action defined by the Engine Watchdog Policy.
Enable Station Auto-Save	check box (defaults to enabled)	Configures if Auto-Save should be enabled or disabled. Auto-Save creates a config_backup_<YYMMDD>_<HHMM>.bog file (where <YYMMDD> is the date and <HHMM> is the time when the automatic backup was created. Station Auto-Save Frequency defines when the save occurs. Auto-saved backup files are kept under that station’s folder.
Station Auto-Save Frequency	hours and minutes (defaults to every 24 hours for controller platforms and every hour for a Windows host)	Defines how frequently to create an auto-save backup of a station’s BOG file.
Station Auto-Save Versions to Keep	number (defaults to zero (0) on a controller platform and three (3) for a Windows host)	Configures the number of backups to save. Once this limit is reached, the framework replaces the oldest of the backups with the next manual or automatic save. Changing the default value for a controller from 0 to 1 provides a benefit in the case where a catastrophic (yet inadvertent) station change is made. If this happens a station kill reverts the station back to the backup copy. In Windows hosts, you can safely increase the default number to save more backups.
Battery Present	true (default) or false	(Applies only to a host other than the JACE-8000 or JACE-9000) Specifies if the controller has an integral backup battery, typically an onboard NiMH battery. true is recommended unless the controller is both SRAM-equipped and is without an attached backup battery (there is no way to detect the latter through software). false disables the PowerMonitorService at the next reboot. This prevents nuisance battery bad alarms. Station backup is dependent totally on SRAM and the station’s DataRecoveryService (the controller must have the `platDataRecovery` module installed, and be licensed for DataRecovery). The configuration described above is only one of three possible backup options for an SRAM-equipped controller that can also have a backup battery installed (for example, JACE-6E and JACE-3E, or JACE-6 and JACE-7 with an SRAM option card). The two other options are to use both a backup battery and SRAM for backup, or to use only a backup battery and no SRAM. These options require that Battery Present property is set to true. For related details, refer to the document Niagara Data Recovery Service Guide.
Number of CPUs	read-only	Reports the number of CPUs used in the host platform . This is typically 1 if a controller, more if a Windows host.
Current CPU Usage	read-only	Reports the percentage of CPU utilization in the last second.
Overall CPU Usage	read-only	Reports the percentage of CPU utilization since the last reboot.
Filesystem	read-only	Reports file storage statistics for the host, including total file space, available (free) space, and file block size (minimum size for even the smallest file). For the JACE-8000 host, it may look similar to:
Physical RAM	read-only	Current total and free RAM statistics for the host. For the JACE-8000, it may look similar to: `Total Free  1,048,576 KB 113,424 KB`
Serial number	read-only	(Appears only for the JACE host). Reports the controller’s unique serial number.
Hardware Revision	read-only	(Appears only for the JACE host). Reports the hardware revision of the controller.
Hardware Jumper Preset		(Applies only to the JACE host, except for the JACE-8000) Either true or false—indicates whether or not the mode jumper is installed for “serial shell mode” access. Read at boot time only. Refer to the JACE Niagara 4 Install and Startup Guide
Failure Reboot Limit	number (defaults to 3)	(Controller platforms only) Limits the number of station restarts that can be triggered by station failures, within the Failure Reboot Limit Period (if the host is so configured using the Application Director).
Failure Reboot Limit Period	hours and minutes (defaults to 10 minutes)	(Controller platforms only) Specifies the repeating frequency of the Failure Reboot Limit period. These two failure reboot settings are also adjustable (in any version of a QNX-based host) within that controller’s !daemon/daemon.properties file, in the following two properties: `failureRebootLimit=x` where `x` is an integer, default is 3 `failureRebootLimitPeriod=y` (where `y` is long in milliseconds, default is 3600000)
RAM Disk	percentage (defaults to 5%)	Defines the amount of remaining RAM Disk that triggers a PlatformServices and Platform Administration warning. Size indicates the size of the RAM disk used to store history and alarm files. This value defaults to 64mb. Status reports the current status of RAM disk.
Java Heap, Min Free	MB (The default varies according to controller model.)	Specifies the minimum free Java heap size, in MB against which the station compares (tests) for low memory conditions, that is excessive Java heap. This test automatically runs once a minute. If the heap free byte count is less than the defined minimum free heap size, a low memory warning displays in all Workbench views of the station. The warning is a yellow message box overlaid on any new view accessed, or on any current view that is refreshed. This warning is removed when the heap free byte count rises above the defined minimum size—such as might occur if enough components are deleted from the station. All memory statistics, including those for heap, are accessible on a station opened in Workbench, via the Resource Manager view of the Station component.
Open File Descriptors, Min Free	number	Specifies the maximum amount of file descriptors that can be used. That is, the read-only Max Open number minus the Min Free amount. File descriptors are used for histories, modules, and Fox connections If exceeded a “Station has too many open files or sockets” warning is overlaid in all Workbench views of the station.
Free RAM, Min Free	KB	Specifies the minimum RAM that can be left free during station operation. If status is not `Ok`, a “Low free RAM” warning overlays all Workbench views of the station.
Disk Space, Min Free	percentage	Specifies the minimum percentage of disk storage that can be left free during station operation. Below this amount, a “Platform running low on disk space” warning overlays all Workbench views of the station.
Files, Min Free	number	Specifies the minimum number of free files available during station operation. Below this number, a related platform warning appears. The PlatformServiceContainer status property Filesystem includes both the current number of files and the maximum number of files for each JACE controller partition.