fox-FoxService

This component is the Baja component wrapper for the FoxServer daemon. It is used within the NiagaraStation to provide basic Fox accessibility. This component is a container slot for Fox protocol settings that affect client connections made to the local station, such as from Workbench or from another station. This specialization of the FoxService maps server connections to the NiagaraStation serverConnection slot. NiagaraFoxService typically includes ServerConnections.

Included are properties for the TCP port number assigned to the Fox server, authentication method used, and various timeout/trace settings. See Fox Service properties for more details.

Authentication is required when establishing any Fox connection to/from the station:

If opening a station in Workbench, you must enter a valid station username and password in the station login window (otherwise it does not open).
If accessing a station in a browser as a user, where you also must enter valid user credentials (log in).
If adding a NiagaraStation to a station’s NiagaraNetwork, you must configure username and password properties under its Client Connection slot (otherwise it remains down). Often, you enter the username and password of a specific service-type user account in that station. You also specify the software port used by that station’s Fox server.
NOTE: Often in a multi-station job, in each station you create a user specifically for station-to-station communications, typically with admin write privileges. This is the service-type account that you reference when you edit a NiagaraStation’s Client Connection properties, entering its username and password.

Figure 48. Fox Service Properties

To access these properties, expand Config > Services, double-click FoxService or right-click FoxService, click Views > Property Sheet.

Property	Value	Description
Fox Port	additional properties	Specifies the TCP port used by the Fox server. ”Server Port (baja-ServerPort” documents the additional properties.
Fox Enabled	`true` or `false`	Activates (`true`) and deactivates (`false`) use of the object (network, device, point, component, table, schedule, descriptor, etc.). When enabled, `Http Enabled` in the WebService must also be set to `true` (for wbapplet use). When set to `false` the system to ignores attempts to connect using Fox port 1911. If `Foxs Only` is enabled, this setting (`false` for `Fox Enabled`) is irrelevant.
Foxs Port	additional properties	Specifies the TCP port used by the Fox server. ”Server Port (baja-ServerPort” documents the additional properties.
Foxs Enabled	`true` or `false`	Activates (`true`) and deactivates (`false`) use of the object (network, device, point, component, table, schedule, descriptor, etc.).
Foxs Only	`true` (default) or `false`	Enables (`true`) and disables (`false`) secure communication. If `true`, and `Fox Enabled` and `Foxs Enabled` are both `true`, the driver redirects the fox connection attempts as Foxs connections. If `Fox Enabled` is `false` and `Foxs Enabled` is `true`, only Foxs connection attempts work; The driver ignores Fox connection attempts.
Foxs Min Protocol	drop-down list (defaults to `Default Policy`)	Selects the earliest version of the TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol supported by your network. This is the minimum level of the TLS. Options include versions `TLSv1.0+`, `TLSv1.1+`, `TLSv1.2+`, and `TLSv1.3`. Choosing a higher level provides more security. NOTE: As of Niagara 4.13, TLSv1.0 and TLSv1.1 are still supported for backwards compatibility, but it is recommended to use TLSv1.2 and higher. During the handshake, the server and client agree on which protocol to use. You should change this property from the default if your network requires a specific version or if a future vulnerability is found in one of the versions.
Cipher Suite Group	`Recommended` (default) or `Supported`	Controls which cipher suites can be used during TLS negotiation. The default is more secure than the other option (`Supported`) and should be used unless it causes compatibility issues with the client.
Foxs Cert	text (read-only)	Displays the host platform’s server certificate that is currently used.
Alias	drop-down list (defaults to default)	Specifies the alias of the host platform’s server certificate, which the client uses to validate server authenticity. The default identifies a self-signed certificate that is automatically created when you initially log on to the server. It cannot be deleted and should be used for recovery purposes. The default certificate is protected by the global certificate password. If other certificates are in the host platform’s key store, you can select them from the drop-down list.
Password	text and check box	As of Niagara 4.13, the server certificate is password-protected by either a unique password or the global certificate password. Prompts the user to provide the user-defined password or the global certificate password associated with the server certificate.
Server Certificate Health	text (read-only)	Displays the alias of the used server certificate and its status (OK, Bad Password)
Requested Cert	text (read-only)	Displays the certificate’s alias that was requested.
Returned Cert	text (read-only)	Displays the actual certificate that is currently used.
Cert Status	text (read-only)	Specifies the status of the requested certificate (OK, Bad Password)
Request Timeout	hours minutes seconds (defaults to one minute	Defines how long to wait for a response before assuming a connection is dead.
Socket Option Timeout	hours minutes seconds (defaults to one minute)	Defines how long on a socket read before assuming the connection is dead.
Socket Tcp No Delay	`true` (default) or `False`	Disables (`true`) and enables (`false`) Nagle’s algorithm, which causes issues with delayed acknowledgements that occurred in TCP socket communications between Fox clients and servers. The default is recommended, which disables Nagle’s algorithm. On the Workbench side, a line added to the `system.properties` file can adjust this setting: `niagara.fox.tcpNoDelay=true`.
Keep Alive Interval	hours minutes seconds (defaults to five (5) seconds)	Defines the interval between keep alive messages. The keep alive should be well below the request time-out and socket option time-out.
Max Server Sessions	number (defaults to 100)	Defines the maximum number of Fox/Foxs server connections before additional client connections error with busy.
Multicast Enabled	`true` (default) or `False`	Enables (`true`) and disables (`false`) UDP multicasting initiated by the station. This is necessary for a discovery from this station. This differs from Workbench UDP mulitcast support, which can be disabled via an entry in the Workbench host’s `system.properties` file.
Enable Announcement	`true` (default) or `False`.	Enables (`true`) and disables (`false`) support of UDP multicast announcement messages received by the station in support of learn/discovery.
Multicast Time To Live	number (defaults to 4)	Defines the number of hops to make before a multicast message expires.
Server Connections	additional properties	Provides status information about current Workbench client connections to the local station (does not reflect station-to-station Fox connections).
Trace Session States	`true` or `False` (default)	Enables (`true`) and disables (`false`) debug usage for tracing session state changes.
Trace Read Frame	`true` or `False` (default).	Enables (`true`) and disables (`false`) debug usage for dumping frames being read from the wire.
Trace Write Frame	`true` or `False` (default).	Enables (`true`) and disables (`false`) debug usage for dumping frames being written to the wire.
Trace Multicast	`true` or `False` (default).	Enables (`true`) and disables (`false`) debug usage for tracing multicast messaging.
Audit Station Login Events	`true` or `False` (default).	Enables (`true`) and disables (`false`) the auditing of Fox login and logout events for station clients. When set to `true`, increase the capacity for the audit history accordingly.
Support Legacy Clients	drop-down list	Selects legacy client versions to support.

fox-FoxService

Figure 48. Fox Service Properties

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