A single operation can deploy multiple instances of one or more templates to a station.
Template bulk deployment differs from bulk provisioning in that provisioning configures multiple stations in a single operation,
whereas template bulk deployment configures a single station with multiple instances of one or more templates. This operation
loads information into the station for each device or other entity the station supports. Template bulk deployment does not
support automatic bulk deployment of sub-templates.
NOTE: To avoid future problems, make sure that you tag and configure devices correctly before making a template and using it to
configure other devices. Additionally, you must copy all relevant tag dictionaries (with the exception of the
Niagara tag dictionaries) from the tag dictionaries Service to the tag dictionaries folder in your User Home file space before the
template is first created (or edited), and during template deployment to be successful. Also, the system does not automatically
apply subsequent template changes to the configured devices.
Prerequisite
Bulk deployment assumes that the one or more templates to deploy exist.
Overview
The bulk deployment process involves these primary steps:
- Select the template(s) to include in the deployment and create an Excel file that contains a worksheet for each template.
- For each worksheet, fill in a row with the unique information required by each station device.
- Select this Excel file to use in the deployment, and execute the deployment job. The job starts with the first worksheet in
the Excel spreadsheet, extracts configuration data from each row, and configures each device in the target station. The job
moves from left to right through the worksheets. Data dependencies must be located in the worksheets ahead of when they are
needed.
NOTE:
Niagara 4.13 or prior
Workbench or
Supervisor versions do not support Excel files generated from a
Niagara 4.14
Workbench.
Template bulk deployment does not work when a station is offline.