NOTE: Starting in
Niagara 4.2, the JACE-8000 can be converted (downgraded) to run
AX-3.8U1–with some feature limitations. For example, for any JACE-8000 running
AX the USB Backup/Restore functionality is not supported. When running
AX the USB port on the device is not monitored. Other unsupported features are IEEE 802.1X wired authentication and WiFi functionality.
The BackupService, which comes standard with
Workbench, backs up station files to a local Supervisor or browser PC. A backup made by the BackupService includes only pointers to
required core software modules. To restore from a backup made using
Workbench, not only do you need
Workbench, but also its software database with matching versions of all required core .dist files, OS .dist files, and software modules.
Afterwards, use the Distribution File Installer to restore the backup.
The JACE-8000 provides the ability to:
- Initiate a backup manually by inserting a USB flash drive into the USB port and pressing the backup and restore button on
the unit itself.
NOTE: USB backup supports only FAT32 and FAT32X file systems. NTFS is not supported.
CAUTION: Only flash drives (USB sticks ≤128GB) are recommended for backup/restore operations. USB bus powered external hard drives
often have higher power requirements and so may not function as expected, possibly resulting in permanent damage to the drive
or to the JACE-8000. Plugging in an external hard drive may cause the controller to become unresponsive, requiring a reboot.
- Restore a USB backup image using a USB flash drive, USB-to-microUSB cable connection and a terminal emulator program.
- Recover the factory default image. This feature does not require a USB flash drive, special cable or terminal emulator. The
system pulls the factory image from non-volatile, read-only memory.
NOTE: In
Niagara 4.7U1 and later, the presence of a USB device inserted in the USB backup/restore port prevents you from accidentally launching
the factory defaults recovery process while attempting to restore a backup. If a USB device, of any type, is inserted in the
backup/restore port, then recovery is skipped. Consequently, when factory defaults recovery is desired, no USB device can
be inserted in the USB port.
- In
Niagara 4.4 and later, the Secure Platform Account Recovery feature provides customers with a secure method of regaining access to their
JACE-8000 without losing station data and configuration.