Some platform configuration is possible only by accessing platform services in a station running on that host. Although such SoftJACE configuration is optional, you may want to do it during the initial commissioning. Under its Services container, any station has a PlatformServices container (Figure 22).
PlatformServices is different from all other components in a station in the following ways:
-
It acts as the station interface to specifics about the host platform (whether JACE or a PC).
-
It is built dynamically at station runtime—you do not see PlatformServices in an offline station.
-
Any changes you make to PlatformServices or its child services are not stored in the station database.
Instead, changes are stored in other files on the host platform, such as its
platform.bogfile.
Do not attempt to edit platform.bogdirectly; always use PlatformServices’ views!
For a SoftJACE, the main platform service items of interest during commissioning may involve these two child platform services (and possibly one or two of the parent container’s PlatformService properties):
-
CertManagerService
This service provides a Certificate Management view, with the means to import and export signed certificates (for SSL or TLS secure connections) into the platform's key store and trust store, and to perform other related functions.
For complete details, refer to the document NiagaraAX SSL Connectivity Guide, including the section “About the Certificate Management view”.
-
NtpPlatformServiceWin32
This service is the NiagaraAX interface to the Windows Time service (W32Time) on the SoftJACE’s Windows OS (either 32-bit or 64-bit). This Windows service uses the SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) to synchronize to one or more designated time servers. The default view of this platform service is the Ntp Platform Service Editor Win32 view, in which you can adjust a few settings of the Windows Time service, including identifying NTP time servers.
For more details, refer to the NiagaraAX Platform Guide sections “About the Ntp Platform Service” and “About the Ntp Platform Service Editor Win32”.
NTP requires use of UDP port 123—if using NTP, you typically need to make a firewall exception to allow UDP port 123 traffic.
Unlike in a station running on a QNX-based JACE, a SoftJACE has no “power monitoring” (PowerPlatformService, as in a QNX-based JACE or JACE-NXT), or “system monitoring” (HardwareMonitorService, as in a JACE-NXT). There is no HardwareScanService available either. Finally, the SerialPortPlatformService has read-only properties only.
Note there is also a TcpIpService and LicenseService, providing station (Fox) access to dialogs used in platform views, for instance the TCP/IP Configuration dialog as shown in Figure 17. These platform services support installations where all configuration must be possible using only a browser connection (and not Workbench connected to the SoftJACE’s platform daemon).
To review PlatformServices properties for the SoftJACE
With a station in the SoftJACE running, and that station opened in Workbench, do the following:
-
In the Nav tree, double-click Services and then PlatformServices.
Its property sheet displays in the view pane, as shown in Figure 23.
Many are read-only status types, similar to what is available in the Platform Administration view. Other configuration properties are available. A group of 3 properties allow adjustment of the time, date, and time zone settings for the host SoftJACE (alternately accessible using a platform connection to it). Access to these properties is useful if the installation requires all setup access using a browser only.
-
As needed, review other platform service configuration properties, which include the following:
It is strongly recommended that you leave the following properties at default values, unless otherwise directed by Systems Engineering.
-
Locale — 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”.For details, see Oracle documentation at http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/Locale.html.
-
Engine Watchdog Policy — Defines response taken by the platform daemon if it detects a station engine watchdog timeout. With the watchdog, the station periodically reports to the platform daemon its updated engine cycle count. The watchdog purpose is to detect and restart a “hung” or “stalled” station, and is automatically enabled when the station starts.
Watchdog policy selections include:
-
Log Only — Generates stack dump and logs an error message in the system log.
-
Terminate — (Default) Kills the VM process. If “restart on failure” is enabled for the station (typical), the station is restarted.
-
Reboot — Automatically reboots the host JACE platform. If “auto-start” is enabled for the station, the station is restarted after the system reboots.
-
-
Engine Watchdog Timeout — Default is 1 minute, and range is from 0 ms to infinity.
If the station’s engine cycle count stops changing and/or the station does not report a cycle count to the platform daemon within this defined period, the platform daemon causes the VM to generate a stack dump for diagnostic purposes, then takes the action defined by the Engine Watchdog Policy.
-
Engine Station Auto-Save — Either Enable (default) or Disable.
Allows for “auto save” of running station to “
config_backup_<YYMMDD>_<HHMM>.bog” file at the frequency defined in next property. Auto-saved backup files are kept under that station’s folder. -
Station Auto-Save Frequency — Default is every (1) hour for the SoftJACE, the range is from 1 to many hours.
-
Station Auto-Save Versions to Keep — Default is 3. Oldest of kept backups is replaced upon next manual save or auto-save backup, once the specified limit is reached.
-
-
Click to write any configuration change to host platform.