Reviewing/adjusting PlatformServices properties for the JACE

Prerequisites:
  • A station in the JACE is running, and that station opened in Workbench.
  1. In the Nav tree, double-click Services and then PlatformServices.

    Its “Platform Service Container Plugin” displays in the view pane.

    Some properties are read-only status types, similar to many seen in the Platform Administration view. Other configuration properties can be edited. A group of 3 config properties allow adjustment of the time, date, and time zone settings for the host JACE (alternately accessible using a platform connection to the JACE). Access to these properties is useful if the installation requires all setup access using a browser only.

  2. As needed, review other platform service configuration properties, which include the following:
     
    NOTE: You should 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”.

      See Oracle documentation at http://docs.oracle.com/javase/1.4.2/docs/api/java/util/Locale.html for related details.

    • 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 deal with 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. (The station should ultimately be restarted if a watchdog timeout occurs with the “Log Only” setting).
      • 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 3 minutes in Niagara 4, and range is from 1 minute to many hours.

      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.

    • Enable 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 24 hours for any embedded JACE, range is from 1 to many hours.
    • Station Auto-Save Versions to Keep — Default is 0. Oldest of kept backups is replaced upon next manual save or auto-save backup, once the specified limit is reached. Significant flash space is saved by keeping this 0 or perhaps 1.
    • RAM Disk — In MB (default is 1GB). Indicates the size of RAM disk used to store history and alarm files.
      • Min Free — sets the level at which Platform Services and Platform Admin show a warning.

     

    For further details on these and other PlatformServices properties, refer to the “PlatformServiceContainer parameters” section in the Niagara Platform Guide.

  3. Click Save to write any configuration change to the host JACE platform.