Under Config, Services, every running Niagara station has a PlatformServices container (Figure 117), which any station user with admin-level permissions to this component can access.
Platform services in a running station provide two main types of functionality:
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A “subset” of platform views available in a platform connection. Platform services do not provide the full set of functions available in Workbench platform connection. For example, you cannot install or upgrade software, or transfer stations and files. However, a number of platform configuration views are available under a station’s PlatformServices.
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Certain platform configuration settings accessible only through PlatformServices—that is, not available in a client platform connection.
When engineering station security, be careful about assigning user permissions to PlatformServices and its child service components. In general, you should regard this
portion of the station as most critical, as it allows access to items such as host licenses and TCP/IP settings. Furthermore, right-click actions on the PlatformServices
include “Restart Station” (note that if a QNX-based JACE, this results in a host reboot!). For details about station security, see “About Security” in the User Guide.
Component differences for platform services (as explained in the next section) should be understood.