JACE-NXS platform administration

The Platform Administration view is one of several views for any platform, listed under the platform in the Nav tree side bar (Figure 27).

Figure 27. Platform Administration is one of several platform views

Included in this view are commands and related dialogs in which you can:

Set the date and time in the JACE.

Typically, this is needed only if you did not choose to “sync” with your local system date and time when running the Commissioning Wizard.
Change the HTTP port used by the JACE for the Niagara platform daemon (platform server).

The default port is 3011.
View a simple text summary of the JACE’s current software configuration, including its model number, OS level, JVM version, installed modules, lexicons, licenses, certificates, and so on.
Use debug-level tools to change logging levels and view platform daemon output.
Perform other platform tasks available using the Commissioning Wizard, such changing platform authentication (platform’s username and password), and so on.

For more details, see the Platform Administration section in the Platform Guide. For a procedure specific to a new JACE-NXS, see the next section Administer the JACE-NXS platform.

Administer the JACE-NXS platform

To perform platform administration

With your Workbench PC re-configured with its working IP address, and the JACE already commissioned using the Commissioning Wizard:

Open a platform connection to the JACE, if not already opened.

Use the procedure Open a platform connection, except use the JACE IP address and platform credentials (username and password) that you configured when running the wizard, and if using basic authentication, the changed Windows password (see Change the default Windows password).
In the JACE platform’s Nav Container View, double-click Platform Administration.

The Platform Administration view appears (Figure 27).
As needed, click the following buttons to review or make changes:
- View Details — For a platform summary that you can copy to the Windows clipboard.
- Update Authentication — For platform daemon authentication dialog to change platform login authentication method (as previously included as step in commissioning wizard).
- Change HTTP Port — For dialog to change the HTTP port for the JACE’s platform daemon from port 3011 to some other port. See HTTP Port.
- Change Date / Time — For dialog to change the JACE’s current date, time, and time zone (as previously included as step in commissioning wizard).
- Change Log Settings — Provides dialog to change the log level of different processes that can appear in the platform daemon output
- View Daemon Output — Provides window in which you can observe debug messages from platform daemon processes in real time. Also includes ability to pause or load.
- Set Module Filter — Provides dialog to change the module content level of the JACE (as previously included as step in commissioning wizard).
- Backup — Make a complete backup of all configuration on the connected host platform, including all station files as well as other Niagara configuration (typically unnecessary for any JACE just started up).
- Commissioning — Another way to re-launch the Commissioning Wizard, as previously used in the initial commissioning of the JACE.
- Reboot — Provides a method to reboot the JACE platform, which restarts all software including the OS and JVM, then the platform daemon, then (if so configured in the Application Director) the installed station. If you click this, a confirmation dialog appears.
  
  If you reboot, your platform connection is lost, and it is typically a couple of minutes until you can reconnect to this JACE. Note that a reboot is not necessary if you manually stopped the JACE-NXS station from the Application Director (Station Director)—unlike with a QNX-based JACE, you can Start it again without a reboot.

Change HTTP Port

This step is optional, and the default port 3011 is typically used in many Niagara installations. However, for reasons of additional security or perhaps firewall issues, you may need to change the HTTP port used by the JACE’s platform daemon.

If you change this port, you will be unable to reopen a platform connection without first accessing the Windows Firewall on the JACE-NXS, and making the corresponding change in the exception named “admin.” See Review the Windows XP Firewall for more details.

To change HTTP port

From the Platform Administration view (Figure 27):

Click the Change HTTP Port button.

A dialog appears showing the current HTTP port number highlighted (Figure 28).
Type in the new HTTP port number.
Click Ok.

Your current platform connection is dropped, and the JACE platform appears ghosted in the Nav tree, showing the new HTTP port number (:n) in parenthesis by the platform icon.
Access the JACE-NXS’s firewall. See To access the Windows Firewall in a JACE-NXS.

On the Exceptions tab, edit the “admin” exception to allow access to the same TCP port.

Save and exit the firewall.
Back in the Platform Administration view, double-click the ghosted JACE platform to get the platform login (Authentication) dialog, and enter the commissioned platform username and password. Click OK.
From the platform’s container view, double-click Platform Administrator to return to its view.

Before closing the host (removing it from Nav tree), carefully note the new (non-default) port number you entered. You must always specify that port number whenever reopening the JACE’s platform. Note that in AX-3.1, you can also see this port number listed in a running station on that JACE, by going to the property sheet of its PlatformServices container.

Figure 28. Change Platform Daemon HTTP Port dialog