This section presents information about how to run projects, as well as some of the platform's features that make your project development easier.
What is the Project Runtime
The term runtime is used to refer when a Project Configuration is in execution.
For instance, when you fill the configuration of Alarms Limits, write scripts, if the Project is not running, you only change the project configuration file. When starting the execution, that configuration is loaded to memory and the various Modules start their processing.
There are many features in our platform to assist to Run, Test and Track the modifications on your Project:
- The Run Test Mode that allows to run project in an isolated sandbox from the production execution.
- Do online modifications on the application, and Hot-swap to a new configuration without stopping the execution.
- Built-in diagnostics tools included: Module Information, Trace Window and Property Watch.
- Easily run the projects locally on a remote project server, on a remote Embedded device.
- Find all Tags and objects used by Project, and verify where and how they were used with one click.
- Locate and remove if necessary all unused objects in the Project.
- Track automatically any changes in the Project Configuration, adding custom comments and notes.
- Build process runs a deep verification and all scripts, pack the project size, and add automatically a Build Number.
- When working with critical system, like FDA regulated plants, Publish a project release with a version number and locked.
Key Concepts
Runtime
Refers to the Project when it is in execution. Project runtime can also refer to the set of programs that are loaded when a Project Configuration is loaded and running.
Application
In many contexts, Project and Application are used as synonyms, but in some cases the term Application is used to focus on the functionality that is being delivered when the Project is running, as Project would refer to its configuration.
Runtime Startup
The process of starting the application. The Project configuration is loaded by the programs (Runtime Modules) that will execute its configuration.
Real-time Database or TServer
The most important program when the Project is running is called TServer, which holds an in-memory database with the Tags defined in that Project.
Engineering vs Runtime
Engineering refers to the project Configuration. The term can be applied when writing about Licenses, software tools, and User Interfaces. As Runtime, as seen, is related to the execution of the Project.
Online Configuration
In some cases, the distinction of engineering and runtime is essential to make some solutions viable. In some cases, it is preferred to just keep the Project running all times.
The Online Configuration enables it. When the project is running, the changes you do in the configuration are immediately applied to the execution environment.
Runtime connection with the configuration
In order to allow the Online Configuration, the Runtime execution and the configuration tool (ProjectDesigner) need to have a communication connection.
When the Project is running, you can easily connect or disconnect the two environments. <<<<.image of buttons>>>>
Hot Start
If you modify the Project configuration off-line (not using the Online Configuration), when the ProjectDesigner connects with a Runtime, a Hot Start button is enabled.
The Hot Start button allows you to apply all the off-line Project modifications to the running system without stopping it.
This process of dynamically applying a new configuration without stopping the execution is called Hot Start or hot-swapping,
Test Mode and Startup Mode
The project can be executed in two isolated environments: Test and Startup.
The Startup Mode is the production environment, running with the same settings that will be used to deploy to the field or production environment.
The Test Mode allows to automatically modify database connections, scripts, debugging tools, to run the project in a development and test environment.
How to start the Project execution
You do not need to open the configuration tools, Project Designer, to run the project,. You can run directly by using the Project Management tool.
When deploying your Project in product in its final location, you can setup automated procedures to start the execution, as described in Deploying the Application.
This manual section will focus on Starting the Project execution from within the Project Designer, as it is typical to do during the development and test phase of the project.
Run Startup
To start the Project is production mode,
- Go to Run → Startup
- Click the Run Startup button
There are a few customizations you can do on how the project shall be executed, such as if the project will run in your local computer or start in a remote Server computer, which modules will be loaded, and some other settings described in this section.
Startup Computer
| Run | Startup Computer options | |
|---|---|
| Field | Description |
| Local | The TStartup (project ) is launched locally on the local PC |
| ProjectServer | The TStartup (project) is launched on a connected Server PC. This option is only enabled if the project was opened from a remote ProjectServer. |
On Run → Modules, you should see two options regarding the displays affected by this setting:
- If Displays is selected — A RichClient is opened on the project server when the project is started
- If LocalDisplays is selected — A RichClient is opened on local PC when the project is started
<<<<.add title to the table>>>>
Field | Description |
UserName | Enter a valid username to access the application. |
Password | Enter the password that corresponds to the username. |
Project Server | Read-only. Displays the IP address or the name of the computer where the project is, which is based on the configuration in the Server tab. |
Port | Displays the port that FactoryStudio uses for access. For test, it uses 3201. For startup, it uses 3101. These ports must be open on the server. |
PortWA | Displays the port that FactoryStudio uses for access with Windows Authentication. For test, it uses 3202. For startup, it uses 3102. These ports must be open on the server. |
Use only Windows Authentication | Checks if the system can only accept Windows Authentication. |
Startup Computer | Read-only. Displays whether or not the configured server is the local computer or a remote server. |
Execution Path | Overrides the default execution path, which is the project file location. |
Module Information | Runs the Module Information tool. |
Property Watch | Runs the Property Watch tool. |
Trace Window | Runs the TraceWindow tool. |
Run Modules | Select which modules are executed when running the project. |
Status | Shows the current status of running, connected, or disconnected.
|
Enable Online Configuration | Select in order to your changes to immediately apply to the test runtime. You must also be connected to the running project (see status setting above). |
You can use Enable Online Configuration to apply changes in real-time. All changes must be saved before they can appear on a screen. |
Run Test
To start the Project is Test Mode,
- Go to Run → Test
- Click the Run Test button
The settings for the execution in Test Mode are essentially the same of the Run Startup mode, with a few extra fields.
| Run → Test | Run Module options | |
|---|---|
| Field | Description |
| Alarms | When checked, the Alarm Module is loaded when project running. |
| Alarms Test DB | When checked, instead of using the Database configured on Dataset → DBs→ AlarmHistorian, Note: this configuration will NOT affect the storage defined using Tag Providers. |
<<. fields for other modules >> | |
How to Stop the Project Execution
There are a few ways to stop the running Project. All those options assume the current user has Security Authorization to shutdown the project. For information on Security, refer to Security and Users.
| Manually stopping the Project Execution | |
|---|---|
| Where | Description |
| Windows Trail icon | Locate the Icon TServer, right click and select stop. |
| Project Designer | On Run → Startup or Run → Test, connect the project <<icon>> and click Stop. |
| TStartup application | When the project starts running, a startup status windows is presented (TStartup.exe application). A shutdown button is available at that window. |
| File->Shutdown | If the menu is enabled on the Operator Displays, there is the option File → Shutdown. |
| Command in the Project | The property Server.Shutdown, can trigger the application to shutdown. Usually, there is a button in one of the pages, security protected, to allow operators to stop the execution when necessary. |
Closing the Window running the displays DOES NOT stop the project execution. All Modules (alarms, devices, etc.) keep running in background; only the Display Module is closed. Closing the Windows is equivalent to trigger the property Client.Shutdown, in opposition to Server.Shutdown. |
The MQTT Broker and Simulator
Our platform includes many tools to expedite your development when using MQTT. The complete overview of our Integration with MQTT is available on the MQTT documentation.
This section we will cover on how to execute two of those tools: The MQTT Broker and the MQTT Simulator.
Running the MQTT Broker
Our platform includes a built-in MQTT Broker compatible with SparkPlug B.
There are many open source and commercial MQTT Brokers available that you can use. But every time you to search and install additional tools, that weights against your development time and effort.
The embedded MQTT Broker — zero configuration required — is the perfect tool for using during the project development phase, or even in Edge or other applications that you do not need an enterprise level broker, nor administration tools.
To run the MQTT Broker:
- Go to Run → MQTT
- Click Run MQTT Broker
Running the MQTT SparkPlug B client simulator
Our platform includes a built-in MQTT SparkPlug B client simulator
<<<< some info on how is it is self and applied. >>>>
To run the MQTT SparkPlug B client simulator:
- Go to Run → MQTT
- Click Run MQTT Simulator
MQTT Simulatorn Settings
<<<< inför on how to customize the configuration and execution >>>>
The OPC UA Server simulator
Our platform includes an OPC UA server simulator to simplify the development of application when the OPC Server that shall be used for production isn't available to connect, or even it is available you prefer to do your Project development connecting with the simulator as a testing tool. For more information on using OPC with our platform, go to the OPC documentation.
To run the OPC UA Server Simulator:
- Go to Run → OPC UA Simulator
- Click Run OPC UA Server Simulator
OPC UA Server Simulator Settings
<<<< inför on how to customize the configuration and execution >>>>
<<<< note: create a new child page with the Info and Server namespaces. The client namespace shall be in Displays Code Behind.>>>>
Linux Runtime
Having supported projects that run in Linux environments for years, we continue to make improvements to ensure your project experience in the Linux environment will be as close to the .NET experience as you can get.
You can design your projects once and ensure your end users will get the same experience regardless of which platform they use.
If opening a ProjectServer from a Linux computer, all described procedure are the same, whatever the remote computer is Windows or Linux.
For information of specific Linux Platforms, refer to the Linux Platform documentation.
