• Changing the date, time and time zone using PlatformServices
  • Enabling and disabling SRAM support in the DataRecoveryService
  • Performing platform administration

A few platform configuration features are not directly accessible in the Workbench platform connection via the Commissioning Wizard. Instead, to access these features, you must install a station on the controller (any station). The Commissioning Wizard also performs most, but sometimes not all, needed configuration for a new controller platform. There are several items you should review (and optionally change) in a follow- up platform connection to each controller, using the Platform Administration view.

Figure 1 Example of a controller station’s Platform Services

 

PlatformServices are different from all other components in a station in the following ways:

  • The PlatformServices node acts as the station interface to specifics about the host platform (whether controller or a PC).
  • Niagara builds these services 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.bog file.

NOTICE! Do not attempt to edit the platform.bog directly; always use PlatformServices views.

These services support installations where all configuration must be possible using only a browser connection (and not Workbench connected to the controller platform daemon). Included services are:

  • TcpIpService provides station (Fox) access to windows used to configure TCP/IP settings.
  • LicenseService for managing platform licenses.
  • CertManagerService for managing PKI certificate stores and/or allowed host exceptions, used in certificate-based (TLS) connections between the station/platform and other hosts. For details, see the Niagara Station Security Guide.
  • DataRecoveryService for the operation and monitoring of ongoing SRAM backups for most (SRAM- equipped) SLX controllers. It includes a Service Enabled configuration property, which you can disable, if needed. This is viable only if a backup battery is installed, or the unit is powered by an external UPS.

The Platform Administration view is one of several views for any platform, listed under the Platform node in the Nav tree and in the platform’s Nav Container View. This view provides a text summary of the SLX’s current software configuration, including its model number, OS level, JVM version, installed modules, lexicons, licenses, certificates, and so on.

Platform Administration is one of several platform views:

 

 

 

You may wish to review and configure the parent container’s PlatformServices and PlatformAdministration properties using Workbench.

The Niagara Platform Guide documents the PlatformServices and PlatformAdministration properties.