TN IT165 Configuring NAD For Modern Applications
Description
With the release of the new Modern applications in System Platform 2014 R2, there may be a question regarding if Network Application Development (NAD) is allowed. The answer is yes, and this article explains how to enable these features.
- Author: Daniel London
- Published: 10/01/2015
- Applies to: InTouch 2014 R2
Details
Network Application Development (NAD) combines a client server architecture with automatic notification of application changes. Based on user preferences, NAD can automatically distribute updated applications from the master to the client nodes running the application in WindowViewer.
A Modern application supports NAD in the same way as a legacy InTouch application. A Modern InTouch application folder can be shared as the NAD master location. A NAD client is notified when there are changes to the Modern application on the master node.
In addition to the updates to the components of legacy InTouch applications, a Modern application notifies client nodes when there are updates to:
• ArchestrA Graphics
• Application Style Library
• Alarm priority mapping
Modern applications impose some restrictions on NAD:
• Any changes to ArchestrA graphics can be loaded to NAD client nodes only after restarting WindowViewer. Also, the Notify Client command must selected one time in order to generate ArchestrA symbols on disk to be available to the NAD client.
• Any changes to a Modern application’s ArchestrA graphics, style library, and alarm priority mapping are distributed to client nodes only after selecting the Notify Client command from the master node.
• The Notify Client command is always enabled for Modern applications on the master node. As a result, the state of the Notify Client command does not indicate if there are any pending changes that need to be sent to client nodes.
• If the Load changes into WindowViewer or Prompt user to load changes into WindowViewer options are selected from the client node, the user is prompted to restart WindowViewer when any changes to a Modern application are detected.
To configure NAD master support for a Modern application:
1 Start Application Manager from the NAD master node.
2 Edit the Modern application in WindowMaker.
3 From the Special menu, click Notify Client to generate ArchestrA symbols on disk to be available to the NAD client.
To configure NAD client support for a Modern application
1 Start Application Manager from the NAD client node.
2 Select the Modern application to configure for NAD support.
3 From the Tools menu, click Node Properties.
4 Select the Enable Network Application Development check box.
5 In the Local working directory box, type the path to the master folder that contains the application distributed to client nodes.
6 In Polling period (sec), type the interval in seconds at which a client node checks the master node for application updates.
7 In the Change Mode area, select the option that determines the action WindowViewer takes when the master application changes.
• Click Ignore changes to have the WindowViewer node ignore any changes made on the development node.
• Click Restart Window Viewer to have the WindowViewer node copy over the updated master application (if configured to do so) and then restart itself.
• Click Prompt user to Restart to show a message from WindowViewer that the application has changed. The operator can either restart WindowViewer with the application updates or continue using the current application.
• Click Load Changes into WindowViewer to dynamically load in WindowViewer the changes made in the development node. This may affect performance for large updates.
• Click Prompt user to load changes into WindowViewer to show the operator a message that the application has changed. The message prompts the operator to load the changes.
8 Click OK.
9 From a client node, find the shared application from the master node in Application Manager.
Users can run the shared application in WindowViewer.
Source: InTouch 2014 R2 Help Contents