System installation
Faceplate is a client-server application. As the client is a browser, the recommended ones are:
- Firefox, starting from version 51
- Chrome,starting from version 57
- Safari, starting from version 9
- Edge, starting from version 12
- Linux (32 bit)
- Linux (64 bit)
- Windows (32 bit)
- Windows (64 bit)
Description of the installation process
Administrator rights are required to install the program. The installation process for Faceplate is fully automated and only requires the user to set the following configuration parameters:
| Path | is the installation way. This is a folder where the application will be installed. ATTENTION! When determining the path, is not allowed to use the symbols not from the latin alphabet, as well as spaces, brackets and various special symbols. |
|---|---|
| Host name | is the host name. The network name of the station to which the installation is being performed. ATTENTION! The name will be used to refer to the station via TCP/IP. The network services should ensure that this name is authorized in the IP address of the server to which the installation is being performed. |
| is master | This is a sign of the server-master. If there is an installation of the main server of the system, then the checkmark should be ticked. When adding a new server to the already deployed system, the checkmark must be unticked (see Installation on the backup server ). |
| Ecomet http port | The port number used to connect to the administration interface of “Ecomet” DBMS (‘Data Base Management System’) via the HTTP protocol. The Ecomet administration points are not considered in this document. |
| Ecomet http port | The port number used to connect to the administration interface of the “Ecomet” DBMS (‘Data Base Management System’) via the HTTP protocol. The Ecomet administration points are not considered in this document. |
| Faceplate http port | The port number for connecting to Faceplate via the HTTP protocol. If the value is left blank, the connections using the HTTP protocol, will be blocked by Faceplate server. The blocking of connection via HTTP protocol, is recommended when the installation of the server in the public or potentially insecure networks. In other cases, the use of the HTTP protocol is preferable (with respect to HTTPS) |
| Faceplate https port | Faceplate https port. The port number for connecting to Faceplate via the HTTPS. When installation of the server in thr public or potentially insecure network, it is recommended to use the HTTPS protocol to connect to the server. In this case, it needs to add the SSL certificate of the Faceplate server to the list of trusted certificates. In other cases, the use of the HTTP protocol is more preferable. |
| Faceplate OPC DA Proxy port | The option is relevant only when installation in the Windows environment. If together with Faceplate server is required to install a software module to work with a local OPC server (see Сreating OPC DA connections ), then it’s necessary to set the port number that this software will use to exchange information with Faceplate. The installation of Faceplate OPC DA Proxy module can be done later separately. |
ATTENTION! It is necessary to ensure that the network ports specified during the installation process, would not be operated by other applications.
Group “Database settings”. The group is used to back up the required size for the project database. The parameters set in this dialog, determine the initial configuration of the database fragments. If during the operation of the system, the fragments created during the installation, are not enough, the database will be automatically expanded. The process of the database expanding requires a large amount of computing resources, and also (IMPORTANT!) during the expansion, some part of the data may not be available for recording (changing), which may be unacceptable on a running system. In this regard, it is recommended during the installation process to back up the space for the database with a significant margin. To calculate the required space, it’s necessary to calculate the estimated amount of archives and the system events log. The calculation methods are described in paragraphs Archiving System and Messages system.
| Field fragments | the number of fragments reserved for data storage. Each fragment = 2 GB. The main storage of the system is used to store the archival information, event log and information defining the structure and content of the project. For projects containing a large number of archived parameters (more than 500) it is recommended to define at least 128 fragments. |
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| Object fragments | the number of fragments reserved for storing of meta-information. Each fragment = 2 GB.This is an auxiliary storage system, it’s enough for this storage, in most cases, to reserve 8 fragments. |
| Tag fragments | - the number of fragments reserved for storing of search indexes. In most cases, it increases in proportion to the main storage, but it requires much less space. It is recommended for this storage to reserve Field fragments / 2 (the number of fragments reserved for the main storage divided by 2). |
The last dialog of the software suggests to install together with the system the related software products:
| Openkiosk | This is the browser developed on the basis of Firefox. Additionally, it allows to block the screen in order to prevent the operators access to the station desktop. The application can be very useful if the station is planned to be used simultaneously as an operator workplace. The installing software will make all the necessary settings for this application. As a result, when the application startup, the runtime environment of Faceplate will be automatically loaded, and the access to the station desktop will be blocked. To access the desktop, press Shift + F1 and enter the password: by default it’s ‘admin’. The Openkiosk installation could be made separately using a specialized installing software. |
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| visual C++ redistributables | This option is valid only for Windows. There are the run-time environment components, required to make the C ++ applications. The components are required for running of the virtual machine Erlang. If the components are already installed, the reinstallation could be omitted. If there is no firm belief that these components are already installed on the station, it is better to perform the re-installation, which will not affect the operation of other softwares. |
| Faceplate OPC DA Proxy | This option is valid only for Windows. This is an additional software module that provides the Faceplate interaction with the local OPC server. If the OPC servers are installed on the station (or the installation is planned to be done) to which Faceplate will be connected (see Сreating OPC DA connections ), it is recommended to install this module. |
Installation on the backup server
When a new server is added to the already deployed system (see Hot backup setting ), the installation process is slightly different from installing the system on the main server. The main difference is that (IMPORTANT!) during the installation process, it’s necessary to untick the checkmark in is master option. It should also keep by default the settings from the “Database settings” group, since the database configuration will be copied from the main server. As for the rest, the installation process is the same as installing the system on the main server (see Description of the installation process ).
System startup
If the system is successfully installed on the station, 3 shortcuts will be created on the desktop:
- Faceplate Server. Startup of the server part of Faceplate. To work with Faceplate, the server must be started. The server can also be started by running the file:
/faceplate/bin/server.sh - Linux environment/li> /faceplate/bin/server.bat - Windows environment - Faceplate Studio. Startup of the Faceplate development environment. The shortcut executes the opening of the development environment application in the browser, used by default. See the list of supported browsers in p. System installation . The development environment can also be open from a remote station of the developer that has the access to the Faceplate server over the network. To do this, it’s necessary in the remote station in the browser, to open the following page:
- http://
: /fp/project.html or - https://
: /fp/project.html - Faceplate Runtime. Startup the Faceplate runtime environment. The shortcut executes the opening of the development environment application in the browser, used by default. See the list of supported browsers in p. [System installation](#system-installation) . The runtime environment can be open from remote stations of the operators. The remote station must have access to the Faceplate server over the network. To open the runtime environment it’s necessary to open the following page in the browser:
- http://
: /fp/runtime.html or - ○ https://
: /fp/runtime.html
The port numbers for the HTTP and HTTPS protocol are specified during the installation of the system, by default, 9000 and 9443, respectively (see Description of the installtion process ).