FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties dialog—Secondary Server tab

In the
FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties
dialog, use the
Secondary Server
tab to configure secondary
FactoryTalk® Batch
Server options.

Secondary Server tab settings

The
Secondary Server
tab allows you to enable and set up options for a secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server to create a
FactoryTalk Batch
Server pair that can resume or continue batch execution on the other member of the pair.
General settings
Setting
Description
Enable secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server
Select this option to specify that the
FactoryTalk Batch
Server must work in coordination with a secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server and enable secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server options throughout the
FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties
dialog.
When you clear this checkbox, you also clear any value in the
Computer hosting the secondary FactoryTalk Batch Server
field.
Computer hosting the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server
Browse to or enter the name of the host computer where the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server resides.
The host computer name can only be used by one
FactoryTalk Batch
Server object in the
FactoryTalk Directory
—not any other primary or secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server. If you enter the same host computer name for more than one
FactoryTalk Batch
Server object in the
FactoryTalk Directory
,
FactoryTalk Batch
will use the configuration of the
FactoryTalk Batch
Server object associated with the first instance it finds of the host computer name.
TIP: Automated validation for uniqueness of the
FactoryTalk Batch
Server computer assignment does not run during
FactoryTalk Directory
backup and restore of an individual application, so you must verify the configuration to avoid anomalous behavior.

Batch creation

In the
Batch creation
area, you can configure how the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server generates a unique ID for each batch at batch creation, and the default batch name that the operator sees when adding a batch.
Batch creation settings
Setting
Description
Create ID range
For the purpose of batch identification, the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server generates a unique
CreateID
for each batch at batch creation.
This
Create ID range
field controls the range of IDs that the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server can use when generating a
CreateID
. To make sure that all IDs generated by a
FactoryTalk Batch
Server pair are unique, you cannot select the same range for both the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server and its secondary server.
TIP: The properties for the
Create ID range
field for the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server are in the
General
tab. For more information, see FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties dialog—General tab.
To generate a new
CreateID
, the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server increments the last
CreateID
by one (skipping any IDs that exist in the
eventdir.txt
file).
Default Batch ID
When adding a batch, one of the properties that the operator sees in the
FactoryTalk Batch View
Batch Creation
page is the
Batch ID
. This
Default Batch ID
field defines the default value that the operator initially sees in the
Batch ID
property.
The value in the
Default Batch ID
field must meet the following requirements:
  • Maximum length of 255 characters.
  • Contain only letters, numbers, and underscores. The value cannot contain spaces; single or double quotations; open or close parenthesis or bracket; percentage sign; tabs, new lines, or carriage returns; or your locale list separator.
  • Cannot contain the value listed in the
    IllegalUserBatchID
    property, which you define in the
    Advanced
    tab. For more information, see FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties dialog—Advanced tab.
The default value for this required field is
BATCH_ID
.

Miscellaneous

The
Miscellaneous
area allows you to define options for hold propagation and limits.
When a batch executing in a secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server detects a failure condition, the system may hold all or parts of a batch from propagating through the recipe hierarchy. The selected
Hold propagation
type identifies how much of the batch is commanded to hold in response to the failure and how much continues to run.
Hold propagation types
Type
Description
None
No hold. The entire batch continues running.
Phase
Holds only the affected phase, allowing the balance of the phase’s unit and all other units to continue running.
Operation
Holds only the affected phase and the related operation, allowing the balance of the operation’s unit and all other units to continue running.
Unit
Holds the phase and the related unit, and all other units continue running.
Batch
Holds the entire batch. This is the default value.
Other settings in the
Miscellaneous
area allow you to define options relating to limits.
Miscellaneous settings
Setting
Description
Maximum log file size (MB)
The secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server logs activities to a log file (
Batchsvr.log
). This required field defines the maximum size (in megabytes) of the log file. When the log file reaches maximum size, the log acts in a circular manner, with new records overwriting the oldest records.
This field has a minimum integer value of 1 and a maximum integer value of 1,024. The default value is
10
MB.
Minimum disk space (MB)
This required field defines the minimum disk space (in MB) that must be available before a batch can be added to the
BatchList
. Adequate disk space helps prevent data loss.
This field has a minimum integer value of 1 and a maximum integer value of 1,024. The default value is
1
MB.
Maximum number of items to verify in parallel
From the
FactoryTalk Batch Service Manager
, you can issue a runtime command to the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server to verify tags in the area model. Because attempting to verify all the tags simultaneously can put a large load on the data servers supporting those tags, and the customer could be running batches, by default the command verifies one tag at a time.
This required field allows you to increase the number of tags that the command verifies at the same time, up to a maximum integer value of 30. The default value is
1
.
Minimum free virtual memory (MB)
This required field defines the minimum amount of virtual memory (in MB) that must be available before the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server will allow batch creation. Adequate memory helps prevent
FactoryTalk Batch
Server crashes.
This field has a minimum integer value of 102 and a maximum integer value of 3,840. The default value is
512
MB.

OPC communications timeout

The
OPC communications timeout
area allows you to configure the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server’s watchdog timer.
OPC communications timeout settings
Setting
Description
Period (msec)
This required field defines the time interval (in milliseconds) that the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server uses to check the quality of communication with
FactoryTalk Live Data
servers and OPC data servers and to attempt to reconnect logic in the case of lost data server connections.
This field has a minimum integer value of 1,000 and a maximum integer value of 60,000. The default value is
10,000
msec.
Allowable failures
This required field defines how many consecutive failed watchdog set or reset periods that the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
Server permits before a
FactoryTalk Live Data
server or OPC data server connection status is marked BAD and batches using that data server respond according to their configured
Hold propagation
type.
This field has a minimum integer value of 2 and a maximum integer value of 999,999,999. The default value is
5
.
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