FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties dialog—primary server settings on the Project Settings tab

In the
FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties
 dialog, use the
Project Settings
 tab to specify the computer that will host the primary
FactoryTalk® Batch
 Server, and configure the project paths.

Project Settings tab

Once you select a
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server on the
Project Settings
 tab, you can define the project paths and restart properties for that server.
TIP: For more information on configuring this tab for a secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server, see FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties dialog—secondary server settings on the Project Settings tab.
General settings
Setting
Description
Server
Select
Primary
 to configure primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 project settings. Valid values in the
Server
 list include the following:
  • Primary
  • Secondary
    TIP: If, on the
    Secondary Server
     tab, the
    Enable secondary FactoryTalk Batch Server
     option is not selected, the secondary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's data shows on the
    Project Settings
     tab but is not accessible.
Machine name
This read-only field shows the label for the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server, which comes from the
Computer hosting the primary FactoryTalk Batch Server
 field explained in the section FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties dialog—General tab.

Server directories

The
Server directories
 area is where you will define the project paths that the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server needs to access both its own directories and those of the paired secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server.
When you open the
Project Settings
 tab, a message shows at the bottom of the
Project Settings
 tab to alert you if any path is not visible from the current computer. For example:
The following paths do not exist: Project path root, Event Journal, Restart, Error logging, Instructions, Area Model, Recipe Directory
.
The table below defines the two
Project path strategy
 options for configuring project paths. The option you select for the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server is independent of the option you select for the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server.
Project path strategies
Strategy
Description
Default paths
When selected, the system disables the following fields and automatically populates them with a path that begins with the
Project path root
:
  • Event Journal
    :
    Project path root
    \journals\
  • Error logging
    :
    Project path root
    \logs\
  • Instructions
    :
    Project path root
    \instructions\
  • Restart
    :
    Project path root
    \restart\
  • Recipe Directory
    :
    Project path root
    \recipes\
Custom paths
When selected, all path fields are accessible for you to browse to or enter a path.
TIP: When switching from
Default paths
 to
Custom paths
, the
Event Journal
,
Error logging
,
Instructions
,
Restart
, and
Recipe Directory
 paths will all initially retain the default paths.
Project root directories
Directory
Description
Project path root
Browse to or enter the path to the location where you want to store your project directories.
If the location that you select is empty or invalid, the
FactoryTalk Batch
 system will try to populate this field with the
FTBATCH_PROJECTS
 directory. If the
FTBATCH_PROJECTS
 directory does not exist, the system will then populate this field with the
C:\Users\Public\Documents
 directory.
Area Model
Browse to or enter the path to the area model file (for example,
\\MY_COMPUTER\FTBATCH_PROJECTS\SampleDemo1\Recipes\ice_cream1.cfg
).
Project directories
Directory
Description
Event Journal
If you selected
Default paths
 as the
Project path strategy
, this field is automatically populated. If you selected
Custom paths
, browse to or enter the path to the location where you want to store the
Event Journal
.
TIP:
You must define the
Event Journal
 path or the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server will not start. The recommended
Event Journal
 path is a subdirectory in the
Project path root
 (for example,
FTBATCH_PROJECTS
).
The server will also not start if the
Event Journal
 path is invalid. An error message indicating the invalid path appears in the
batchsvr.log
 file.
Duplicate Journal
Browse to or enter the path to the location where you want to store the optional
Duplicate Journal
.
TIP: The primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server will not start if the
Duplicate Journal
 path is invalid. An error message indicating the invalid path appears in the
batchsvr.log
 file.
If a secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server is configured, the recommended practice is to mirror the
Event Journal
 and
Duplicate Journal
 directories. For example:
  • The primary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's
    Event Journal
     directory is the secondary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's
    Duplicate Journal
     directory.
  • The primary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's
    Duplicate Journal
     directory is the secondary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's
    Event Journal
     directory.
Error logging
If you selected
Default paths
 as the
Project path strategy
, this field is automatically populated. If you selected
Custom paths
, browse to or enter the path to the location where you want to store
Error logging
.
Instructions
If you selected
Default paths
 as the
Project path strategy
, this field is automatically populated. If you selected
Custom paths
, browse to or enter the path to the location where you want to store
Instructions
.
TIP: This field is only accessible if, from the
General
 tab, you selected the
Enable FactoryTalk eProcedure
 option.
Restart
If you selected
Default paths
 as the
Project path strategy
, this field is automatically populated. If you selected
Custom paths
, browse to or enter the path to the location where you want to store the files containing restart information.
TIP:
You must define a valid
Restart
 path or the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server will not start and an error record writes to both
FactoryTalk
 Events and the
batchsvr.log
 file.
The server will also not start if the
Restart
 path is invalid.
Duplicate Restart
Browse to or enter the path to the location where you want to store the files containing duplicate restart information. This directory is optional.
TIP: If the
Duplicate Restart
 path is invalid, the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server will not start and an error record writes to both
FactoryTalk
 Events and the
batchsvr.log
 file.
If a secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server is configured, the recommended practice is to mirror the
Restart
 and
Duplicate Restart
 directories. For example:
  • The primary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's
    Restart
     directory is the secondary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's
    Duplicate Restart
     directory.
  • The primary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's
    Duplicate Restart
     directory is the secondary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server's
    Restart
     directory.
Recipe storage settings
Setting
Description
Recipe format
Select the file format of stored recipes:
  • Binary file
    —Store recipes in separate files according to the recipe level and in a specified directory. Store procedures as
    .bpc
     files, unit procedures as
    .upc
     files, and operations as
    .uop
     files. This is the default value.
  • Microsoft SQL Server Database
    —Store recipes in a Microsoft SQL Server Database. This option enables the
    Database
     field.
  • XML file
    —Store recipes in separate
    .xml
     files. Store procedures as
    .pxml
     files, unit procedures as
    .uxml
     files, and operations as
    .oxml
     files.
Recipe Directory
If you selected
Default paths
 as the
Project path strategy
, this field is automatically populated. If you selected
Custom paths
, browse to or enter the path to the location where you want to store the
Recipe Directory
.
Database
Lists available Microsoft SQL Server Databases. Select the database where you want to store recipes. Only enabled when you select
Microsoft SQL Server Database
 as the
Recipe format
.
TIP: This field is only accessible when you select
Microsoft SQL Server Database
 as the
Recipe format
 option.

Server directories—Restart properties

The
Restart properties
 area allows you to specify a method for restarting the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server in the event of a computer failure.
Restart properties
Setting
Description
Restart type
Select a restart method:
  • Cold Restart
    —Restart the primary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server in a default state, without restoring any batches.
  • Warm Restart
    —Force the primary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server to restart all batches in the same state they were in before the failure, even if the server is unable to restore all batches at the same point of execution as they were before the failure. The batches come up in manual mode with held transitions, and operator arbitration requests are restored. The operator is responsible for changing to automatic mode and restarting the server.
  • Warm All Restart
    —The same as
    Warm Restart
    with the exception that the primary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server will fail to start up if it is unable to restore all batches. This method does not change the restart data, so the operator can correct whatever was preventing the server from starting up. This is the default value.
  • Hot Restart
    —Force the primary
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server to restart all batches in the same state they were in before the failure, only if the server is able to restore all the batches. The batches come up in the last known state they were in before the failure, without any operator interaction.
Maximum wait for good controller communications during Hot Restart (sec)
Because a
Hot Restart
 can run quickly, a communication failure can occur if the secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server does not have enough time to establish good communication with all data servers. You can configure this field to allow more time (in seconds) for establishing good communication on every area model in all data servers.
This field has a minimum integer value of 30 and a maximum integer value of 300. The default value is
60
 sec.
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