FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties dialog—General tab

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

General tab settings

The
General
 tab allows you to set up a primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server and configure server options.
General settings
Setting
Description
Name
Label in the
FactoryTalk Directory
 for the
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server object. Each
Name
 must be unique within a
FactoryTalk Directory
 application or area.
Other specifications for this required field include:
  • Maximum length of 100 characters
  • Begin with a letter or number
  • Contain only letters, numbers, and underscores
Computer hosting the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server
Browse to or enter the name of the host computer where the primary
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 a secondary is configured). 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.
Enable
FactoryTalk
e
Procedure
Select this option to specify that the
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server must work in coordination with
FactoryTalk
e
Procedure®
and enable
FactoryTalk
e
Procedure®
options throughout the
FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties
 dialog.
Enable
FactoryTalk Batch
Material Manager
Select this option to specify that the
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server must work in coordination with
FactoryTalk Batch
Material Manager
 and enable
FactoryTalk Batch
Material Manager
 options throughout the
FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties
 dialog.
TIP: If either the
Enable FactoryTalk eProcedure
 or the
Enable FactoryTalk Batch Material Manager
 checkbox is selected, and the
FactoryTalk Batch View
 Server is running, restart the
FactoryTalk Batch View
 Server.

Batch creation

In the
Batch creation
 area, configure how the primary
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 primary
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 primary
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 secondary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server are in the
Secondary Server
 tab. For more information, see FactoryTalk Batch Services Properties dialog—Secondary Server tab.
To generate a new
CreateID
, the primary
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
.

Event files

During batch execution, the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server creates an electronic batch record. An electronic batch record includes a complete record of events for one batch. The
Event files
 area allows you to configure settings related to the electronic batch record.
Event files settings
Setting
Description
File format
Define the file format of electronic batch records. Select one of the following from the list:
  • JSON Lines (EVTJ)
  • Legacy Tab Delimited (EVT)
Enable Event Journal Signatures
Select this option to turn on Event Journal Signatures, a function that detects unauthorized changes to electronic batch records (
.evt
 or
.evtj
 files).
TIP: Refer to the for more information about Event Journal Signatures.

Miscellaneous

The
Miscellaneous
 area allows you to define options for hold propagation and limits.
When a batch executing in a primary
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 primary
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 primary
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 primary
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 primary
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 primary
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 primary
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
.

Material policies

The
Material policies
 area is only accessible when you select the
Enable FactoryTalk Batch Material Manager
 option on this tab. This area allows you to set up a
FactoryTalk Batch
Material Manager
 Server and configure
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server behavior in the event of communication loss with the
FactoryTalk Batch
 Material Server.
Material policies settings
Setting
Description
Computer hosting the
FactoryTalk Batch
 Material Server
Browse to or enter the path to the computer where the primary
FactoryTalk Batch
 Material Server resides. The computer must be in the
FactoryTalk Directory
.
Communications lost behavior
Configure the behavior when the
FactoryTalk Batch
 Server loses communication with the
FactoryTalk Batch
 Material Server. Select one of the following options from the list:
  • Failure and Hold
    —Holds the entire batch. The
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server automatically resumes communication with the
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Material Server when it becomes available. This is the default value.
  • Switch to Manual
    —Allows you to run batches in Manual mode. In Manual mode, the
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Server prompts the operator for information normally supplied by the
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Material Server. Restore the communication manually when the
    FactoryTalk Batch
     Material Server becomes available.
    TIP: For more information on restoring communication manually, see the
    .
Hold on Split Feed
This option, which is enabled by default, holds batches in the event of a split feed.
TIP: If you choose to disable this option, batches may not get the expected material amounts unless you create material loops in the recipe for every enabled material. For information about using the
Create Material Loop
 command, refer to the
FactoryTalk Batch Recipe Editor User Manual (BATCH-UM006)
.
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