Once you install
an interface, there are some things that need to be done. First of all,
it needs to be installed to run as a service and it needs to be
configured. And there is actually 2 ways to do both of those things.
You can first do it manually from a command
prompt which means you would install it as a
service from the command prompt, and
then modify the parameters in the batch file by
hand using notepad. And we will demonstrate that in just a few minutes.
There is a second better way of doing it, a more modern way of doing
it. And that's using the Interface Configuration Utility.
You can use that to import the batch
file. You can configure it with generic parameters,
or interface-specific parameters using that graphical user interface.
And then finally, you can actually use
ICU to install to run as a service.
So you do not have to do that from the command prompt.
Now one of the things that you will notice when you use the
Interface Configuration Utility to read one of these batch files,
it actually changes the batch files and
changes it in a way that we would like it, to be permanent. Because
they set the batch file to read only after that point.
I will show you what I am talking about. If I go into Tools,
Interface Configuration Utility.
This is launching a copy of Interface Configuration Utility.
When I launch
this utility, it's going to allow me
to import batch files. Once I
import a batch file, it will set that batch
file to read only.
So for example, let's look
at this OPC [inaudible].
These are all the parameters associated with
that interface.
Let's take a look at
Windows Explorer
and show you Program Files, PIPC
If you look at that
actual file
you will notice that it is set to read only.
This is under interfaces,
and this is under OPCInt.
So this file right now,
OPCInt.BAT as you can see is listed in that directory right there,
that is the file that is being
managed by this user interface.
You can see that right there is the same reference that
we saw here in Windows Explorer.
So if you were to try to edit this, you will
notice that you cannot because you cannot save it because it is set to read
only at this point. So we are attempting to manage this
for you. In fact we put that all over the file. You will
notice that it says warning, do not edit this manually.
Sometimes when you are on the phone with tech support, we
might ask you to go in and change this property.
Change it instead of read only, we may
ask you to change that property. But that's
something we would only suggest you do if you are on the phone with tech support.
There are some interfaces which will
actually interfere with execution
if you make changes manually after editing it with
ICU. So editing with ICU is kind of a one way
trip for that batch file. We
bring that into the ICU fold and then from that point
forward, we manage it using ICU.
And from our point of view, that's recommended.
We think the best tool for managing
these batch files is Interface Configuration Utility.
It does mean that you do have to install
Interface Configuration Utility on the machine that is running the interface.
Some people get the impression this is going to be managed centrally
from the PI Server. But in fact, it's a very common misconception.
In fact, this ICU has to be
launched from the same computer
that is running the interface. Typically
an interface or data collection node.