Whether it is the first start-up, or a start-up after a system shutdown, a SPARCS N4 system requires that you start the various system components in a specific order.
To start the SPARCS N4 system:
1 Start the service for each (all) of the SPARCS N4 Cluster nodes. For instructions, see Start a SPARCS N4 application node (on page 156).
2 Log in to the SPARCS N4 client at the Yard level and check that the started services display a status of ACTIVE in the Cluster Services view (Administration System Cluster Services Cluster Services view). If this is not true and,
The status is LOADING, wait until it changes to ACTIVE.
The status is FAILED, shut down everything and review the navis.apex logs located at C:\ProgramData\Navis\[node_name]\logs.
If records for the Center node appear in the Cluster Services view when the Center node is not started, look at the Heartbeat column. The Heartbeat column timestamp will not be current.
When you start the Center node (next step), and refresh the Cluster Services view, the Heartbeat column updates.
3 Start the service for the Center node.
This can take several minutes.
The Cluster Services view does not fully refresh until the Center node is ACTIVE. Thus, some stopped services display as ACTIVE before they are restarted.
4 Start the service for the Standby Center node.
The Standby Center node does not appear in the Cluster Services view unless it takes over after the primary Center node goes down. Instead, you can see the status of the Standby Center node in the Node Info Desk view (Administration Debug Node Info Desk). Under normal
circumstances, when the Standby Center node service is started but has not yet taken over for the primary Center node, its status is, "Initializing..."
5 (Conditional, if you have licensed Equipment Control with ECN4) In the SPARCS N4 client, launch the Bento Server background job (on page 159). (The Bento server is used for the messaging from ECN4 to SPARCS N4, for example for TBD units, Interfacility Transfer (IFT), or to swap empties.) 6 Turn on the Purge/Archive job (on page 161).
7 Start the XPS Bridge daemon (the Bridge daemon service). Wait until the bridge daemon service is SPARCS N4: Installation Guide 2.4 155
completely up. For detailed instructions, see Start the Bridge daemon (on page 161).
8 Start XPS (the XPS service). The bridge daemon must be completely up before you start XPS. For detailed instructions, see Start XPS (on page 162).
9 (Conditional, if you have licensed Equipment Control with ECN4) Start ECN4 (the ECN4 service, sometimes called the ECN4 daemon). For detailed instructions, see Start ECN4 (on page 163).
10 (Conditional, if you have licensed Equipment Control with ECN4) Start the ECN4Web server (for the ECN4Web service). See Start the ECN4Web server (on page 163) for detailed instructions.
11 (Conditional, if you have licensed N4 Billing) Start the N4 Billing application server (on page 159) (for the N4 Billing service).
12 In the SPARCS N4 client, look in Cluster Services to see that SPARCS N4, XPS, and ECN4 are active.
See Cluster Services view information (on page 211) for instructions.
If you have licensed N4 Billing, it does not appear in the Cluster Services view because it does not join the cluster.
13 (Conditional, if you have licensed Equipment Control with ECN4) Verify the connection between ECN4 and ECN4Web. Use
http://ECN4Webhost.example.com:8280/ecn4web/servlet/xmlrdt, where ECN4Webhost.example.com is the address for where ECN4Web is installed.
Avoid starting up a ULC against the Center node. This is a best practice that prevents users from running jobs that impact performance. Customers should have operational procedures and training in place to forbid assigning background jobs to the Center node, just as they have with dedicated EDI and Gate nodes.
14 (Conditional) Start the server-room XPS clients that need special privileges. This may include the client decker, dispatcher for PrimeRoute, a scheduler client, and the statistics server client for Monitor and Analytics. See Start the XPS client (on page 164) for instructions. See Find instructions for setting privileges for the server-room XPS clients (on page 221).
15 Start the other XPS clients (on page 164).
To ensure that all the updates are in the system when you shut SPARCS N4 down, follow the process described in Shut down the SPARCS N4 system (on page 209).
If you had previously set your SPARCS N4 user passwords to never expire (with FRMSECURITY015 = 0), the upgrade process resets the value to the default 365 days. To reset the setting for the new version, go to Administration Settings Settings Settings view before other users log in, and change the value to 0. Once you save the setting FRMSECURITY015 to the value of 0, it is applied to all users who subsequently log in to the SPARCS N4 application.
Start a SPARCS N4 application node
It is a best practice to start the SPARCS N4 Cluster nodes before you start the Center node, the Standby Center node, the Bridge daemon, and XPS.
These instructions are the same for any SPARCS N4 node.
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To start a SPARCS N4 node:
1 From the windows task bar on an SPARCS N4 host, click the Server Manager button.
2 In the Server Manager, under Configuration in the left frame, select Services. The installed services display in the right frame.
3 In the list of installed services, find the Navis service, and right click. From the drop-down list that appears, select Start. A progress bar appears. When the Status column says Started, the SPARCS N4 node is running.
Reduce the time it takes to load the cache
If loading the XPS cache takes too long (more than 10 minutes) when you install system patches, you can reduce the time with the SPARCS N4 setting, XPSCACHEDBCACHE003
(XPS_CACHE_STARTUP_THREADS). It controls the number of concurrent threads created to do the loading. Its value defaults to 2. Increasing this number will eventually reach diminishing returns when the speed of the network becomes the bottleneck.
Sites with very large databases might want to install one instance (node) of the SPARCS N4 server on the same machine as the database, and start that instance first; this eliminates latency issues and the network bottleneck. If you do this, limit the use of this instance to startup only, because it is a load on the database server. Once you connect the other SPARCS N4 nodes and the Bridge daemon, you no longer need the startup SPARCS N4 instance. Either shut it down, or leave it running for low load background tasks that do not take part in the load balancing.
Start the SPARCS N4 client
The SPARCS N4 application servers make it possible for the SPARCS N4 Webapp to execute Java servlets and render web pages for the SPARCS N4 rich-thin client (also known as an ultra-light client, or ULC).
Therefore, you can verify that the application servers are correctly installed and started (on page 156) by starting the SPARCS N4 client.
To start the SPARCS N4 client:
1 On a networked client, open a web browser, and enter the the path to SPARCS N4 through the load balancer. This has the following format:
http://loadbalancer.example.com/apex/apex.jnlp, where
loadbalancer.example.com represents the host address of the load balancer. The client application downloads, and a SPARCS N4 Login window appears.
If you do not have a load balancer installed, enter the path to a node:
http://[sparcsn4hostip]:[port]/apex/apex.jnlp
2 Enter the Username and Password, and click Login. A Site Selection window appears.
3 The topology (Operator, Complex, Facility, and Yard) appears.
If you have not yet configured a basic topology for your terminal, and this is the first time starting the SPARCS N4 client, the drop-down topology lists are empty. Click Go! The rich-thin client opens at the Global scope level. Logging in at the Global scope level lets you configure the topology (on page 134).
If you have already configured your terminal's topology, log in at the scope level appropriate for the tasks you intend to complete next. Click Go!. The SPARCS N4 client opens.
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Select a scope level
The various scope (on page 138) levels in SPARCS N4 are Global, Operator, Complex, Facility, and Yard.
If you have authorization to work at only the lowest scope level (Yard), SPARCS N4 gives you immediate access at that scope level. However, if you have authorization to work at a higher scope level, such as a Facility or a Complex, SPARCS N4 displays the Site Selection form. You can use this form to select the login scope level.
The scope level at which you log in determines the data that is available to you in SPARCS N4. You can only access data that exists at that or a lower scope level. See Scope levels (on page 138) for more information.
In general, the system administrator sets up the user name and password and assigns privileges and scope level.
The scope level also determines the menu options that are available when you log in to SPARCS N4. For example, if you log in at the Operator level, SPARCS N4 does not display the Gate menu because you cannot perform any gate transactions at the Operator scope level.
To log in at the Global scope level:
1 In the Site Selection dialog box (that appears after you enter your Username and Password in the SPARCS N4 Login dialog box), locate the Operator drop-down list, and select -.
SPARCS N4 automatically selects - in the other drop-down lists.
2 Click OK.
To log in at the Operator or a lower scope level:
1 From the Operator drop-down list, select the operator ID.
2 From the Complex, Facility, and Yard drop-down lists, select the appropriate IDs.
The values in the drop-down list for each lower scope level depend on the higher scope levels selected.
3 Click OK.
For example, if a user selects the values as shown in the graphic below, the user is logged in at the MAIN yard of the BROADWAY facility in the HQ complex belonging to the operator NAVIS.
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However, if a user has authorization to work at the Complex level and does not want to select a specific Facility or Yard scope level, the user can select - from the drop-down list, as shown in the graphic below.
In this example, by not selecting a Facility, the user logs in at the Complex scope level and can access data for all the facilities and yards configured for the complex.
Start the N4 Billing application server
N4 Billing is the first licensable option you start after starting up the SPARCS N4 servers.
To start the N4 Billing application servers:
1 On the host for the N4 Billing application server, right click My Computer, and from the drop-down list that appears, select the Manage option. A Computer Management window opens.
2 Under Services and Applications in the left frame, select Services. The installed services display in the right frame.
3 In the list of installed services, find Navis Billing, and right click. From the drop-down list that appears, select Properties. The System Restore Service Properties (Local Computer) dialog appears.
4 From the lower block of the General tab, click Start. The Start button fades and the Stop button becomes available. The N4 Billing application node is now running.
Alternatively, you can click the Start the service link in the middle panel.
Launch the Bento Server background job
The Bento server is used for the messaging from ECN4 to SPARCS N4, for example for TBD units, Interfacility Transfer (IFT), or to swap empties.
The background job name for each Bento server instance must be unique; therefore, SPARCS N4 includes the operator/complex/facility/yard(port#) as part of the background job name. This enables you to start multiple instances of the Bento server.
To start multiple instances of the Bento server on the same machine, you must use the
ARGOBENTO001 (TBDUNIT_BENTO_SERVER_PORT) setting to specify a different port for each instance.
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For example, to run two Bento server instances for two facilities and you want to run them on the same machine, use the ARGOBENTO001 setting to specify a separate port number for each facility.
The image below shows where you specify the port number in the Edit Configuration form (Administration Settings Settings Settings view Edit Configuration form).
To start the Bento Server background job:
1 Select Administration System Background Jobs to access the Background Jobs view.
2 From the Actions menu, select Launch Bento Server (ECN4 Support). SPARCS N4 displays the Node Selection form.
3 In the Node Selection form, select the node on which you want to run the Launch Bento Server (ECN4 Support) background job.
Usually, most sites designate a particular node in the cluster to run all the background jobs.
However, if you select -- from the Node to Execute Job drop-down list, SPARCS N4 runs the job on the current node where you are logged in.
Do not select the Center node for high-load background jobs.
You can find the node you are currently logged in to by looking at the bottom bar of the SPARCS N4 window, as shown in the graphic below:
When a Launch Bento Server (ECN4 Support) background job is running, SPARCS N4 displays the job in the Background Jobs view. The Status column displays the purging status, such as waiting for next trigger, or purging unit, or purging booking.
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Turn on the Purge/Archive Job
After you review and update, if required, the purge settings for your site, you can start the Database Purge/Archive background job. See the SPARCS N4 Reference Guide for detailed information about purge setttings.
To start the Database Purge/Archive background job:
1 Select Administration System Background Jobs to access the Background Jobs view.
2 From the Actions menu, select Launch Database Purge/Archive.
SPARCS N4 displays the Node Selection form.
It is a best practice to have a Cluster node dedicated to EDI jobs. If you have a node dedicated to EDI jobs, select that node.
Do not select the Center node for high-load background jobs.
3 In the Node Selection form, select the node on which you want to run the Database Purge/Archive background job.
Usually, most sites designate a particular node in the cluster to run all the background jobs.
However, if you select -- from the Node to Execute Job drop-down list, SPARCS N4 runs the job on the current node where you are logged in.
You can find the node you are currently logged in by looking at the bottom bar of the SPARCS N4 window, as shown in the graphic below:
When a Database Purge/Archive background job is running, SPARCS N4 displays the job in the
Background Jobs view. The Status column displays the purging status, such as waiting for next trigger, or purging unit, or purging booking.
To stop the Database Purge/Archive background job:
1 In the Background Jobs view, select the Database Purge/Archive background job.
2 From the Actions menu, select Halt Job.
This stops the Database Purge/Archive background job and prevents future purge cycles from running. However, this does not stop a purge cycle that may already be running.
Start the Bridge daemon
The Bridge daemon makes it possible for XPS, which is a C++ technology, to use Java technology to manage data.
Before you start the Bridge daemon, you must have already started the SPARCS N4 application servers.
For installation instructions, see Install the XPS server and the Bridge daemon (on page 64).
To observe the Bridge daemon starting, open a SPARCS N4 client first.
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To start the Bridge daemon:
1 From a Windows Explorer window, on the server that is hosting the Bridge daemon, right click Computer, and from the drop-down list that appears, select the Manage option. A Server Manager window opens.
Follow these additional steps to observe the Bridge daemon starting:
a. Start the ULC on the Bridge daemon server, or on a networked client that you can still see while operating the Bridge daemon host monitor.
b. In the ULC, go to Administration System Cluster Services.
2 From the Server Manager window on the Bridge daemon host, under Configuration in the left frame, select Services. The installed services display in the right frame.
3 In the list of installed services, find Navis XPS Bridge Daemon, and right click. From the drop-down list that appears, select Properties. The Navis XPS Bridge Daemon Properties dialog appears.
4 From the lower block of the General tab, click Start. The Start button fades and the Stop button unfades. The Bridge daemon is now running.
Alternatively, you can click the Start the service link in the middle panel.
5 Verify that SPARCS N4 and the Bridge daemon are connecting:
a. Log in to SPARCS N4.
b. In the Cluster Services view (Administration System Cluster Services Cluster Services view), wait until the State column for the 'BridgeDaemon' line on the Cluster Services view shows
"ACTIVE".
There are also two other rows in the Cluster Services view that describe properties of the bridge daemon: 'BridgeService', which monitors the Bridge daemon's listener for XPS, and
'BridgeControl', which is a debug command line service for developer diagnostic use only.
The message, "System is waiting for the n4-bound queue to be completely processed" means the Bridge daemon is waiting for the SPARCS N4 cluster node(s) to completely process the messages in persistent storage before it continues. (The messages are left from the previous run.) To ensure SPARCS N4 processes them, check to be sure that you have started a SPARCS N4 Cluster node.
Start XPS
You start the XPS server after starting the Bridge daemon. XPS, which is a C++ technology, needs the Bridge daemon running so that it can use Java technology to manage data.
For install information, see Install the XPS server and the Bridge daemon (on page 64).
To start the XPS server:
1 On the server that is hosting XPS, right click My Computer, and from the drop-down list that appears, select the Manage option. A Computer Management window opens.
The XPS server is always on the same computer that hosts the Bridge daemon.
2 From the Computer Management window on the host, under Services and Applications in the left frame, select Services. The installed services display in the right frame.
3 In the list of installed services, find Navis XPS, and right click. From the drop-down list that appears, select Properties. The System Restore Service Properties (Local Computer) dialog appears.
4 From the lower block of the General tab, click Start. The Start button fades and the Stop button 162 SPARCS N4: Installation Guide 2.4
unfades. XPS is now running.
Alternatively, you can click the Start the service link in the middle panel.
If you are observing the Cluster Services view in the SPARCS N4 client while XPS starts, you see the Status column for 'XPSDaemon' transform from "CONNECTED" to "INITIALIZING..." Then, when XPS is started, the State column reads, "ACTIVE".
Initializing can take several minutes depending on how many objects are in the yard.
The 'XPSControl' row monitors a debug command line service for developer diagnostic use only.
Start ECN4
You start the ECN4 application server after you start XPS, and before you start ECN4Web.
To start the ECN4 application server:
1 On the host for the ECN4 application, right click My Computer, and from the drop-down list that appears, select the Manage option. A Computer Management window opens.
2 Under Services and Applications in the left frame, select Services. The installed services display in the right frame.
3 In the list of installed services, find Navis ECN4 Daemonand right click. From the drop-down list that appears, select Properties. The System Restore Service Properties (Local Computer) dialog appears.
4 From the lower block of the General tab, click Start. The Start button fades and the Stop button
4 From the lower block of the General tab, click Start. The Start button fades and the Stop button