tia-portal-applications/unified-project-selector-and-watcher-service

Unified Project Selector (UPS) and Watcher Service (UPS-WS) are tools that enhance Simatic Runtime Manager of WinCC Unified.

Unified Project Selector - V0.0.10

Unified Project Selector

Scope of the program

This program intend to enhance the capability of the Simatic Runtime Manager software. The UPC (Unified Project Selector) interacts with the API of the Runtime Manager, to do batch command or "queuing" on multiple projects available in the Runtime Manager of WinCC Unified. None of the interaction with secure project (password protected) will work for now. For extended knowledge about the CLI of the Simatic Runtime Manager, please refer to the WinCC Unified Engineering manual, this might be helpful for troubleshooting purpose.

This program as been mainly tested with V18 update 2. It works with other versions, but had not been tested. The config file should be adjusted to the version used.

Some functionalities available with UPS V0.0.10:

Functionalities	Description
Start	Send the start command of an already available project
Stop	Send the stop command of an already running project
Remove	Send the remove command of a selected project in the list
Create offline package	Creates an offline package (.zip) of selected a project, to be loaded on another station
Full download an offline package	Looks into available offline package and trigger a full download (UMC data included) command with it to the Runtime Manager
Delete offline package	Deletes the file (.zip) on the system

Start

Here is an example of the command sent to the Simatic Runtime Manager via it's CLI API:

-s -c start 96FE68D0-5337-4072-A96C-F7C1D7525CAF

It will add -sim if it's found to be a type simulation.

Stop

Here is an example of the command sent to the Simatic Runtime Manager via it's CLI API:

-s -c stop 96FE68D0-5337-4072-A96C-F7C1D7525CAF

It will add -sim if it's found to be a type simulation.

Remove

Here is an example of the command sent to the Simatic Runtime Manager via it's CLI API:

-s -c remove 96FE68D0-5337-4072-A96C-F7C1D7525CAF

It will add -sim if it's found to be a type simulation.

Create offline package

It doesn't use the CLI of the Simatic Runtime Manager. This functionality is currently limited to some features listed here:

Functionalities	Comments
Tag Persistence	Currently not supported. It will recreate the DB according to your settings in Tia Portal Runtime Settings > Storage system and start a new archive. Make a proper backup of the DB to be able to restore it.
Tag Logging	Currently not supported. It will recreate the DB according to your settings in Tia Portal Runtime Settings > Storage system and start a new archive. Make a proper backup of the DB to be able to restore it.
Alarm Logging	Currently not supported. It will recreate the DB according to your settings in Tia Portal Runtime Settings > Storage system and start a new archive. Make a proper backup of the DB to be able to restore it.
Parameter Control (PaCo)	Currently it's not supported. You must backup the content of the directory C:\ProgramData\SCADAProjects\<project>\PACODB and place it back again after the download of the offline package.
Faceplates	Supported
Custom Web Controls (CWC)	Supported
Scheduled Tasks	Supported
UMC Data	Limited support. If the file UMCData.json exist in C:\ProgramData\SCADAProjects\project>\currentConfiguration, it will load the user management. If not, the last available configuration will be used (same as if you download withouth unchecking the box "keep user administration data in runtime).

*Note: Projects with type Simulation are not supported.

This function will create a .zip "offline package" into the directory: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Unified Project Selector\offline

Full download an offline package

Here is an example of the command sent to the Simatic Runtime Manager via it's CLI API:

-s -c fulldownload "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Unified Project Selector\offline\+OfflinePackageName"

Delete offline package

It doesn't use the CLI of the Simatic Runtime Manager. This functionality will just delete the .zip (offline package) from the directory C:\Users\Public\Documents\Unified Project Selector\offline

Menu items

Functionalities	Description
File > Load Offline package	Currently not used
File > Exit	Used to "Exit" the program
Tools > Reload Data	Re-sync the UPS data with the Simatic Runtime Manager data and will re-sync the available offline packages
Tools > Watcher Service	Starts the Watcher Service (UPS-WS), for more information see the Unified Project Selector - Watcher Service section
Tools > Settings	Opens the C:\Users\Public\Documents\Unified Project Selector\settings\ups.cfg file with your text editor
Help > About	Opens the Github repository url in your internet browser
Dropdown Online/Offline	Switches the main panel from Online (Runtime Manager proejcts) to Offline packages view

Tips & Tricks

You can doubleclick the header of the program where it say: Unified Project Selector - Build .., it will open your file explorer to the C:\Users\Public\Documents\Unified Project Selector\ directory, for easy access to the config files, offline packages, etc.

Unified Project Selector - Watcher Service

Scope of the program

This service program intend to enhance the capability of the Simatic Runtime Manager software. The UPS-WS (Unified Project Selector - Watcher Service) listen to a specific folder, so-called the Watcher Directory and if the UPS-WS is set to "Enabled", will download the Offline Package (.zip) directly to the Runtime Manager. Also, if the Autostart option is checked, it will attempt to start the project after being downloaded. None of the interaction with secure project (password protected) will work for now.

The service program runs in the system tray, with the UPS icon, you need to right-click on it to see the menu.

Some functionalities available with UPS-WS V0.0.10:

Functionalities	Description
Open Unified Project Selector	Will open UPS GUI (if installed on the system)
Enabled	Listen to the Watcher Directory or not
Autostart	Only available if UPS-WS is enabled, will attempt to start the downloaded project
Watcher Directory	This is to change the folder that UPS-WS looks into. Default: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Unified Project Selector\watcher
Exit	Close the application process

Tips & Tricks

There's also a config file for the UPS-WS, located at: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Unified Project Selector\settings\watcher.cfg. It contains the current settings for Enabled and Autostart as well as the folder path of the Watcher Directory.

Disclaimer:

The examples are non-committal and do not lay any claim to completeness with regard to configuration and equipment as well as any eventualities. The examples do not represent any custom-designed solutions but shall offer only support at typical tasks. You are accountable for the proper mode of the described products yourself.

These examples do not discharge you from the obligation to safe dealing for application, installation, business and maintenance. By use of these examples, you appreciate that Siemens cannot be made liable for possible damages beyond the provisions regarding described above. We reserve us the right to carry out changes at these examples without announcement at any time. The contents of the other documentation have priority at deviations between the suggestions in these examples and other Siemens publications, such as catalogues