iFIX Notification (iFIXNotificationFG.exe and iFIXNotificationBG.exe) is a program installed with iFIX that notifies a user through a message window when a failover occurs. iFIX Notification runs in the system tray, for easy and fast access. You can either open the iFIX Notification window from the system tray, or wait for a change in state to occur for it to display automatically.
When a change in failover status occurs, the iFIX Notification window displays a message with information on screen about the status of the change, such as the following example.
If you want more information, click the arrow beside the message. A table appears with a status of all the logical nodes included in your Enhanced Failover configuration. In the following example, there is only one logical node.
In this example, the user on an iFIX client node is only able to communicate with a standby SCADA node. You cannot write to a standby SCADA node, and a standby SCADA node does not generate any alarms. Since this limits what the operator can do, the iFIX Notification window that appears is modal, remaining on screen – informing the user about the condition until an active SCADA node becomes available again. For more examples of this window, refer to the Network Failure Detection on the iClient section.
Be aware that the iFIX Notification applications (iFIXNotificationFG.exe and iFIXNotificationBG.exe) are added to the list of iFIX startup commands in FIX.INI when you install iFIX. If you do not use Enhanced Failover, you can safely delete these iFIX Notification programs from the FIX.INI file.
Description of the Fields in the Notification Table
The following table describes the fields that appear in the iFIX Notification details window.
|
Column |
Description |
|
Logical Node |
The logical node name represents the pair of SCADA nodes configured to use Enhanced Failover. A client using a logical node obtains data from the active SCADA node in the pair. |
|
Current Connection |
The status of the SCADA node the client is currently connected to: Active or Standby. |
|
Primary Node |
The physical node name of the primary SCADA node. |
|
Primary Status |
The status of the primary SCADA node: Active or Standby. |
|
Secondary Node |
The physical node name of the SCADA secondary node. |
|
Secondary Status |
The status of the secondary SCADA node: Active or Standby. |
|
Status |
The status of the network: Good, Bad, or Unknown (disabled). |
When iFIX Notification Displays the Message
When a client loses its iFIX networking connection to the active SCADA, iFIX fails over to the standby SCADA, if available. The client remains connected to the standby SCADA until the active SCADA becomes available to the client again. While in this condition, the client displays an iFIX Notification window indicating that the client cannot receive alarms, cannot do writes, and may display data that is out of date. This window closes within a minute after the iFIX networking connection to the active SCADA is restored. For more examples of this window, refer to the Network Failure Detection on the iClient section. If it is not possible to restore the connection for some period of time, you can manually fail the active server so that the standby becomes active. The iFIX Notification feature then clears the message.
How Notification Works, in More Detail
iFIX Notification runs as two programs: iFIXNotificationFG.exe (for the foreground) and iFIXNotificationBG.exe (for the background). The iFIXNotificationBG.exe program runs in the background gathering information about the SCADA nodes. iFIXNotificationBG.exe notifies the foreground program, iFIXNotificationFG.exe, when changes occur in the failover status. The foreground program displays the iFIX Notification window when the change occurs so that a user can see the issue and take immediate action, if required. If any WorkSpace popups display that require immediate action, such as those for acknowledging alarms or for information on communication losses, the iFIX Notification window will be pushed behind them. The foreground client does this by readjusting the Z ordering of the iFIX Notification window, allowing the iFIX Notification window not to block any WorkSpace pop-ups.
iFIX Notification (iFIXNotificationFG.exe and iFIXNotificationBG.exe) will run when iFIX runs as a service. Be aware, however, of the following cases where you may need to manually start it:
- If you use a Remote Desktop Connection to start iFIX as a service from a remote machine.
- If you select the "Start at Boot Time" option in the SCU's Local Startup Definition (Configure > Local Startup) and restart the computer remotely.
In both cases, the iFIX Notification Foreground program. iFIXNotificationFG.exe, does not start automatically, and subsequently the iFIX Notification window does not launch. To manually start it in this instance, double-click the iFIXNotificationFG.exe in the iFIX folder.
