09 SysAdminPart1

System Administration Part 1
InfoPlus.21 Foundation Course
©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

Objectives
• Understand the following concepts, common to all InfoPlus.21
versions:
– What is the InfoPlus.21 environment?
– How to configure system startup and shutdown?
– How to check for a healthy system and troubleshoot?
– How are individual records saved and reloaded?
– How can a large number of records be loaded at the same time?
– How are time, memory and other system parameters configured?
• A second lesson, System Administration Part 2, explains security,

licensing and data source administration issues relevant to Version
4 onwards

Glossary of Terms
• Environment Variable
• Group
• Group Node
• Recload file (.rld file)
• Snapshot

Lesson Overview
• The InfoPlus.21 System Environment
• Configuring Startup with InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI
• InfoPlus.21 Properties
• Saving/Loading Individual Records and Mass Loading

Records
• Auto-Documentation

InfoPlus.21 Folder Structure: Top Level
Aspentech product lines listed
under Program Files. Some
important locations include:
Note – Aspen Framework
• AspenTech Framework files
Security and Local Security
• Aspen Process Explorer would not be installed at
the same time
Client
• Aspen Business Process
Explorer and xml config files
• InfoPlus.21 Main Folder
• InfoPlus.21 Admin Tool
• Aspen License Manager
• Local Security Database
• Process Data Client/Server

Interface

Other Important Folders: h21
Keep a
backup!

Other Important Folders: Group folder
Base snapshot
file in here
The current
snapshot file
Error/Output files

InfoPlus.21 Environment Variables
Right-
Click

InfoPlus.21 Services
• When administrator logs
off, InfoPlus.21 stays
running
• InfoPlus.21 tasks run
within a Windows Service

The InfoPlus.21 Group
• Versions prior to Release 4.0 automatically created a Windows group
called Group 200 during installation
• For Release 4.0 and after this no longer happens
• If the database being upgraded has a data source name that includes the
“Group 200” string, e.g., TCENT07_group200, this name will be
preserved after upgrading to 4.0
• The “Group 200” directory structure under db21 is maintained for
compatibility
• If V4.0 or after is installed clean with no prior InfoPlus.21 installations, the
default data source name will simply be the machine name with no
reference to Group 200
• The “Group 200” name usage is retained in some environmental
variables

Windows 2000 and XP
Product Name W2K NT4.0 Win98 XP
Accounting21 X X X X
Aspen Advisor X X X X
• Windows 2000 is fully Aspen Calc X X X X
supported with InfoPlus21 Aspen eBRS X X X X
Release 6.0 Aspen Genealogy X X X X
Aspen IQ X X X X
• Office 2000 applications and Aspen Multivariate X X X X
SQL Server 2000 are also fully Aspen Process Explorer X X X X
supported
Aspen Process Order X X X
• Some products have Aspen Process Recipe X X X X
components that support Aspen Product Tracking X X X
additional platforms Aspen Transition Manager X X X X

Aspen Watch X X
• As an example, the Web21 Batch 21 X X X X
Server component must run on Cim-IO X X X
a Windows 2000 or NT machine CIMVIEW X X X
while Web21 clients can run on Compliance.21 X X X X
Windows 98 machines as well DMCplus X X X X
ERP Connect X X
InfoPlus.21 X X
Q X X X X
Web21 X X X
Review
• InfoPlus.21 has a hierarchical directory structure
• A set of environment variables give flexibility in changing

the location of InfoPlus.21 components and must remain
defined for the system to work
• InfoPlus.21 systems run under a Windows service

System Administration Lab 1: Exploring the
InfoPlus.21 Environment
• In this lab, you will:
– Explore the InfoPlus.21 folder structure
– Create some desktop shortcuts to popular utilities
– View the InfoPlus.21 Environment variables
– Investigate the InfoPlus.21 Services

Lesson Overview
• Saving/Loading Individual Records and

Mass Loading Records

Starting and Stopping InfoPlus.21
• InfoPlus.21 can be started and stopped via:
– InfoPlus.21 Administrator Tool (already covered)
– The InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI
• Main events in a startup sequence are:

– Start the InfoPlus.21 service if necessary
– Start DBCLOCK process
– Load a snapshot
– Start all the processes that service the InfoPlus.21 IMS, including:
• Historian
• Interfaces
• SQLplus

The InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI
The InfoPlus.21 GUI is provided for:

– Configuration of Processes (“Tasks”) which service
InfoPlus.21 and its communications
– Startup and shutdown of InfoPlus.21

Starting InfoPlus.21 with InfoPlus.21 Manager
Cl
ick
to
St
ar
tI
nf
oP
lu
s .2
1

Important Startup Parameters
Max Memory
for database
(In Words)
Path to
Startup
Snapshot
Defined Tasks, Running Tasks Healthcheck
Defined
Tasks
(Running
Tasks are
Checked)
Currently
Running
Tasks

Starting and Stopping Individual Tasks
Starting Tasks:
Select Task
Run Task
Refresh List
Stopping Tasks
Select Task
Stop Task

Diagnostic: Viewing Task Error Files
Click here

Modifying or Adding Tasks
1. Double-click an
existing defined
task
2. Change the
Details
IQ2
3. Click Add to IQ.exe
create new task, or

click Update to
apply changes to
selected task
Click Add for new task

Startup Order is Important
• Because certain tasks initialize for other tasks, it is important not to
disturb the overall startup order of InfoPlus.21 unless you are very
familiar with the purpose of each task
• It is recommended that new tasks are added to the end of the list
• You can use the move up/move down button to move your task to
the correct place It is also possible to save and reload the
startup order and task configuration

External Task or Not?

External Tasks start, and then “hibernate” until awakened by a signal
from a database record

If External Task box is checked,
InfoPlus.21 Manager does NOT
wait for task to complete

Some tasks on the list are not
external tasks – they initialize
InfoPlus.21, and need to
complete before the next
item is started

For these tasks ONLY, external task must not be checked

If External task is NOT checked for a task which hibernates, InfoPlus.21
will wait indefinitely

Automatic Restart of Tasks
• Checking the “Auto Restart” button for a particular task tells
InfoPlus.21 to try to restart the task automatically if it “dies” for some
reason
• The Restart Settings dialog box allows

the user to configure the number of
restart attempts before giving up and the
time interval between retries

Upgrade Wizard
• The Upgrade Wizard upgrades an older snapshot and
allow it to be used with the current database

“Typical” Upgrade
• During a “Typical” upgrade, the Wizard uses default
settings

“Custom” Upgrade

Creating a Target Snapshot
• The next step is to create a target or “base model”
snapshot
• This target snapshot will be merged with the source to
create a new upgraded snapshot
Base
Snapshot
M
E
Upgraded
R Snapshot
Source
G
Snapshot
E

Creating a New Base Snapshot
This is the default Base
snapshot as delivered by
AspenTech
The records contained in these Recload files can

be added to the base snapshot
Use an Existing Base Snapshot
To use a previously created snapshot

as the base select from here

Modifying the Target Database

Saving the New Snapshot

InfoPlus.21 Utilities
• Many of the common
administrative tasks can
now be performed from
the InfoPlus.21 utilities
application
• From the Manager,
select Actions .. Utilities

Utilities Tabs (1)
Load and Save

Time
Load and Offset
Save
individual records
And
snapshots
Date Format
Memory settings
and usage
Utilities Tabs (2)
Displays references
for a record
Manually activate a record

Displays the queue
at a given priority
for a given task
Displays field names

and numbers
Review
• The InfoPlus.21 system may be started and stopped via
the InfoPlus.21 Manager Tool or by the InfoPlus.21
Manager GUI
• The InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI is needed for adding or
modifying the startup characteristics of the database

System Admin Lab 2: Investigating the
InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI
• In this lab, you will:
– Examine the configuration of some of the tasks in the list of
Defined Tasks
– Add a new SQL task to the list of Defined Tasks
– Start the new SQL task from the InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI
– Add a new External Task record to the database to go along
with the new SQL task

Lesson Overview


Managing Other Properties of Real-Time
Database
• Using the InfoPlus.21 Administrator Tool, other properties of the real-
time database that are configurable are:
– Memory usage and Record ID related parameters
– Time display related parameters
• These are configured from the context menu at Group level
Right-click

InfoPlus.21 Properties: Memory
• Memory Utilization is
default tab
• Check periodically that
the database has some
free space
• All Units In Bytes
• Hover mouse over bar

graph to see free space
as a percentage

InfoPlus.21 Properties: Records
• Unusable will normally

be 0 in operational
databases
• Total field (configurable)
shows maximum record
ID allowed
• Licensed Records:
– License is assigned as
number of points
– Point is 1 record which
uses Historian
– This field shows number
of points used up so far

InfoPlus.21 Properties: Time

Time tab allows Click here to
configuration of: change to US

Time/Date Display Format date format

Time display basis

Changing parameters
affects all visual
representations of time
This format
throughout InfoPlus.21
now applies everywhere
server
in InfoPlus.21

Storage internally remains
consistent (UTC)

When “Use System” button
is deselected, can enter
time offset (not normal
practice)

System Account Tab These two
should run
under the
same Account

Lesson Overview


Saving Individual Records
• It is possible to save and load individual records in ASCII
text format
• This mechanism is useful for:
– Mass database population
– Transferring record systems between databases
– “Rolling out” applications to multiple databases
• The records are saved in a “recload” coded format

Starting Save Records Dialog
Right-Click

Selecting Records to Save
ATCL101
ATCF101
ATCF102
ATCF103
ATCL101
DispRepSQL Drag and Drop
Drag and Drop

Executing the Save
Not a good
place!
v e ?
Sa
y to
a d
Re

Saved Record Format
Key How “Load” program interprets it
Symbol
# Create a new record with the following ID
@ Use the following Definition Family
* New Record Name will be as follows
: Field Name or Field ID follows
= Data item follows
! Comment - ignore this line

Other Symbols also exist

Backup Eng-Units Example

Editing Eng-Units to Form Back-up

Can substitute + for * to cause
Overwrite instead of Create
New Record ! # 886
! @Select8Def

Useful for backing up selector + ENG_UNITS
records, etc.

First, make “Create New”
items into comments

Next, delete * sign before
record name and substitute
+ sign

Using Load Records Dialog
ENGUNITS.RLD
Right-Click

SQLplus: Another Method of Mass Database
Population
Example text
Example
source file
SQLplus
INSERT
Statement

Find out more in the “Essential SQLplus for InfoPlus.21 Power Users” course
Lesson Overview


Auto-Documentation
• A Utility exists to help document your InfoPlus.21
database application
– DBDOC documents Definition records and lists the record
names and IDs which belong to them
• It is run from the Windows Command Prompt

DBDOC

Review
• The InfoPlus.21 database has properties relating to:
– Memory utilization
– Record IDs
– Time display parameters that can be configured via the InfoPlus.21
Administrator Tool
• Windows-driven utilities exist to save and reload individual records,
facilitating transfer of applications between InfoPlus.21 databases,
and the security backup of important system records
• SQLplus is a useful tool for mass record definition and application
transfers
• DBDOC is a utility that automates documentation of the database
application

System Management: Lab 3
• In this Lab, you will:
– Use the Properties dialogs to change the database size,
Record ID range, and Time Display Format
– Create a “recsave” text file from a record in the database
– Edit the file
– Reload the file back into the database
– Run DBDOC and observe the results

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System Administration Part 1

InfoPlus.21 Foundation Course

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• A second lesson, System Administration Part 2, explains security,

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• Recload file (.rld file)

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• Configuring Startup with InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI

• Saving/Loading Individual Records and Mass Loading

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• Local Security Database

• Process Data Client/Server

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• Some products have Aspen Process Recipe X X X X

components that support Aspen Product Tracking X X X

additional platforms Aspen Transition Manager X X X X

• A set of environment variables give flexibility in changing

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• Configuring Startup with InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI

• Saving/Loading Individual Records and

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• Main events in a startup sequence are:

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

The InfoPlus.21 GUI is provided for:

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

3. Click Add to IQ.exe

create new task, or

Click Add for new task

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• The Restart Settings dialog box allows

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

The records contained in these Recload files can

To use a previously created snapshot

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

Load and Save

Manually activate a record

Displays field names

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

©2004 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

• Configuring Startup with InfoPlus.21 Manager GUI