PFS-EquipmentManager2_1

Created by: Lester Caine, Last modification: 12 October 2010

Introduction Equipment Messages Registry Information User Interface	EquipmentManager was originally intended to acts as the main control center for messages between the various machines on a network system. While the master version of this module will still provide that function, it is intended that MasterHub should be used for that function, and that EquipmentManager will be updated to improve its display and monitoring functions provide by its slave mode of operation. The module was originally built as an engineering package to help configure and update the system, but it has been used by operators to monitor equipment status in the absence of a more appropriate module. Having split off the master mode functions, it is intended that the module will be refined and will provide a more user friendly interface, rather than the more cryptic engineers display.	Related Documents System Defaults $d.html Network Protocol $m.html Database-EQUIPMENTBase.html
	EQUIPMENT A set of records in the EQUIPMENT database define and control the configuration of output displays. There is an entry for the target machine, which references a copy of the DCSlave program, which intern accesses up to 8 display channels. Each display channel references a base display sequence, which defines the information to be displayed. Changes to the machine structure can only be implemented by closing and re-opening the program. Since changes to the screen layout would normally require the computer to be re-booted, this is not considered to be a problem. Changes to the base sequence also require a restart, but this can be actioned via LocalHub as required.
	See Network Protocol document for full details of network messaging. Keep awake poll Message HU HP - This is the status poll message. An unsolicited message is generated as the program starts, to update LocalHub once the program is active. Otherwise, the program responds to the regular poll from local hub. This simply replies with the number of channels being displayed, and no error handling is currently included. Program Management Messages X messages are used to control the starting and stopping of programs on the LocalHub program list. XS is used to start, and XK to stop, at a network level, while XR and XH are used at the local level. This split processing is provided to allow local programs to start one another as required ( a facility that was provided to start DCSlaveClock when DCSlave started, but is not now used ) XP - XX - Display Management Messages There is only one message used to update the display information being displayed. UF - File Copy If FTP services are enabled, then the UF message causes a copy of the named file to be pulled from the main server into the designated directory. This is handled this way round so that all slave sites are pulling files, rather than the server having to manage pushing files to multiple targets and track the status of each connection. LocalHub will handle the situation where a file can not be accessed. US - Update Sequence ( All Systems ). Sequence update messages are generated when ever the details of a sequence are changed. This covers such actions as adding or deleting pages or, changing the 'used' sequence. DCSlave will check if it is using the advised sequence, and will only request update information if it is currently in use in it's display sequence. This ensures that only slave machines that require the changed information actually access the server for that information. It should be noted that changes in CONTENT of the displayed pages are managed by tracking modified date of the source file. This is an area that could benefit from further work. Announcement Management Messages Announcement messages start with an O, and OF - Initiates a file copy prior to forwarding the message to a SoundSlave program module for processing. If the file can not be coppied, then an error reply is created rather than trying to play an unavailable file. All other O cammands are simply relayed to the local programs. Timetable Management Messages These messages are only generated on CIS networks and can be ignored on other types of system. See the Timetable Replication document for further details. Additional Messaging The Q group of messages are used for inter program signalling, these are handled in the relevent local program, and are simply relayed between computers via LocalHub and MasterHub.
	See the EquipmentManager Registry document for further details.