Technical Document

Niagara 4 Installation Guide

October 20, 2017

Niagara 4 Installation Guide
Tridium, Inc.
3951 Westerre Parkway, Suite 350
Richmond, Virginia 23233
U.S.A.

Confidentiality
The information contained in this document is confidential information of Tridium, Inc., a Delaware corpora-
tion (“Tridium”). Such information and the software described herein, is furnished under a license agreement
and may be used only in accordance with that agreement.
The information contained in this document is provided solely for use by Tridium employees, licensees, and
system owners; and, except as permitted under the below copyright notice, is not to be released to, or re-
produced for, anyone else.
While every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of this document, Tridium is not responsible for
damages of any kind, including without limitation consequential damages, arising from the application of the
information contained herein. Information and specifications published here are current as of the date of this
publication and are subject to change without notice. The latest product specifications can be found by con-
tacting our corporate headquarters, Richmond, Virginia.

Trademark notice
BACnet and ASHRAE are registered trademarks of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Con-
ditioning Engineers. Microsoft, Excel, Internet Explorer, Windows, Windows Vista, Windows Server, and SQL
Server are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of
Oracle and/or its affiliates. Mozilla and Firefox are trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation. Echelon, LON, Lon-
Mark, LonTalk, and LonWorks are registered trademarks of Echelon Corporation. Tridium, JACE, Niagara
Framework, NiagaraAX Framework, and Sedona Framework are registered trademarks, and Workbench,
WorkPlaceAX, and AXSupervisor, are trademarks of Tridium Inc. All other product names and services men-
tioned in this publication that are known to be trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks are the
property of their respective owners.

Copyright and patent notice

This document may be copied by parties who are authorized to distribute Tridium products in connection
with distribution of those products, subject to the contracts that authorize such distribution. It may not oth-
erwise, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic
medium or machine-readable form without prior written consent from Tridium, Inc.
Copyright © 2017 Tridium, Inc. All rights reserved.
The product(s) described herein may be covered by one or more U.S. or foreign patents of Tridium.
Contents
About this Guide .................................................................................................5
Document change log ................................................................................5
Related documentation ..............................................................................5

Chapter 1 Niagara 4 Installation .......................................................................7

Quick Start.................................................................................................7
PC platform hardware requirements............................................................7
Operating system requirements..................................................................8
License requirement ...................................................................................9
32-bit vs. 64-bit installations......................................................................10
Determining installation type (32-bit or 64-bit).................................10

Chapter 2 Common tasks................................................................................13

Downloading the latest build ....................................................................13
Installing Niagara 4 ..................................................................................13
Running the installation program ....................................................14
Confirm the license ........................................................................18
Getting started in Workbench...................................................................19
Desktop shortcuts and tiles ............................................................19
File locations ..................................................................................21
Performing a “clean” installation...............................................................22
Uninstalling ..............................................................................................22
Chapter 3 Frequently asked questions ...........................................................23
Niagara 4 FAQs........................................................................................23
General FAQs ..........................................................................................24

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Contents Niagara 4 Installation Guide

4 October 20, 2017

About this Guide
This topic contains important information about the purpose, content, context, and intended audience for
this document.

Produ ct D ocu men t at i on

This document is part of the Niagara technical documentation library. Released versions of Niagara software
include a complete collection of technical information that is provided in both online help and PDF format.
The information in this document is written primarily for Systems Integrators. In order to make the most of
the information in this book, readers should have some training or previous experience with Niagara 4 or Ni-
agaraAX software, as well as experience working with JACE network controllers.

Document Content
This guide provides essential instructions on how to install Niagara 4.0 software.
Topics in this document include information on system and license requirements and how to get started with
Workbench. Topics also include descriptions of the Niagara 4.0 directory structure and Niagara homes.

Document change log

Changes to this document are listed in this topic.
• October 20, 2017
Removed content added in September 19, 2017 update.
• September 19, 2017
In the topic “Setting the system passphrase” added information about new default passphrase behavior
and wizard in Niagara 4.4.
• July 31, 2017
In the topic, “Running the installation program,” updated the note on clearing browser cache. In the
Chapter, “Common tasks,” added a new topic named “Selecting the Niagara Daemon User Home
location”.
• April 3, 2017
In the topic, “Operating system requirements,” updated the table of supported web browsers for
Niagara 4.3.
• January 9, 2017
In the topic, “Operating system requirements,” minor changes to the table of supported web browsers.
• July 20, 2016
Minor changes throughout to support branding. Edited “Finishing install options” topic, added note de-
scribing change for Niagara 4.2.
• November 5, 2015
Edited “Operating system requirements” and “Finishing install options” topics to include changes for
Niagara 4.1.
• August 10, 2015
• Initial release.

Related documentation
Additional information about Niagara platforms, installation and operation Workbench is available in the fol-
lowing documents.

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 Niagara 4 Installation Guide

• Niagara 4 Platform Guide

• Getting Started with Niagara

October 20, 2017 6

Chapter 1 Niagara 4 Installation
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ Quick Start
♦ PC platform hardware requirements
♦ Operating system requirements
♦ License requirement
♦ 32-bit vs. 64-bit installations

The topics in this section include a short quick start task as well as hardware, licensing, and operating system
requirements for installation.
Before initiating Niagara 4 installation, verify that you can meet all hardware and software requirements de-
scribed in this section.

Quick Start
This is a quick summary of installation; see the following sections for more detailed information.
M ini mum prerequi si te s
• Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo (32-bit or 64-bit), 2 GHz
• 2GB RAM
• 2GB HDD
• Ethernet 100 Mbit or 1Gbit NIC
• Valid license
• Internet access for license confirmation
Step 1 Download the latest build.
Step 2 Run the appropriate (32–bit or 64–bit) Installer and follow the installation wizard steps to define
the requested information, such as:
• Installation location.
• Installation options including the installation of start menu and desktop shortcuts, and tiles.
• Finish install options, including whether to launch Workbench after installation and load the
start platform daemon.
N O T E : For more information on installer type, refer to the section on 32-bit vs. 64-bit installations.
Step 3 Launch Workbench and confirm license.

PC pl atf or m h ardw are re qu irem e nts

The Niagara Framework® requires an adequate processor, hard disk, memory and speed to run complex
building models.
The minimum hardware requirements include:
• Processor: Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo, 2GHz
• RAM Memory: 2GB, with 8GB recommended if a 64-bit installation
• Hard drive space: 2GB available, 10GB recommended for any Supervisor
• Ethernet 100 Mbit or 1Gbit NIC (network interface card) with TCP/IP support

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• Internet access for confirming your license.

As a multi-threading Java application, the Niagara Framework® can take advantage of the added power
available in multi-core processors. A processor that goes beyond minimum requirements, such as the current
Intel Core i3, i5, i7 or AMD A6, A8, A10 series processors, can provide performance benefits.

Ope rat in g sy s tem req ui rem ent s

The Installer program supports “Professional” and “Enterprise“ level operating systems (OS) as shown in
the following table. The installer also supports installation on Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server
2012 R2.

Supported Operating Systems

Operating Systems Niagara 4.0 Niagara 4. 1

Windows 7 / Server 2008 R2 (32-bit or 64-bit installation) Yes Yes

Windows 8 / Server 2012 (32-bit or 64-bit installation) Yes Yes

Windows 8.1 / Server 2012 R2 (32-bit or 64-bit installation) Yes Yes

Windows 10 /Server 2012 R2 (32-bit or 64-bit installation) No Yes

For a detailed matrix of supported operating systems, refer to the Niagara-Central Knowledge article Sup-
ported Operating Systems And Relational Database Servers For Niagara Installations.
N O T E : To install Niagara on a Windows host, you must be logged in to Windows as a user with administra-
tor privileges.

Java sof t ware

The Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) 8 must be installed on any client PC that will access the station with
a browser and Workbench web profile. The free download is available at: java.com/en/
After installing JRE 8, ensure that the Java plugin for any earlier versions are disabled:
1. Under the Windows S t a r t menu, click A l l P ro g r a m s → J a v a → C o n f i g u r e J a v a → V i e w.
N O T E : If the V i e w button appears disabled, then only one JRE version is installed. Clicking J a v a → A b o u t
J a v a (under the Windows Start menu) shows installed version(s).
2. Confirm that only the JRE 1.8 plugin is enabled, as shown here. For any version other than 1.8, click the
checkbox in the E n a b l e d column to deselect.

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Niagara 4 Installation Guide Chapter 1 Niagara 4 Installation

S u p p o r t e d w e b b ro w s e r s
Also recommended, a late version HTML5–capable web browser, for example:
Niagara 4.1 —
We b b r o w s e r s Niagara 4.0 Niagara 4.2 Niagara 4.3

Google Chrome (mobile, tablet, desktop) Yes Yes Yes

Microsoft Internet Explorer Yes Yes Yes

(v.10 and later) (v.11 and later)

Mozilla Firefox Yes Yes Yes

Microsoft Edge No Yes Yes

Safari (mobile, tablet) No Yes Yes (iOS v.10 and

later)

N O T E : Some late version web browsers have disabled support for NPAPI which prevents the Java Wb App-
let from running in Niagara 4. As a temporary solution, you may be able to enable NPAPI in the browser set-
tings. Otherwise, you can use another browser that supports the plugin, or use the HTML5 HxProfile.
Another option is to coordinate with an IT manager to get browsers and policies in place to have the Java
applet working by default.

S up por t ed rel at i on al da t ab ase sof t wa re

The following table lists third party relational database servers that can integrate with Niagara 4.0 /
Niagara 4.1.
Database programs Niagara 4. 0 Niagara 4.1

SQL Server 2012 Yes Yes

MySql (v.5.6, v.5.7) Yes Yes

Oracle Express Edition (v.11g) Yes Yes

Li c ens e req uirem e nt

You can install Niagara 4 on any PC with a supported Windows operating system. However, to successfully
start Workbench or use the application framework, you must have a license file installed.

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Chapter 1 Niagara 4 Installation Niagara 4 Installation Guide

You only have to license the application on your computer once, typically soon after you finish installation by
starting Workbench.
Your product purchase creates an “unbound” license on the online licensing server. The server may email
you a corresponding license key—a unique string that corresponds to your license.

32-bit vs. 64-bit installations

A number of factors can determine which type of installation is required.
Many newer PCs run a 64-bit Windows 7 or later operating system (OS). The Niagara 4 64-bit install provides
certain advantages. Most notably, the 64-bit Java VM (Virtual Machine) does not have a 2GB memory limit.
Coupled with a typical configuration that has 4GB or more RAM installed in the host PC, this allows a Super-
visor host to run more effectively in a large installation. Depending on the PC host hardware, a 64-bit OS
may provide other performance benefits.
However, in the following cases, it may be more effective to install the 32-bit version on a 64-bit Windows
PC:
• When installing Niagara 4 on an engineering workstation that is licensed to run stations engineered for a
LonWorks network (LonNetwork component) with the eventual intention of installing on a remote con-
troller. The necessary underlying Ethernet drivers for LON FTT-10 USB adapters are only available for 32-
bit Windows-based PCs.
N O T E : The term “engineering workstation” refers to an installation on a PC which is used to commission
JACE hardware and perform application engineering on both offline and online stations. In some cases
the “engineering workstation” may also be licensed to run a station to facilitate application development
and testing.
• When your Supervisor contains limited RAM (less than 4GB). In this configuration, shorter 32-bit memory
pointers could be advantageous. A station running in a 64-bit VM requires more memory than the exact
same station running in a 32-bit VM.
N O T E : If you install a 32-bit Niagara 4 version on a 64-bit Windows OS, you could cause licensing confu-
sion if you later install a 64-bit version on the same host.
If you attempt to install the 64-bit Niagara 4 version by selecting Installer_x64.exe on a 32-bit Windows
OS, the Installer dialog displays an error which alerts you that it is not a vaild Win32 application.

Determining installation type (32-bit or 64-bit)

You can determine which type of Niagara 4 installation is on a PC using either of the following methods:
• Make a platform connection to your local machine and look at the P l a t f o r m A d m i n i s t r a t i o n view. Check
the JVM information which will indicate either: win-x86 for a 32-bit installation or win-x64 for a 64-bit in-
stallation, as shown here:

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Niagara 4 Installation Guide Chapter 1 Niagara 4 Installation

• Make a station (Fox) connection, look at the Java Version property in the S t a t i o n S u m m a r y view on
the top level Station node, or else the Java VM Name property in the P l a t f o r m S e r v i c e C o n t a i n e r P l u g i n
view (default view of the PlatformServices container). Only 64-bit installations show Java Hotspot(TM) 64-
Bit Server VM. Whereas 32-bit installations show Java Hotspot(TM) Server VM.

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Chapter 2 Common tasks
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ Downloading the latest build
♦ Installing Niagara 4
♦ Getting started in Workbench
♦ Performing a “clean” installation
♦ Uninstalling

This section provides information about the English language lexicon usage and instructions on how to use
the Lexicon Tool to perform common tasks.

Downloading the latest build

Unless you have a copy on physical media, first download the latest build from Niagara-Central. This topic
explains the importance of extracting the files from the download before running the installer program.
Step 1 If you don’t already have a copy, download the latest software zip file from Niagara-Central.
Step 2 Extract (unzip) its contents to a local folder.
N O T E : You must extract (unzip) the zip file to a local folder before starting the install, and use the
unzipped files for the installation. Although Windows 7 and later allow you to see the contents of a
compressed zip file and even to launch an executable without extracting files, an attempt to install
the software this way will fail.
F ig ure 1 Installation files extracted from downloaded zip

Installing Niagara 4
The Installation wizard installs both Niagara Framework® and Workbench on a Supervisor or engineering
workstation.
Launch the installation program by running one of the Installer files located in the files extracted from a
downloaded software zip file (or possibly in an installation CD).
N O T E : Installation files can vary from one vendor (org) to another, consequently some installation items or
dialog options mentioned in this document may not appear. Conversely, some files may include additional in-
stallation items or options that are not covered in this document. As needed, consult the technical support
resource for your brand and sales channel.

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Chapter 2 Common tasks Niagara 4 Installation Guide

Niagara 4 promotes security by storing system files and user files in separate home folders. The daemon
home folder defaults to ProgramData\Niagara4.n\brand (where n is the software version and brand is
your product name). Beginning with Niagara 4.4, you can change the location of the daemon home. Look for
this option when running the Installation wizard.
The system writes the new location to the registry at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\wb.exe\in-
stallations along side the other install (latest/N4latest) registry keys it maintains. If this registry key ex-
ists, the Windows NRE uses the location specified. If the key does not exist, the installation uses the default:
ProgramData\Niagara4.nbrand (where n is the software version and brand is your product name).
Close other applications before you run one of the Installer files.

Ru nnin g the i ns tal la tion p rog ram

The installation program lets you step through the installation program to make the necessary install option
selections.
The installation program windows have N e x t and B a c k control buttons. Click N e x t to advance to the next
step. Click B a c k to return to a previous window to review or make a change.
N O T E : A best practice recommendation for installing an upgrade build to any Niagara version, is to clear
your browser cache prior to installation in order to remove any cached web resources that have changed
since the upgrade.
Step 1 In the folder containing the extracted software zip file, right-click on the appropriate Installer file
for your system (64-bit or 32-bit) and select R u n a s a d m i n i s t r a t o r.
N O T E : On launching the Installer, if you receive an error message stating that the software is not
supported on the current operating system, it may be due to a file property setting. Check the In-
staller file properties Compatibility tab to be sure the option to “Run In Compatibility Mode” is not
selected. If it is, deselect it and run the Installer file again.
When launched, the installation program opens to the We l c o m e window.
Step 2 On the We l c o m e window, click N e x t to continue.
Step 3 On the L i c e n s e A g r e e m e n t window, click Ye s to accept the terms and then click N e x t to
continue.

Selecting the installation location

This procedure describes selecting the location for the installation. The program provides the default loca-
tion which you can change if you wish. It also provides options to use this instance of Workbench as an instal-
lation tool and to install PDF versions of all documentation.

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Step 1 In the installation window, accept the default destination folder or if desired, click B r o w s e to navi-
gate to a different folder.
The default location is C:\niagara\niagara-4.x.nnn (where nnn is the build number). If
needed, you can directly edit the folder path (for example, changing the drive from C: to D:), or
click B r o w s e and navigate to another folder.
N O T E : If you change the default destination folder, you can click the R e f r e s h button to recalculate
the S p a c e R e q u i re d and S p a c e A v a i l a b l e values.
Step 2 Accept or deselect, as needed, the two options that are selected by default:
• T h i s i n s t a n c e o f Wo r k b e n c h w i l l b e u s e d a s a n i n s t a l l a t i o n t o o l — Typically, you leave this
selected.
This option installs additional files that allow the installation to be used to commission control-
lers. Always select this option for any Supervisor host. This option installs the distribution (dist)
files in the appropriate folders under the Niagara 4 version (software) folder. Using a platform
connection, these files allow you to commission, or provision, a remote host to the same revi-
sion and build level as this Niagara installation.
• I n s t a l l D o c u m e n t a t i o n — Installing this documentation requires additional disk storage. It is
not required for any functions, but it is recommended for reference information.
This option installs PDF versions of the help files, hardware installation guides, and other man-
uals, which are available as PDFs, in the!docs folder.
N O T E : These are the same PDFs that are in the !docs folder of the zipped distribution file (or
CD).
Step 3 Click N e x t to proceed.

Selecting the Niagara Daemon User Home location

This procedure describes selecting the location for the Niagara Daemon User Home folder. In Niagara 4.4
and later, the program provides the default location which you can change if you wish.

Step 1 In the N i a g a r a 4 I n s t a l l a t i o n P r o g r a m window, accept the default Niagara Daemon User Home
folder or if desired, click B r o w s e to navigate to a different location.
The default location is ProgramData\Niagara4.n\brand (where n is the software version and
brand is your product name).

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Chapter 2 Common tasks Niagara 4 Installation Guide

Step 2 If needed, you can directly edit the folder path (for example, changing the drive from C: to D:), or
click B r o w s e and navigate to another folder.
Step 3 Click N e x t button to proceed.

Setting the system passphrase

If you are performing a new installation, the program prompts you to set a system passphrase for encryption
purposes, as shown in the following image.
N O T E : It is important to remember the system passphrase and keep it safe. If you lose the system pass-
phrase, you will lose access to encrypted data.
The system passphrase is used to protect sensitive information stored on all Niagara systems, and on the SD
card in JACE-8000 controllers. The system passphrase is assigned as the file passphrase for “portable” files,
such as backups and station copies, and is used to encrypt those files. During operations in which you trans-
fer encrypted files to a system (restoring backups, transferring a station, etc.) you are prompted to supply
the file passphrase if it doesn’t match the system passphrase. The system passphrase defaults to the factory
default platform password. During commissioning, you will be prompted to change the default system pass-
phrase. You must remember the system password and keep it safe. If you lose the system passphrase, you
will lose access to encrypted data. To change the system passphrase, use the Platform Administration tool.
For more detailed information, see “System passphrase” in the Niagara 4 Platform Guide.

N O T E : Once the installation program sets the system passphrase, this step will not be presented again
upon subsequent Niagara 4 installations.

Step 1 In the Passphrase field, enter the passphrase and then repeat the entry in the Confirm Pass-
phrase field.
N O T E : A strong passphrase is required. Use 10 or more characters and include at least one of each
of the following: uppercase, lowercase, and numeric.
Step 2 Click N e x t to continue.

Selecting install options

The options available to you differ based on the version of Windows installed on your PC or laptop.

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F ig ure 2 Select options window

If using Windows 7, your shortcut options are:

• Install Start Menu Shortcuts.
This option is selected by default. This option creates a folder (group) of shortcuts in the Windows Start
Menu.
• Install Desktop Shortcuts
This option is selected by default. This option creates a number of icon-based shortcuts on the Windows
desktop.
If you are using Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012, your shortcut options are:
• I n s t a l l S t a r t S c re e n T i l e s
This option creates tiles that appear on the A p p s screen. The group of tiles is labeled, for example,
Niagara 4 4.1.13.0.
• Install Desktop Shortcuts
This option creates icon-based shortcuts to launch Workbench from the desktop.
Step 1 Accept default settings or deselect and click N e x t to continue.

Finishing install options

The final window appears after the installation of all files. The options allow you to launch Workbench imme-
diately, install and start the platform daemon, and copy daemon data from the prior release.

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Chapter 2 Common tasks Niagara 4 Installation Guide

Fi gu re 3 Finish install window

• L a u n c h Wo r k b e n c h .
This option is selected by default, and recommended.
• Install and Start Platform Daemon.
This option is selected by default. Any Supervisor installation, or engineering workstation PC that is li-
censed to run a local station requires that you start the platform daemon.
Installing the platform daemon automatically stops and replaces any other running platform daemon with
the platform daemon from this release. Also, at any time you can install and start the platform daemon
from any installed Niagara build, using the S t a r t menu shortcut: I n s t a l l P l a t f o r m D a e m o n .
The platform daemon runs as a Windows service. To verify that it is running, from a command prompt,
type: services.msc and press E n t e r. In the S e r v i c e s window, double-click on the Niagara named serv-
ice to see details, such as the software release and build number.
• C o p y D a e m o n D a t a F ro m P r i o r Ve r s i o n
This option is selected by default when the installer detects daemon data in an earlier version. When se-
lected, the installer copies from the earlier version the stations, templates, and other files needed for the
stations to run.
N O T E : Starting in Niagara 4.2, if the installer detects that there is an existing daemon home for the ver-
sion being installed, then this option is not available. This is to avoid overwriting a daemon home with an
older version when re-installing software or upgrading a newer version.
For example, if you have existing Niagara 4.1 and Niagara 4.2 daemon homes and you install a newer ver-
sion of Niagara 4.2. If this option was selected, the installer would copy files from the N4.1 daemon home
to the existing N4.2 daemon home, overwriting files there which is most likely an unwanted outcome.
Step 1 Click F i n i s h to close the window and execute the selected options.

Confirm the license

If you choose to launch Workbench immediately and click F i n i s h to exit the installation wizard, a license
check routine occurs. You may briefly see a C h e c k L i c e n s e popup window, and possibly a L i c e n s e I n s t a l l e d
window.
• L i c e n s e I n s t a l l e d indicates that Niagara has successfully found a matching (bound) license for your Win-
dows host on the licensing server, and installed it. When you click C o n t i n u e , Workbench should continue
to open after another possible popup window (P Pl a t f o r m D a e m o n R e s t a r t R e q u i re d - click C o n t i n u e ).
• If, instead, the L i c e n s e R e q u e s t form appears in the browser, enter the L i c e n s e K e y string you received
for this installation, along with other information requested on the form. After submitting this form the

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Niagara 4 Installation Guide Chapter 2 Common tasks

licensing server should finalize (bind) your license and make it available for download, and also email it to
you. If Workbench successfully confirms the license online, you can restart it after receiving the email.
Workbench is now ready for use (without further license checks) on your host, for the duration of your
license.
Step 1 Depending on which popup displays do the following:
• If the L i c e n s e I n s t a l l e d popup displays (shown below), click C o n t i n u e , Workbench should con-
tinue to open after another possible popup window (P Pl a t f o r m D a e m o n R e s t a r t R e q u i r e d -
click C o n t i n u e ).

• If the L i c e n s e R e q u e s t form appears in the browser (shown below), enter the L i c e n s e K e y

string you received for this installation, along with other information requested on the form.
After submitting this form the licensing server should finalize (bind) your license and make it
available for download, and also email it to you. If Workbench successfully confirms the license
online, restart the program after receiving the email.

Workbench is now ready for use (without further license checks) on your host, for the duration of your
license.

G e t t i n g s t a r t e d i n Wo r k b e n c h
Technical documents are available in the !docs folder as PDFs. Also, to view online help, open a the Help win-
dow and explore the Table of Contents.

Desktop shortcuts and tiles

Start Menu and desktop shortcuts for Windows 7 provide access to Workbench from the Windows desktop.
Tiles on the S t a r t and A p p screens provide the equivalent for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.
The installer sets up shortcuts or tiles for the following applications:

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Chapter 2 Common tasks Niagara 4 Installation Guide

• A l a r m P o r t a l 4 . 0 . nnn (where nnn is the build) is a way to start Workbench using an alarm profile. This
mode limits most menu options to the support of the A l a r m P o r t a l view, which you can configure to
monitor and acknowledge alarms from different stations. Alternatively, you can access the same view in
the standard Workbench interface, via the T o o l s → A l a r m P o r t a l selection. For more details, refer to
Alarms Guide.
• Console
This shortcut opens a blue Windows command prompt window with the path set appropriately for com-
mand line utilities.
N O T E : One command that may be useful is: nre -hostid. In cases where Workbench refuses to start,
use this command to retrieve the Host ID of your Windows PC.
You can also open a console within Workbench, by choosing W i n d o w → C o n s o l e . The console area then
appears at the bottom of the window.
• Install Platform Daemon
This shortcut installs and starts the platform daemon for this release and build of Niagara. The platform
daemon is a server process that allows automatic station restart in case of reboot or failure, as well as re-
mote platform management. To host a local station on this platform, you must install and start the plat-
form daemon. If another platform daemon instance is running, I n s t a l l P l a t f o r m D a e m o n stops the
running daemon and overwrites it with this daemon. For related details, see the Niagara 4 Platform
Guide.
• Wo r k b e n c h ( C o n s o l e )
This shortcut launches Workbench with a separate, associated Console (black) window, which can be
helpful in troubleshooting. This is similar to opening a C o n s o l e (blue) window and entering the com-
mand: w b . Either console provides client debug messages, similar to the platform Application Director,
which provides debug for the (server) station application. If a client side error occurs in Workbench, there
should be some sort of stack trace debug in the w b console output.
N O T E : If you start Workbench this way, and then close the console window,the program also immedi-
ately closes. Any unsaved changes are lost. Be sure to save changes before closing the associated con-
sole window. Exiting Workbench from F i l e → E x i t forces options to be saved. It also prompts for any
unsaved files in the session to be saved or discarded.
• Wo r k b e n c h
This shortcut launches Workbench without an associated console window. If during installation you se-
lected the option to start Workbench upon completion, the application uses this shortcut to start the pro-
gram when it finishes the installation process.
• Uninstall
This shortcut removes this Niagara installation. It provides separate options to save station files and user
files.
• Demo Station
This shortcut launches the standard demonstration station outside of normal platform daemon control.
As a convenience, the station launches using the station.exe command in a console window.
If Workbench is running, you can connect to the station (Open station). To save any changes made and
stop the station, type q u i t in the D e m o S t a t i o n console window and press E n t e r. To stop without saving
any changes, close the D e m o S t a t i o n console window.
N O T E : Using station.exe is not the recommended way to start a local station. It is a developer utility
that allows quick access to station debug messages in the console window. While the station is running,
the console window can also process a few entered commands (to see them, in the console window en-
ter: h e l p ). The recommended way to start a production station is to open a platform connection and start
the station from the A p p l i c a t i o n D i r e c t o r. This allows configuration for auto-start and restart on failure.

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Niagara 4 Installation Guide Chapter 2 Common tasks

File locations
During the Workbench installation and platform commissioning processes, the software differentiates be-
tween two types of files based upon the content of the files: configuration and runtime data. Files and fold-
ers that contain configuration data reside in separate locations from files and folders that contain runtime
data. This separation enhances security by denying general access to the runtime files and allowing each
user access to only their personal configuration files.
As a result of separating configuration and runtime data, the system supports multiple home directories on
the Supervisor or engineering workstation. These homes may be identified as:
• The system home contains runtime files, such as core software modules, the JRE, and binary executables.
• Workbench user home for each user contains configuration data, including option files, and registries.
• A platform daemon user home for the Supervisor or engineering workstation contains platform configu-
ration data.
• Two station homes called, protected station home and station home, are part of each user home.

Homes on a Supervisor
The following table provides a summary of the Supervisor or engineering workstation homes with shortcut
information.
Home in the
Home in th e Platform Ad-
Wo r k b e n c h N a v ministration File ORD
t re e view Niagara 4 alias Windows folder location and contents shortcut

My Host→My File System Home niagara_home C:\niagara\niagara-4.x.xx ! (as in

System→Sys NiagaraAX)
Home Executables and software files

My Host→My File N/A niagara_user_ C:\Users\userName\Niagara4.x\<brand> ~ (unique to N4)

System→User home
Home Workbench user home for each human user contains that
user’s unique configuration files.

shared folder N/A station_home C:\Users\userName\Niagara4.x\tridium\shared ^ (as in

NiagaraAX)

stations folder N/A protected_sta- C:\ProgramData\Niagara4.x\tridium\stations ^^ (unique to

tion_home \<stationName> N4)

N/A Us er Home niagara_user_ C:\ProgramData\Niagara4.x\<brand> ~ (unique to N4)

home
Platform daemon user home (non-human user) holds plat-
form daemon configuration files. Requires a local platform
connection to view in the P l a t f o r m A d m i n i s t r a t i o n view.

Home s o n a c on trol le r
On a controller there are two homes.
Home in th e Plat- Home in the Plat-
form Adminis tra- form Administra-
tion view tion view Niagara 4 alias OFD location an d contents File ORD shortcut

Platform→Remote System Home niagara_home /opt/niagara ! (as in NiagaraAX)

File System→Sys
Home (Re ad On ly ) Contains operating system data.

Platform→Remote User Home niagara_user_home /home/niagara ~ (unique to N4)

File System→User Contains configuration data and
Home (Re ad On ly ) the installed and running station.

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Chapter 2 Common tasks Niagara 4 Installation Guide

Performing a “clean” installation

This procedure describes steps to perform a “clean” installation for a subsequent build (other than a first
time installation), which means that no files and folders from a previous installation are persisted.
Prerequis i tes :
• Stop the Niagara service in the W i n d o w s S e r v i c e s maintenance console.
The files and folders in your Workbench user home and in the platform daemon user home persist, so that all
configuration data stored there is used by each new Niagara 4 build that you install. However, for trouble-
shooting or testing purposes you may prefer to start fresh rather than continue to use any of the files or fold-
ers from the existing installation. If that is the case, you can move or rename your existing Workbench user
uome and platform daemon user home folders so that new ones are created by the installer.
Step 1 Navigate to your niagara_user_home location (C:\Users\userName\Niagara4.x\<brand>)
and rename the Niagara4.x folder.
For example, change the folder name to niagara4.0_myBackup.
Step 2 Navigate to the platform daemon user home for the localhost (C:\ProgramData\Niagara4.x
\<brand>) and rename the Niagara4.x folder.
For example, change the folder name to niagara4.0_daemonBackup.
Step 3 Run the installation wizard to install another build.
During the installation, the installer creates new Niagara4.x folders in both of those locations.

Uninstalling
During the Niagara installation, the appropriate Uninstall executable is copied to the !bin subfolder, and re-
named to uninstall.exe. The installed S t a r t menu U n i n s t a l l shortcut points to this executable.
Running the U n i n s t a l l e r removes only the installation runtime files and folders in the niagara_home location
(C:\Niagara\Niagara-4.1.xx.xx). The files and folders located in your niagara_user home (C:\Users
\userName\Niagara4.x\<brand>) and in the platform daemon user home (C:\ProgramData\Niag-
ara4.x\<brand>) are left untouched.
Step 1 Under the Windows Start menu, click A l l P ro g r a m s and scroll to the Niagara build you wish to
uninstall.
Step 2 Click N i a g a r a b u i l d → U n i n s t a l l .
The U n i n s t a l l P r o g r a m wizard opens.
Step 3 Confirm that the wizard lists the correct build and click N e x t .
The wizard notifies you as it immediately begins uninstalling.
On completion, the wizard notifies you that the uninstallation is complete.

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Chapter 3 F re q u e n t l y a s k e d q u e s t i o n s
Topics covered in this chapter
♦ Niagara 4 FAQs
♦ General FAQs

Questions and answers cover subjects ranging from the Niagara 4 directory structure to general Framework
subjects such as, installing individual modules and configuring your Windows firewall to allow for
communication.

N i a g a r a 4 FA Q s
Questions and answers specifically about Niagara 4.
Q: Why does an installation have so many “homes”?
A : The multi-homed directory structure results in improved security. Because configuration data is separated
from runtime data, users do not require full access permissions to the installation. This allows administrators
flexibility in regulating access. For more details on the homes, refer to the Niagara 4 Platform Guide.
Q : T h e n e w s t a t i o n t h a t I j u s t c r e a t e d d o e s n o t s h o w - u p i n t h e A p p l i c a t i o n D i r e c t o r v i e w. H o w a m I
supposed to start the station?
A : The N e w S t a t i o n Wizard creates the station in your Workbench user_home. To start the station in the
Application Director you must first copy the station, using the platform S t a t i o n C o p i e r, to the platform dae-
mon user_home .
N O T E : This scenario is true for early Beta versions. However in later versions the final (Finish) step of the
wizard includes several action-on-Finish options, one of which is: Copy station to secure platform for
“localhost” on Finish. If selected, on finishing the wizard closes and the platform S t a t i o n C o p i e r
appears.
Q : W h y o n m y S u p e r v i s o r P C a m I re q u i re d t o m a k e a l o c a l p l a t f o r m c o n n e c t i o n a n d t h e S t a t i o n C o p -
i e r t o c o p y ( t r a n s f e r ) a s t a t i o n t o t h e d a e m o n u s e r h o m e f ro m m y Wo r k b e n c h u s e r h o m e , w h e n I
c o u l d m o re e a s i l y j u s t u s e W i n d o w s E x p l o re r t o c o p y a n d p a s t e f o l d e r s a n d f i l e s t h e re ?
A : Bypassing platform tools, even with “localhost” operations, increases security risks. In the example cited,
if you simply copy and paste a station folder using Windows Explorer, client passwords in that station are left
in a portable format. Whereas if you use the Station Copier, those passwords become encrypted with the
unique keyring files for the opened platform.
Q : Wi l l ot her W i ndows user s wi th a dmi n pri vi le ge s who log on t o t he P C where the ins ta l la ti on ex i sts
be able to see the Start menu shortcuts, installation folders, etc?
A : The shortcuts are visible only to the original installer. Other administrator-level users, logged on to the
Windows PC, can make their own shortcuts to Workbench, etc., or simply navigate to the installation folders
to start Workbench. The result is that the user gets their own unique Workbench niagara_user_home (C:
\Windows\users\userName\Niagara 4.0, a separate location from that of the user who installed the
framework.
Different Windows logons have different niagara_user_homes, which is by design, it protects any passwords
you may be using. This also means that sharing backups (and other items) with other users requires some
thought.
Q : I s i t p o s s i b l e t o u s e Wo r k b e n c h w i t h a n e a r l i e r r e l e a s e o f N i a g a r a i n s t a l l e d o n a c o n t r o l l e r ?
A : No. You need to use a version of Workbenchthat is compatible with the software on the controller. How-
ever, a remote AX-3.8 controller can be integrated in the Niagara 4 Supervisor's station, where you can dis-
cover points, schedules, and histories. Also if the Supervisor is configured for provisioning, it can do
provisioning tasks on a remote AX-3.8 controller . See the AX to N4 Migration Guide for related details.

October 20, 2017 23

Chapter 3 Frequently asked questions Niagara 4 Installation Guide

G e n e r a l FA Q s
Questions and answers on the Framework.
Q : F ro m m y e n g i n e e r i n g w o r k s t a t i o n , I n e e d t o s u p p o r t d i f f e re n t j o b s a t d i f f e re n t s o f t w a re re l e a s e
l e v e l s ( f o r e x a m p l e : 3 . 7 , 3 . 8 , 4 . 0 ) . I s t h e re a re c o m m e n d e d m e t h o d t o d o t h i s ?
A : You can install different release levels on your workstation, and keep them separate by installing them in
different locations. To run stations locally, remember to check which platform daemon is running at the time
(from command prompt: services.msc and look at Niagara service). As needed, use the shortcut I n s t a l l
P l a t f o r m D a e m o n to start the appropriate platform daemon.
Q: I s i t poss i bl e t o s el ect whi ch m odul es are i nst al l ed?
A : By default, the installer installs all modules in your !modules folder. These include all the online versions
of software documents, such as (Getting Started with Niagara) and so on, various lexicon modules, and all
the software modules, including ones for drivers and other features.
N O T E : When you use Workbench to install software in remote hosts (typically JACE controllers), you do se-
lect which modules to install, among them all the software modules in your !modules folder, as well as other
items in your software database (!sw folder).
Q : D o e s N i a g a r a re q u i re c h a n g e s t o m y W i n d o w s F i re w a l l ?
A : Most configurations work with the default ports. You would make changes to your firewall to run a station
locally on a PC with other remote stations connected to it, or to allow a remote Workbench client to connect
to the station and platform on this host.
Q : W h e n i n s t a l l i n g N i a g a r a o n a S u p e r v i s o r, i s t h e s o f t w a r e s u p p o s e d t o b e i n s t a l l e d w i t h t h e “ u s e a s
ins ta l l t ool ” box chec ked? I s t here an y reas on not t o check thi s box?
A : This box is optional because the installation is 200MB bigger when it is selected. You need to have it
checked if the Supervisor will be using provisioning to install software to subordinate controllers, or if you
want to use Workbench from that computer to upgrade software on a controller.
Q : W h a t i s t h e d i f f e re n c e b e t w e e n w b _ w. e x e a n d w b . e x e ?
A : Starting Workbench using wb.exe starts an associated console window that provides debug information
for the client Workbench application in much the same way that the application director provides server-side
debug information for the station. It is typical to start Workbench using wb.exe when trouble shooting cli-
ent side issues.
Starting Workbench using wb_w.exe launches the program without a console window. You may prefer to
use wb.exe because of the console. If Workbench freezes with a console open, you can quickly terminate
the program by closing the console window.
Q : I ’ v e g o t d i f f e r e n t v e r s i o n s o f Wo r k b e n c h i n s t a l l e d . W h e n i s i t re a l l y n e c e s s a r y t o s t a r t t h e p l a t -
form daemon?
A : You only need to start the platform daemon when you are planning to run a station locally. However, it
does not hurt to get in the habit of loading the platform daemon for the current release each time you launch
Workbench. Some customers use batch files for starting the platform daemon followed by starting the pro-
gram. This simplifies things because you can just double-click the shortcut icon for the particular version and
brand of Workbench you need. Customers share such solutions on Niagara-Central.

24 October 20, 2017