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Job configuration

The Job configuration area includes two parts:

  • General settings that apply to all jobs

  • Device-specific settings that depend on the selected upload type

    Device-specific instructions are available under Supported devices (extended support).

Example:

The job configuration for the Simatic S7 upload type looks as follows:

Figure: Job configuration Simatic S7

To create a new job:

  1. Start the AdminClient and open the Jobs module.
  2. In the Project tree, select the component for which you want to create a job.

  3. Create the job using one of the following:

    • Select Create button in the menu bar.
    • Drag and drop the component into the Jobs area (center of the screen).

The upload type is assigned automatically, determined by the component type associated with the job.

Device‑specific settings are expanded by default for easier configuration. Make sure to complete all mandatory fields; otherwise, the job cannot run. You can toggle and update the advanced settings at any time.

General

  1. Upload type: The upload type for the selected component is preset. You may select a different one, if needed.

  2. Execute: Choose how the job should be executed.

    • According to schedule
    • Not scheduled
    • Using BackupClient
    • Triggered by URL.

  3. Job name: Enter a descriptive name (maximum 64 characters).

  4. Component: Displays the path to the component in the Project tree.
  5. Job ID: A system‑generated unique identifier for the job.
  6. Component ID: The ID of the associated component.

  7. Warn if backup is older than: Select a time period from the dropdown menu.

    If the backup is older than the selected value, the job will display a warning icon.

    Figure: Job configuration, warning if backup is older than

    The default setting is Never warn.

  8. Schedule: Visible only if According to schedule is selected under Execute.

    Click inside the field to set the start time and execution intervals.

    Figure: Schedule dialog

  9. On error: Visible only if According to schedule is selected under Execute.

    Specify retry settings if an error occurs, including

    • Maximum number of retries
    • Pause between attempts

    Figure: Error dialog

  10. Executed by: Displays the system that runs the job. Normally assigned automatically.

    In synchronized server environments, you may select which server executes the job.

    If Automatic is selected, the job is executed by both servers after synchronization.

    Info

    After importing a license with a new serial number, the old one may still appear here instead of the computer name. To fix this:

    • Restart the VDog MasterService.

    • If the issue persists, select a computer name manually.

Notification

This section appears only if Job-specific or Daily notifications are enabled in the Upload type specific configuration dialog.

To configure recipients:

  1. Click the Who to notify field.
  2. In the Who to notify dialog, select users and groups by enabling their checkboxes.
  3. To notify external recipients, add their email addresses in the Additional email addresses field (comma-separated)

Upload and Comparison

  1. Save policy: Select how to store backups.

    • Always save backup (overwriting previous backup if equal): Only one backup is retained. It contains the current values and all files ignored during comparison.

    • Save backup only if different from previous backup: A backup is created only when differences are detected (depending on comparison settings).

    • Always save backup (keeping previous backup even if equal): A new backup is created each time.

      If your retention requirements mandate keeping backups for at least one year, adjust the rollover accordingly.

  2. Number of backups retained (rollover): Defines how many backups are kept.

    Default: 5.

    Oldest backups are overwritten once the limit is reached.

  3. Upload agent: Select an upload agent if required and select Check connection.

    Info

    File paths and user information refer to the system where the agent is installed—not the server. If you later define a user name or a network path, this must exist on the computer on which the agent is installed or the path must be accessible from this computer.

  4. Compare policy: Choose how to compare backups:

    • Server version <-> Backup, Previous backup <-> backup: First, the backup of the version on the device is compared with the last checked-in version of the project, then the backup is compared with the previous backup.

      Useful for understanding development and deployment states.

      Examples:

      • Backup differs from previous, but not from server version → New version installed on device and checked in.
      • Backup differs from server version, but not previous backup → Checked-in version not yet installed.
      • Backup differs from both → New version installed but not checked in.

    • Server version <-> Backup: The program running on the device is compared with the last checked-in version of the project. Job results are not compared.

      Recommended if comparisons always detect differences, making previous-backup comparison unnecessary.

    • Previous backup <-> Backup: The program that is executed on the device is compared with the previous backup.

      Checks device changes only against the last backup. Differences may indicate:

      • A new version of the project was developed and installed on the device.
      • Actual or force values were not ignored during the comparison.
      • The program on the device was changed. Use the compare function of Octoplant to determine which changes have been made.

  5. Compare agent: Select a compare agent if needed and check the connection.

  6. The Asset Information Policy and Asset Information Type options are only available if asset analysis is enabled globally. Here you can choose whether asset analysis should be performed during job execution. The asset analysis type is selected by default according to the upload type. You can change this setting. For more information, see Extract asset information.

  7. Enable Enable configuration of job-specific compare, to adjust compare settings only for the job.

    Figure: Job configuration, Comparison configuration dialog

Automatic version creation after job execution

This section appears only when:

  • Enable automatic version creation is activated in the General tab, and
  • The same option is activated for the selected upload type.

Create Version when: Choose when the system should automatically create a new version:

  • Never
  • Differences found (Server version <-> Backup)
  • No base version exists
  • Always (only if the job has run successfully)

FAQ

Can I set up the Octoplant server to back up one device at a time?

You can set the backup time so that your devices are backed up with a time delay (never multiple devices at the same time). Go to AdminClient > Jobs > Job configuration > General > Schedule.

Alternatively, you can set the number of uploads that can be performed simultaneously. To do this, proceed as follows:

  1. Open AdminClient > INI files

  2. Select the AgentStation.ini file (path to the file: {Drive}:\vdServerArchive\VD$A\Configuration\Upload)

  3. Search for the [Common] section or add it. Enter the key 4900 with the value 1 (only 1 comparison may be carried out simultaneously)

  4. Add the section for the upload class under [Common] and enter the key 4900 with the value 1.
    Example:

[Common]
4900=1
[FTP]
4900=1

The values in the example mean that no more than one comparison is ever created simultaneously.

The number of comparison that may be executed in parallel can be configured as follows:

  1. Open AdminClient > INI files

  2. Open the AgentStation.ini file (path to the file: {Drive}:\vdServerArchive\VD$A\Configuration\Compare)

  3. Search for the [Common] section. If it does not exist, add it. Write the key 4930 and the value 2.

  4. Under this section, add the Upload class together with the key 4930 with the corresponding value for the parallel Comparison, e.g.:

[Common]
4930=2
[FTP]
4930=2

The values in the example mean that no more than two comparisons are ever carried out simultaneously.

Notes

  • The [Common] section can be followed by several sections of the upload class type. Possible upload classes are e.g. UNC, FTP and SimaticS7.

  • The value specified in the [Common] section is the maximum value. If a higher value for 4900 is assigned in one of the following sections, the maximum value defined in [Common] applies.

  • Possible values: Min value = 1, Max value = 1024; Default value = 5

Where can I find the 32-digit job ID and how can I copy it to the clipboard?

Proceed as follows to find the job ID:

  1. Navigate to the Jobs area.
  2. Activate the Job ID column.
  3. The job ID is displayed if the job has been executed at least once.

Proceed as follows to copy the job ID to the clipboard:

  1. Click on the Job ID and copy it with CTRL + C.

  2. Paste the copied text into a text editor (e.g. Notepad). The job ID is pasted together with the remaining job information.

  3. Copy only the 32-digit job ID. For all possible uses of the job ID, it is necessary that it is complete and correct.

Why does a job fail even though an agent is installed and the upload job is configured correctly?

Possible cause

This problem can occur if the agent does not have administrative rights for an application that must be started in order to run the job.

Solution

Proceed as follows to ensure that the log-on account for the agent is set up correctly:

  1. Open the Windows Services console (Windows > Start > services.msc).
  2. Double-click on the agent service VDogUploadAgent or VDogCompareAgent.
  3. Open the Logon tab.
  4. The This account option should be selected. If this is not the case, select the option and enter the user name and password of an account that has the necessary administrative rights.

For more information on job configuration for the general upload types, see General upload types.

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