Station Properties File and Startup Command-Line Options

A template for the SMAExeStation.properties file is available in the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server installation, where the deployment utility creates it in the following directory:

<server_install_dir>/config/

Take a copy of the template file and place it in the <station_install_dir>/config/ directory in each 3DOrchestrate Station installation. By default, this template file sets the fiper.logon.profile=hostname.cpr property to point to the .cpr connection profile used for the station.

When setting the value of a property in SMAExeStation.properties, be sure to remove the # character at the beginning of the line to uncomment that line.

Quick Reference

The table below provides a quick reference for the 3DOrchestrate Station properties and command-line arguments, with links to each individual description.

You can use the command-line options when starting the station program with the Windows batch file or Linux shell script:

<station_install_dir>/<os>/code/command/SMAExeStation

For example:

SMAExeStation.bat allowedusers:psmith

You can use the command-line options in any order and in any combination. When the station program starts, it reads the contents of the SMAExeStation.properties file and configures itself accordingly; if you use any command-line options, those arguments override the settings from the properties file.

Affinities

Specify custom application affinities for the station computer. The value must be one or more affinity keywords, separated by spaces. Example: fiper.station.affinity=Abaqus. End-users can enter affinity keywords in the client app GUI. See About Station Affinities for details.

Allowed Users

Specify a comma-separated list of 3DEXPERIENCE platform user names that are allowed to execute their simulation jobs on this station. Example: fiper.station.allowedusers=joesmith,betsyjones. If the list is empty, all users are allowed to use the station.

Cache PLM Files

This property is set to true by default: fiper.station.cacheplmfiles=true

This causes the station to cache files that have been downloaded from the 3DSpace FCS (File Collaboration Server). If the same file is requested later, the station will use the copy from its local cache if the file has not changed. This saves time by avoiding repetitive downloads from the FCS. The caching operation works with or without run-as security.

If you encounter problems with downloaded files, set this property to false to disable the caching.

Client Services (Native apps)

Set this property on a Windows station that has the physics simulation native client apps and Process Composer native client app installed (from the NativeApps_3DEXP media). Set this property to the root installation directory, for example C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\win_b64\. This setting is needed to allow launching of 3DEXPERIENCE batch utilities that connect to the 3DSpace server, for example when the process includes a Physics Simulation adapter.

Compute Services (Solvers) Location

Set this property to locate the base installation directory of the Abaqus solver executables for remote execution; for example: <install_dir>\win_b64\ or <install_dir>/linux_a64/. See Configuring a Station for Remote Execution of Physics Solvers and Visualization.

Concurrency Limit

Because the Java technology used in the 3DOrchestrate Station does not allow monitoring real usage of CPU, RAM, and I/O, this setting can be used to cap the maximum number of execution threads allowed on the station. A station can run only a limited number of work items concurrently. Once that limit is reached, further work items received must be queued until an active one terminates. Limiting concurrency prevents the station application from overloading the computer it is running on. By default, the concurrency is 2 times the number of processors on the computer. Example: fiper.station.concurrency=8.

Configuration File of Command-Line Options

This option allows you to read a set of other command-line arguments from a prepared file. The file must be a text file containing command-line options as they would normally appear on the command line when starting the station program.

You can use either of the two forms of this argument, they are interchangeable: configfile:<filename> or @<filename>

For example, if you create a file stationlogon.txt that contains the following entries:

profile:vm106 logonprompt:no
# default credentials for a regular public station
user:fiperstation pw:fiperstation
# only bjones allowed to execute on this station
allowedusers:bjones

You can now start the station connected to the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server named vm106 with the following command:

SMAExeStation.bat @stationlogon.txt

Your command-line options file must be in the current working directory—the directory from which you start the station. If you are in the actual folder/directory containing the batch/script file used to start the station, put your options file here:

<station_install_dir>/<os>/code/command/

You can also mix and match the contents of the file with actual command-line options at the command prompt. For example:

SMAExeStation.bat @stationlogon.txt logonprompt:yes

The arguments file you create can contain one or more lines. Each line can contain one or more command line arguments. Arguments with spaces must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks. Comments lines are allowed—any line starting with # is ignored. Empty lines are also ignored.

Configure Station from Group

This command-line option configures the station from the properties specified by the named station group. The station is not added to the group, however. If you want to permanently add the station to the group, use the command Configure Stations > Add Stations to Group in the administrative UI.

Exposed IP Address for Remote Physics Visualization

Set this property when you have the Physics Results visualization engine installed on this station on a computer that has multiple NICs (Network Interface Controllers). For example, if this computer has two IP addresses and only one is visible to the 3DEXPERIENCE client app computers, you must set this property to disambiguate which IP address (fully qualified domain name) the clients should connect to. If this property is not set, the client app uses the first IP address in the list when the machine is queried.

Fast Flow Results Interval

This value determines how frequently (in seconds) the results of Process Composer fast-flow execution should be sent to the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server. The default is 10 seconds. If you set this to zero, results will be sent to the server at times based on the size of the results data.

Group Name

Assign this station to the named group. The group must already be defined in the Station Administration app UI. This station will be configured according to the group-defined properties, not by the property values in this file. See Configuring a Group of Stations.

JMS Messaging

Persistent JMS messaging allows the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server to recover running jobs from an unexpected server shutdown due to power loss, network connectivity interruption, etc. Example: fiper.station.jms.persistent=true.

The 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server often communicates with stations using a Java asynchronous messaging infrastructure known as JMS. By default, this infrustructure is configured to make a best effort at delivering every message to its intended recipients. The default value of true changes the station side of the infrastructure such that it guarantees delivery of every message to its intended recipients. It does this by changing the message consumers to use Durable Subscriptions on the Topics to which the station is listening.

There are also corresponding configuration entries in the SMAExeServer.properties file:

• fiper.acs.jms.persistent. This property must also be left set to true to change the server side of the infrastructure configuration to guarantee delivery. It does this by changing the delivery mode on the message producers to Persistent.

• fiper.acs.jms.ttl. This property sets the time-to-live value (in minutes) for persistent messages. The default value for this entry is 0, which means that the messages are kept in the cache until they are successfully delivered to all known recipients.

Large File Working Directory

Set this property to point to the working directory of the 3DSpace File Collaboration Server (FCS) when large file transfer mode is desired for station execution of the Abaqus solvers or the physics results visualization engine. This can be a Linux network path or Windows UNC path, depending on the operating system of this machine. See Configuring a Station for Remote Execution of Physics Solvers and Visualization.

Lease Interval

Stations are required to periodically report their status to the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server. This notification process lets the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server know that the station is still functioning properly, which helps eliminate long delays associated with attempting to contact a nonfunctional station. This property allows you to specify how many minutes elapse before the station reports its status to the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server. The default setting is 10 minutes. It is highly recommended that you not change this value. Example: fiper.station.leaseinterval=10.

Log File Location

The station log files and substation log files are generated in a subdirectory of the station's temporary directory. By default, the station logs are written to the following file:

{fiper.station.tempdir}/{fiper.station.name}/station.log 

as well as backup files station1.log, station2.log, etc. Note that the temporary directory can be set in the administrative UI, in the properties file, or on the command-line; see Quick Reference.

You can override the default location by using the command-line option logfile:. Give the full path to the desired directory, plus the file name; for example:

SMAExeStation logfile:/logs/cos/station_log.txt

The information in the station log file is the same as the information that appears in the station user interface.

Logging Level

Stations log various messages, of varying levels of importance, to a scrolling text area on the station interface (when running in GUI mode) and, optionally, to a log file. This property specifies the types of message displayed. You are essentially selecting the amount of information that you want to appear on the station interface and in the log file.

Set this property to one of the following: Debug, Info, Message, Error, or SystemError. The Debug level provides the most information, while the SystemError level provides the least information.

By default, only warnings, application errors, and internal system errors are reported. When the station interface appears, the Detail level list shows the log level specified by this property.

Logon Connection Profile

This property allows you to specify the connection profile (.cpr file) that the station will use when it starts. Example: fiper.logon.profile=computeserver.cpr.

If you receive an error that the connection profile cannot be found, use the full path to the .cpr file, for example:

fiper.logon.profile = C:\DassaultSystemes\config\vm106.cpr

If you specify only this command line argument, the logon dialog box will appear and you will have to enter a set of 3DPassport logon credentials.

Logon Mode

This option allows you to determine if the logon prompt appears in GUI mode (the default) or through a console (command line). This argument is useful for starting a station through a remote session (such as telnet or ssh) where there is no GUI capability. When it is used, you will be prompted to log on from prompts in the command-line interface.

LSF Error Logs

This property determines whether to save the station LSF log file when an error occurs, if you are using the LSF distributed resource management (DRM) mode. This property can be set to true or false (the default).

If this property is set to true, the station LSF log information is saved in the following file in the temporary directory when an error occurs:

{fiper.station.tempdir}/station_{LSF-job-ID}.log

Maximum Quiescent Time

By default a station will defer shutdown commands until all work on the station has completed. The station will wait indefinitely for work to complete, or for a second shutdown (force) command. This property may be used to set the maximum time (in seconds) that the station will wait for work to complete after a shutdown command. If work is still active at that time it is abandoned and marked as "failed" which may cause jobs to subsequently fail. The default value is -1 which causes the station to wait indefinitely. For the most reliable environment it is recommended that this setting be left at its default value.

Name

The default station name is the hostname of the computer on which it is installed. End-users can enter the station name in the client app GUI to direct the execution of their simulation to this station.

No GUI

This property controls whether the station program runs with or without a graphical user interface (GUI). With a GUI, all log messages are displayed on the GUI, in the dialog box. Without a GUI, the log messages are written to standard output or to the log file if one is named. By default, a station runs in GUI mode.

Setting fiper.station.nogui=true or using nogui:true when starting the station is required in order to use the Restart Stations command from the administrative UI.

Parameter Match File for Results Analytics App

Set this property to the absolute path and filename of your SMAVariantParameterMatch.txt file for the Results Analytics app. If this property is not set, the file is read from the following directory in the station software installation:

<station_install_dir>/3DOrchestrate/<os>/reffiles/SMAResIntServant/SMAVariantParameterMatch.txt

The SMAVariantParameterMatch.txt file contains regular expression rules. Parameters extracted from the variants in Results Analytics are matched against the rules in this file and the filtered parameters are then used. If the file is empty or not found, all the extracted parameters are used.

Port Range

Set this property to open TCP/IP ports for communication between the physics simulation executables running on different machines. You can specify a port number range such as 56000-57000, a comma-separated list of individual ports numbers such as 56010,56012,56050, or a combination of both. If this property is not set, the simulation executables will use any available open ports. See Configuring a Station for Remote Execution of Physics Solvers and Visualization.

Power’By Services

Set this property on a Windows station where both a SIMULIA connector app (such as the Connector for CST) and the Process Composer native client app are installed. You can install Connector apps from the SIM_SimulationConnectors media and install the Process Composer native client app from the NativeApps_3DEXP media.

Set this property to the root installation directory of the SIMULIA Connector app, for example C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B422simconnectors\win_b64\. This setting is required to use the Process Composer adapter for a Connector client application; for example, the CST adapter.

Predefined OS Commands

This property restricts the station to be allowed to run only the "predefined application" type of command in Process Composer's OS Command adapter. The default value is false, allowing an OS Command adapter to execute any single-line operating system commands or multiline (shell) scripts. Set this property to true to restrict the station to executing only predefined applications.

Private Station

The command-line option private:true starts the station program in a mode meant only for local execution by a single user, usually the end-user of the simulation client app on his or her computer (i.e. localhost).

When the station starts in private mode from the command line, the user is prompted to enter 3DPassport authentication credentials (username and password). Only simulation jobs from this user will be allowed to execute on this station computer. A private station will only execute a job initiated by the same user on the same computer.

A private station can be configured from an existing station group by using the group:<groupname> option.

For more information, see Automated Private Station for End Users and Security.

Results Visualization Engine Location

Set this property to locate the base installation directory of the Physics Results engine executable; for example: <install_dir>\win_b64\ or <install_dir>/linux_a64/. See Configuring a Station for Remote Execution of Physics Solvers and Visualization.

Reverse Proxy URL

If this station computer is behind a reverse proxy server, set this property to the URL pointing to the proxy server. Be sure to include the trailing slash (/) in the URL. For example:

fiper.station.proxyurl=https://myproxyserver.domain.com:port/

Reverse Proxy Exposed Name

Set this property to an identifier that the reverse proxy server will map to this station. For each station with an exposed name, there must be a matching rule in the reverse proxy configuration.

Reverse Proxy Exposed Ports

Set this property to specify TCP/IP ports to be used for the file monitoring station service and Results Analytics app (servant). You can specify the exposed ports in two ways:

• A port number range such as 56000-57000.
• A range of ports with a string identifier to map identifier to port in the reverse proxy configuration. For example: 8080-8085:red. Here the reverse proxy should map IDs red0-red5 to ports 8080-8085.

Run-As Security

Enable or disable the run-as security feature on this station. By default, the station follows the run-as configuration of the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server to which it is connected (as determined by the fiper.security.runas.enabled property in the SMAExeServer.properties file). You can use this property to force the station to run with run-as security disabled even if the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server has run-as enabled.

This property can have the following values:

• Disabled – Turns off the run-as feature for the station. It is valid only if the run-as feature is active on the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server.

• Enabled – Turns on the run-as feature for the station. It is valid only if the run-as feature is active on the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server.

For more information, see Configuring Run-As Security.

Security Domain for Run-As on Windows

This property can be used to specify the Windows security domain for authentication of user credentials (username/password) when the station has run-as security enabled. By default, the Windows domain configured in the 3DOrchestrate Distribution Server is used. This property is ignored on Linux stations.

Staging Directory

Staging directory for large file management for the client apps; used for 3DSpace FCS checkins and checkouts. See Configuring Large File Management in the Process Composer (Web) Administration Guide.

Server Staging Directory

This setting defines how the 3DSpace MCS accesses the path defined in the Staging Directory (fiper.station.fcs.stagingdir) property. If the MCS can access the fiper.station.fcs.stagingdir path directly, there is no need for this setting. Otherwise, define the exact path for how the MCS will access the fiper.station.fcs.stagingdir path. For example:

fiper.station.fcs.stagingdir=\\file-server\path\vm8-29sim\home\STAGING
fiper.station.fcs.serverstagingdir=/path/vm8-29sim/home/STAGING

Substation Start Time

Determines when processes will fail if the launch of a run-as substation process is delayed. See About Run-As Security.

Substation Launch Timeout

Determines when processes will fail if the launch of a run-as substation process hangs indefinitely.

Substation Keep Alive

Determines how long (in milliseconds) the substation process is kept running after it starts.

Temporary Directory

The directory in which the 3DOrchestrate Station writes temporary files during job execution. Example: fiper.station.tempdir=C:\DassaultSystemes\cos\station\tmp\.

The temporary directory is also used during upload and download of files.

The temporary directory can be set in the administrative UI, in the properties file (fiper.station.tempdir), or on the command-line—see Quick Reference.

If you do not set the temporary directory, the station defaults to the use of the user's local temp directory. On Windows, the default for this location is C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\. If there are any permissions problems that prevent writing to the station temporary directory or the user's local temp directory, the user's home directory is used instead.

If you want to change the temporary directory from the default location, be sure to select a directory that has the following characteristics:

• Is not a temporary file system. This disk space must never be reclaimed automatically. This rules out any directories that are cleared during a restart or during an automatic disk space cleanup.
• Preferably on a local disk on the station computer. If there is insufficient local storage space, a NAS device can be used; however, this is not recommended.

Temp Directory Skip Lock

Set to true to suppress the usual file locking of the station's temporary directory (fiper.station.tempdir). This is necessary when the station's temporary directory is on an NFS file system on Linux and you see the following error when trying to start the station: "Unable to verify station temp directory lock file."