SMC User Interface Basics

When you install Desigo CC on a Server, Client, or FEP, a configuration and management tool called, System Management Console (SMC), is installed on that computer.

You can start SMC by clicking the desktop shortcut created with the installation or by clicking SMC in Start Windows (by typing SMC in Search Windows). For more information, see Starting the System Management Console.

The SMC enables the project engineer to perform project, history database, WindowsApp client configuration and their user configuration tasks.

SMC also facilitates you to create and configure the security certificates for securing the communication between client and server, server and remote web server and the communication between the distributed systems.

NOTE:
After a successful Server, Client, or FEP installation, ensure that you set the Change User Account Control settings (UAC settings) to Default in order to:
- restrict launching SMC by a non-admin Windows user. You must always launch SMC with a Windows user having administrative rights.
- to launch the Desigo CC Client application.
For more information, see Return User Account Control Settings to Default or Always Notify.

SMC Tasks

Following are the tasks that can be performed on a Server, Client, or FEP installations using SMC. The specific SMC tasks depend on the type of installation.

SMC Objects in SMC tree

Tasks

Server Station

Installed Client/FEP Station

Remarks

System

Configure System account

Yes

Yes

 

Configure Closed mode user account

Yes

Yes

 

Configure Service Admin account

Yes

No

You can do this using the Service Admin expander that displays only when you edit the StartSmc.bat file by adding the /support switch.

Configure Service account

Yes

Yes

 

Import Windows Key file

Yes

Yes (only on FEP)

 

Export Windows Key file

Yes

No

 

Projects

Create project from project template/Restore project

Yes

No

 

Upgrade project

Yes

Yes

 

Create project

Yes

Yes

On Client or Server, you can create a project in Automatic and Manual configuration mode.

Add an extension to a project

Yes

No

 

Activate project

Yes

Yes

 

Start and stop project

Yes

Yes

 

Edit and save

Yes

Yes

On a Client or Server, you can modify the project in Automatic and Manual mode.

Change System Info

Yes

No

 

Change Distribution Info

Yes

No

 

Check Project share consistency

Yes

No

 

Check Distribution consistency

Yes

No

 

Clear name cache

Yes

Yes

 

Clear HD2 Files

Yes

No

 

Delete project

Yes

Yes

 

Remove events

Yes

No

 

Align project with server

No

Yes

If you change the Server project settings, such as the proxy port or a language, then you must align all the client and FEP projects linked to the server project.

Encrypt project backup

Yes

Yes

 

Decrypt project backup

Yes

Yes

 

Websites

Create website

Yes

Yes

 

Start and stop website

Yes

Yes

 

Edit and save website

Yes

Yes

 

Delete website

Yes

Yes

 

Upgrade website

Yes

Yes

 

Create web application

Yes

Yes

 

Edit and save web application

Yes

Yes

 

Delete web application

Yes

Yes

 

Sign web application

Yes

Yes

 

Upgrade web application

Yes

Yes

 

Align web application with server

Yes

Yes

For any modifications done on a inked project, align the web application on the Server, or the Client or FEP installation.

History Infrastructure (HDB)

Create HDB

Yes

No

History Infrastructure root node is not available in SMC on Client/FEP.

Restore HDB

Yes

No

Purge HDB

Yes

No

Stop or delete HDB

Yes

No

Certificate

Create Certificate (of the Windows store or File (.pem) based)

Yes

Yes

 

Import

Yes

Yes

 

Set as default

Yes

Yes

 

SMC Workspace

This section gives an overview of the System Management Console (SMC) workspace.

Item

Name

Description

1

Console

Displays SMC objects in a hierarchy:
System: Displays the system accounts, Closed mode user account, Service port settings, and Service account settings.
Projects: Displays all saved projects under the main Projects root node.
Websites: Displays only when IIS is installed. Lists all the web sites available in IIS and the web applications created using the SMC under the main Websites root node.
History Infrastructure: Displays all saved databases under History Infrastructure > (local) GMS_HDB_Express. .
NOTE: The HistoryInfrastructure node is available only in SMC server installations.
Certificate: Allows you to create the .pem file and Windows-based .pfx root, host, and self-signed certificates for securing the communication in various deployments.

2

Header bar

Displays information about the active project.
For a client/FEP project, the Header bar does not display database-related information.

3

Toolbar

Save : Saves the details of the user accounts.
Sync System Use Notification : When clicked, this button ensures that the modified SystemUseNotification.html file present in [Installation Drive]:\GMS Projects\GMS Main Project\Data\SMC is copied to [Installation Drive]:\GMS Projects\GMS Main Project\Bin.

4

Window Controls – Resizing Icons

Provides the following window control icons for window-related functions:
Lock: Locks the current layout. You cannot expand or close the panes.
Minimize: Minimizes the window.
Restore: Restores down the window and the icon changes to Maximize.
Close: Closes the System Management Console.
NOTE: While creating or restoring a project, if you try to close the SMC without saving or move to another node in the Console tree, a message displays.

5

Work area

Displays different System Management Console applications such as
System (default view)
Projects
Websites
History Infrastructure (only on server installations)
Certificate
Each of these applications has a specific toolbar.

6

Splitter

Separates the SMC tree and the work area. You can resize the panes by dragging one of the splitters or quickly expand/collapse a pane by clicking the splitter button .

7

Status bar

Provides you with important status/update messages (such as Ready, Default loaded successfully, and so on) and the progress bar.

Header Bar

The Header bar displays at the top of the System Management Console workspace. It always displays information about the active project.

Item

Description

Logo

Displays the logo.

Active Project

Displays the following information about an active project:
Name: Name of the project.
Status: For example, Started, Running- incomplete, Stopped, Stopped - repair on next start (in red), Stopped - last repair failed, and so on.
HDB availability: For example, Database missing, Database system name mismatch, and so on.
NOTE: If no project is created in the SMC or if there is no project active at the moment, then the information in the Active Project expander is blank and the Header bar displays No project found.

Menu

Allows you to:
Display the About page.
Launch the online Help.
Change the language of the SMC.
End your work session and shut down the SMC.

Menu

The Menu allows you to access the About page, open the online Help, change the current language and it provides you with an option for exiting the SMC.

Menu

Option

Allows You to…

About Page

Display the About page, providing you with information about System Management Console software (such as, company name, product name, version, and technical support reference as website link).
System Info: Available from the About page, provides the summary of your system’s hardware, software and components’ information.

Help

Launch the online Help.

Change Language

Select a language for running the SMC. By default, the SMC runs in English (US). The number of languages available for running the SMC depends on the language packs installed at the time of installation.
NOTE: You must re-start the SMC for a language change to take effect.

Exit

End your work session and shut down the SMC.