Revision 1.1
WebSwitch™ Users Manual
Remote Services
Remote Services initiates an outgoing connection to a server at a remote location. This can be used, for
example, in an environment where a web server on the Internet provides a custom user interface and
users access WebSwitch™ through the web server rather than communicating directly with
WebSwitch™. This is sometimes referred to as “web services”. As mentioned elsewhere in this users
manual, using an external web server allows users to access one or many WebSwitch™ units (or other
ControlByWeb™ products) through a custom web page. This has the benefits of being able to combine
multiple devices seamlessly into a single web page, and it allows programmers to create powerful,
custom web pages using the web programming languages of their choice.
Using the Remote Services configuration so that WebSwitch™ units initiate the connection to the
external web server (rather than having the web server initiate communications to WebSwitch™ units)
has two main benefits. First, the web server does not need to know the IP address of WebSwitch™. This
means that WebSwitch™ can get its IP address dynamically from a DHCP server which simplifies the
installation. Second, since the connection from WebSwitch™ is outgoing, rather than incoming, the local
router on the network where WebSwitch™ resides doesn't need to be configured to forward sockets.
This also has the benefit of simplifying the installation. In addition, since the router configuration is not
modified, the risk of compromising security on the local network is eliminated. For more information
about the Remote Services see
Appendix D
:
External Server and Remote Services.
Remote Services Enabled
This option enables or disables Remote Services. If
Yes
is selected, Remote Services will be
enabled as soon as the submit button is pressed and WebSwitch™ will immediately attempt to make
a connection with the remote server (power cycle not required). Once a connection is established,
the connection will remain until it is disconnected by the remote server. Proper connection with the
remote server can be verified by viewing the system status log file (see
Appendix E: Log Files
).
The default setting for this field is
No
. Most users should leave this setting at its default.
Server Name/IP Address
Specify the name or IP address of the Remote Services server here. If the IP address is specified,
enter it in this format
aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd
. For numbers that are less than 100, preceding zeros
should not be included (for example, enter 80 rather than 080). This field can be up to 40 characters
long and has no default setting.
Server Port
Enter the TCP port used for the Remote Services server. This can be set within the range of
0-
65535
. The default setting for this field is
8000
.
Connection String
This text is sent to the Remote Services server when the connection is established. This string
should include any information required by the server at connection. For example, it may include an
ID number, customer number, password, etc. The format is entirely dependent upon the server
requirements. This field can be up to 80 characters long. Default text is provided only as an example
placeholder. The default text is
[<serialAddress>]
:ControlByWeb,XRDI-WS3(P).
Connection Interval
This field specifies the periodic interval in which WebSwitch™ attempts to connect to the remote
server, or if WebSwitch™ is already connected, it is the interval in which WebSwitch™ sends the
connection string. This field can be set within the range of
1
to
34452
minutes. The default setting
for this field is
1
minute.
Xytronix Research & Design, Inc.
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