This guide helps you configure and test a minimum working version of Mendix Workstation to help you develop or test Workstation configurations. By following these steps, you will complete the following:
Create a basic configuration within Workstation Management.
Set up a pair of virtual TCP/IP Client and Server devices for testing.
Install the Workstation Client on your computer.
Verify the connection between your virtual devices directly from Workstation Management.
For more detailed information about implementing Mendix Workstation in a production setting, refer to the following topics:
A station represents a workstation on the shop floor. It can connect to one or more apps or devices. A workspace is a grouping of one or more stations. For example, a workspace may group together all the stations which belong to the same factory or factory line.
Enter a name for your new workspace, select Test as the environment type, and then click Create Workspace.
Environments created with the Test environment type have developer mode enabled by default for easier testing. Changing the environment type after creation does not enable or disable developer mode.
After the workspace is created, in the Stations page, click Create a New Station.
Enter a name for the station, and then click Create Station.
Optional: If you do not want Workstation Management to detect smart card readers, perform the following steps:
In Station view, click the three dots icon.
Click Edit Station.
Clear the Detect Card Readers check box.
Installing the Workstation Client
The Workstation Client is a connector between between a Mendix app and various devices. You must install it on a computer, and then register it in Workstation Management.
The following instructions assume that your operating system is Windows, and that you have Windows administrator rights that allow you to perform a global installation. If you do not have administrator rights, or if you want to install the Client on a Linux machine, see Installing the Workstation Client for instructions.
In the Computer Registration dialog, click Download.
Run the Workstation Client installer.
If you get a prompt from Windows User Account Control, click Yes to allow Workstation Client to be installed.
For a silent installation, you can also run the installer as an administrator with the /S argument, that is, MendixWorkstationX.Y.Z.exe /S.
The default installation folder is C:\Program Files\Mendix Workstation. The app data folder can be found at C:\ProgramData\Mendix Workstation. The client runs automatically after the installation is completed.
Registering your Computer
With the Workstation Client running on your computer, you must now register your computer in the Workstation Management.
The following instructions assume that you are registering a single computer for testing purposes. If you want to register multiple Workstation clients and their host computers in a single rollout, see Registering Workstation Clients for instructions.
Click the workspace where you want to register the Clients.
On the Stations page, edit or create a station representing the computer where you installed the Workstation Client.
Click the Register Computer button in the top right corner of the screen.
Click Copy to copy the registration token to your clipboard.
Open the Workstation Client and paste the copied registration token into the Enter your registration token field.
Click Register computer.
In Workstation Management, in the Computer Registration dialog, click Done.
The Stations page now shows your station's status as Computer Registered.
Configuring and Testing Virtual Devices
After registering your computer, test your connectivity by creating a pair of virtual devices: a TCP/IP server that will emulate a device, and a TCP/IP client that will connect to the emulated device.
Select TCP/IP Client as the Device Type, and then click Next.
In the Device Name field, enter Test Client, and then click Next.
In the Device Class field, select or create a class (for example, Virtual), and then click Next.
In the Host and Port fields, leave the default value of localhost and 1705, and click Next.
In the Messages dialog, leave all values as default, and click Add Device.
The device, which will be used to connect to the TCP/IP server running in Workstation Client, is added to the Devices list in the Station page.
Testing the Devices
After configuring the server and client pair, test their connectivity by performing the following steps:
In the left navigation menu of the current workspace, click Settings, and ensure that the Enable Local Device Testing setting is enabled.
In the left navigation menu, click Test Your Station.
The page refreshes and displays a list of all your devices. This includes detected smart card readers available on your computer if you did not disable detecting card readers.
In your web browser, duplicate the tab where you have opened the Test Your Station page.
Arrange the two opened tabs so that you can view the two Test Your Station pages side by side.
In the left tab, click on the client device (Test Client).
In the right tab, click on the server device (Test Server).
In the left tab, on the Test Client device, enter a test message, and then click Send Message. In the other tab, on the Test Server, the sent message appears in the Last message received field.
In the same way, send a message from the Test Server to the Test Client device.
Different device types have different requirements for the message syntax. For more information, see Configuring Devices.
Best Practices for Working with Mendix Workstation
As you begin your work with Mendix Workstation, keep in mind the following best practices to help you.
Ensure stations meet the recommended hardware specifications.
Minimize background processes to improve performance.
When building app logic reusing the Connectors nanoflows, minimize the amount of microflow calls and other actions that require a server connection. One key benefit of Mendix Workstation is client-sided data processing. Every call to the Mendix runtime adds an performance overhead.
Maintenance Guidelines
Periodically review and update workstation and device configurations.
Monitor workstation health and resolve any connectivity issues promptly.
