In order to reduce the time investment needed for project creation and finalization, it is possible to perform parallel online operations.
What is meant by parallel online operations?
Online operations which directly address a device such as Download, Unload or Device Info. Other online operations such as 'Set Individual Address' are defined as a broadcast (addressed to all) or a network operation and therefore do not fall into this category. They are routed via the ETS interfaces according to their priority.
Parallel online operations are only allowed under the following conditions:
- Parallel in different topology lines.
- Parallel means simultaneous online operations, but in different lines (i.e. to the devices).
- Parallel online operations are only possible for IP connections (KNX/IP tunneling connection); To prevent topology violations (IP couplers are, by definition, each linked to another, unique TP line).
Consequently, for every line, a specific connection shall be defined. The definition is done implicitly, if the respective devices (e.g. KNX/IP interfaces) are available in the respective topological element in the project. For the backbone connection, this can be defined explicitly in the line properties.
How Does It Work?
- When starting an online operation, ETS checks if there are line connections defined implicitly in the topology (or explicitly for the Backbone connection).
- For each line, which has a connection defined, ETS creates an internal queue. For every line that no specific connection has been defined, the standard or project connection will be used (see priority rules in the Connection Manager).
- The devices to be downloaded are subsequently put into the respective queue.
Constraints
Plug-ins
For a download, ETS always creates a dataset of the current device configuration (device image), which is then downloaded to the device. Parallel downloading presupposes simultaneous ETS access of several devices in the project (multi-instance capability). For devices with plug-in software, this is not always possible, since only certain plug-in types can provide ETS with the device image upon request.
Consequently, this creates an access problem when the same device is used several times in the project, but the plug-in can only be invoked once at a time. Thus, these devices cannot be downloaded in parallel, and ETS issues a warning in such cases. Furthermore, in such cases ETS organizes all parallel operations in a sequential order (it still works, but it is slower because they are no longer parallel).
Line (or segment) connection
In case of a missing connection, the priority rules apply for the use of interfaces. The download is thereby always safeguarded in the end.