Deploy your project as a web application

This part of the tutorial shows how to deploy your project as a web application, to which remote users can connect with Internet Explorer.

For Internet Explorer to work as a web thin client, it must install a browser plug-in that "plays" project screens. If your computer is connected to the Internet, then IE will automatically download the control from AVEVA's public server when you connect to a project runtime server for the first time.

To deploy your project as a web application:

1. Configure the IP address of the data server.

   1. On the Project tab of the ribbon, in the Web group, click Thin Clients.

      The Project Settings dialog is displayed with the Web tab selected.

      

   2. In the Data Server IP Address box, type the IP address of the web server.

      For this tutorial, type 127.0.0.1, which is the standard loopback address (also known as "localhost").

   3. Click OK to close the dialog.

2. Make sure the data server is set to start up when you run your project.

   1. On the Home tab of the ribbon, in the Local Management group, click Runtime Tasks.

      The Runtime Tasks dialog is displayed.

      

   2. In the list of tasks, select TCP/IP Server, and then click Startup.

      The Startup dialog is displayed.

      

   3. Select Automatic, and then click OK.

   4. Click OK to close the Runtime Tasks dialog.

3. Save and close all open screens and worksheets.

4. Go to File, and then click Save All As HTML.

   Your project screens are saved as HTML files in the Web sub-folder of your project folder (that is, \<project name>\Web).

5. Configure a web server to make the Web sub-folder available to the network.

   You can configure the "root directory" or "home directory" setting of a web server program (for example, Microsoft IIS) to point to the Web sub-folder, or you can copy the Web sub-folder to an existing web server on your network. The web server (which makes the HTML files available to clients) and the data server (which actually runs your project and exchanges data with the clients) do not need to be the same computer.

6. On the Home tab of the ribbon, in the Local Management group, click Run.

7. Open a web browser (for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer), and then enter the URL address of the main screen on the web server.

   For this tutorial, type http://127.0.0.1/main.html and then press Return. (127.0.0.1 is the standard IP address for the loopback network interface, also known as localhost.)

   After a few moments, during which the browser downloads and installs the browser plug-in, the main screen is displayed in the browser.

You can change the level of any tank either locally using the project viewer or remotely using the web browser, and changes on one client appear immediately on the other. They work equally well.