How to Upload New Web Applications

From the View and manage applications page, you can upload new custom applications, as follows:

1. If the upload fields are already filled in (because you clicked on a previous upload in the table, for example) click New to clear the fields. Otherwise, skip this step.

2. From the File field, click Browse and select the web application file (.zip).

Note: To upload a .swf file, you must upload it within a .zip file with a proper Flex wrapper html file.

Platform settings define a maximum size for the web application file. If you attempt to upload a file that is larger than the maximum size set by your Platform administrator, an application error message appears, indicating that communication with the Platform may have been lost. If this error occurs, contact your Platform administrator to confirm the maximum allowable file size and then upload a file of the appropriate size. The default maximum file size for web applications is 20MB.

When you create your custom application, you can use CSRF token parameters when constructing URLs that provide access to a page of the Axeda Applications. The CSRF token will allow the request to succeed and keep the user from being logged out.

Also, you can create your custom application to jump-in to the Service Application, Asset Dashboard with a specified, predefined context. See jump-in from custom applications.

You can configure custom applications to “jump” the user and his credentials to a specific page in the Axeda Applications.

3. In the URL field, type the identifier for the application that will be appended to the displayed server location and to which users will be directed to access this web application. This URL must be unique to this application.

Note that when you upload the application, the Platform will save the application to this server path. For example, if the predefined server path is shown as http://acme.server.com and you type "WebApp1", the user will access this custom application at: http://acme.server.com/apps/WebApp1.

If this application is being uploaded by a user who belongs to a Delegated Admin Unit (DA Unit), then the name of the DA Unit becomes part of the URL. For a user who belongs to the primary (root), no DA Unit name appears. The following examples illustrate URLs for a root DA Unit and URLs for a DA Unit; the entry in the URL field is "myFlashApp"

For an application called "myFlashApp" uploaded by a user in the root:
http://acme.axeda.com/apps/myFlashApp

For an application called "myFlashApp" uploaded by a user in a DA Unit called ServiceProvider_Acme2, the URL displays a tilde (~) to denote that the name of the DA Unit and the name of the application follow:
http://acme.axeda.com/~ServiceProvider_Acme2/myFlashApp

Notes: If you attempt to upload an application to a URL that is already in use, an error message appears, indicating that the application ID is already in use. You can overwrite the existing application at that location with another application or select to upload to another location.

When configuring this custom application for display in an Extended UI module (if applicable), you have the ability to specify a different URL.

4. Type the name of the .zip file (with filename extension) to use as the default index file for the web application in the Default Index File field.

Note: If this custom application will be configured for display in an Extended UI Module, the make sure it will render with viewable content at runtime. If it won't display actual data, any Extended UI Modules configured with the object will not will not be shown in the Asset dashboard.

When creating an Extended UI Module to display a custom application, you can specify URL parameters and an index file that differ from the ones defined when the custom application was uploaded to the Platform. By default, the Platform passes two parameters to all custom objects or custom applications defined in Extended UI Modules: “assetId” (to identify the related asset) and “extModuleId” (to identify this extended UI module).

5. Optionally, type a description of the web application.

6. Select a display mode by clicking the radio button next to Standalone or Extended tab:

§ If you select Standalone mode, then the custom application is launched in full screen mode on top of the Axeda® Connected Product Management Applications. No other specifications are needed.

§ If you select Extended Tab mode, then the custom application is launched as one of the 5 available custom tabs, and the following specifications must be made:

a. Name the Extended tab and select the Locale. A tab name can be added for every supported locale, and additional locales can be added by clicking the add button or removed by clicking the delete button. The list of available locales automatically updates, preventing you from defining two tab names for the same locale. A tab name of 20 characters or less can be added by double-clicking on the Tab Name cell and entering the name.

b. Select the tab to show this extended tab after from the Show after tab drop-down list, which includes all other Custom Application extended tab labels.

An extended tab can be shown first (before all tabs) by leaving this option blank. An extended tab can be placed in any position, and multiple extended tabs may be placed next to one another as long as the first defined extended tab is "anchored" to either the first position, or to an existing application tab. Subsequent tabs can then be placed after a previously defined extended tab.

c. Select the Required view privilege for an available extended tab (for example, view-extended -tab-1) for a user to see the tab. The Required view privilege drop-down contains the list of privilege names still available to you. This drop-down list only shows the unassigned privileges for a particular extended tab, which means that if all five custom application extended tab privileges have been assigned, then no more extended tabs are available and the list of privileges appears empty.

Keep in mind that you can only see the privileges in this drop-down that have been assigned to your user group by your Platform administrator.

Note: If the extended tab limit of 5 tabs is reached, then the browse button is removed and the upload button is completely disabled until you remove an extended tab application by selecting it in the table and clicking Delete Selected to free up a view privilege.

d. Show or hide the footer by selecting the Show footer check box to show the copyright footer, and vice versa.

Important! If you choose to hide the footer, contact Axeda Support for the legal implications of removing the footer for your custom application.

7. When all the information is correct, click Upload. The new custom application appears in the table below.

If any fields are incomplete or invalid, the upload is not successful and the fields are outlined in red. Hover over a field to view a pop-up with error information. Fix the error, and click Upload again.

If you specified the application successfully, it is uploaded to the Platform. If not successful, the page indicates what information is incorrect or missing. While the Platform uploads the web application, it shows the status of the upload as a percentage complete. When the upload is complete (100%), your users will be able to access the application at the path defined in the URL field.