A Scaled N4 XD service is a scalable decking service that offloads decking for vessel discharges and gate receivals for pre-advised containers from the XPS server to a cluster of dedicated XPS clients (located on a dedicated host or VM). These dedicated XPS clients are called N4 XD servers
Without a Scaled N4 XD service, all vessel discharge requests from N4, whether from N4 Mobile Hatch Clerk, Crane Team Application, or the CAS API, are sent to the XPS server. In addition to executing vessel discharge validations, the XPS server uses Expert Decking to assign a yard position for the discharged container.
If you have configured a Scaled N4 XD service, instead of sending vessel discharge and gate receival (only for pre-advised containers) requests to XPS, N4 first sends a decking Bento request to an ACTIVE N4 XD server to execute Expert Decking logic. Once N4 receives a response with an assigned yard position, it then sends the request to XPS, including the assigned yard position. In this case, XPS performs the usual validations and work instruction updates, but does not execute any Expert Decking logic.
The Scaled N4 XD service vessel discharge workflow is as follows:
N4 Mobile Hatch Clerk performs vessel discharge.
N4 sends decking Bento request to an ACTIVE N4 XD server.
N4 XD server executes Expert Decking logic to assign a yard position.
N4 XD server sends decking Bento response with an assigned yard position to N4.
N4 sends the full vessel discharge Bento with assigned yard position to XPS.
XPS validates the vessel discharge request and processes the discharge move.
XPS sends vessel discharge Bento with position to ECN4.
The following is a diagram of a Scaled N4 XD service configuration and flow:
In the N4 Cluster Services view, you can monitor the status of the N4 XD servers to see if they are ACTIVE or INACTIVE and check on their heartbeat. When exceptions occur, the N4 XD servers may become INACTIVE.
In the N4 Decking History view, you can see all of the vessel discharge decking Bento requests, including any exception cases and whether an N4 XD server or the XPS server processed the vessel discharge decking Bento request. For more information, see Monitoring Scaled N4 XD service decking requests (on page 1).
For more information on a Scaled N4 XD service, see What is a Scaled N4 XD service? (on page 1) in the Navis N4: Setup, Maintenance, and System Diagnostics Guide. To configure a Scaled N4 XD service, see Configure the N4 XD server(s) (on page 1) in the Navis N4: Setup, Maintenance, and System Diagnostics Guide.