Save live data for a test environment

This task should be handled by your N4 administrator the first time you create AutoStow strategies. Once set, you can continue to use the same test data to develop your strategies.

If you save one or more strategies, you can import them into a current test environment as described in Save, export, and import AutoStow strategies (on page 1).

To obtain a complete data set that can be used in solo mode to test AutoStow scenarios:

  1. Manually plan the vessel in the live environment running XPS in networked mode.

  1. Before work on the vessel actually begins, go to an XPS client workstation in the live environment and select File Back-up Files to create a backup copy of the Private folder.

  2. On the XPS solo test workstation, create a folder named something like AutoStow Baseline Data.

  3. Copy the backup folder from the XPS client's Private folder into the AutoStow Baseline Data folder on the test workstation.

  4. Copy the xps/data folder from the XPS server to the AutoStow Baseline Data folder on the test workstation.

  5. In the AutoStow Baseline Data/backup folder, rename the file +backup@date_and_time.txt to clockreset@date_and_time.txt and subtract about three hours. This file resets the XPS clock on startup so you are not required to adjust vessel and crane schedules each time you start XPS in the test environment.

For example, change +backup@20020715_060137.txt to clockreset@20020715_030137.txt.

  1. Copy the AutoStow Baseline Data folder and rename it AutoStow Test Data. This enables you to start again from scratch whenever you want.

  2. Shift-start the XPS client on the test workstation.

  3. Verify that the workstation is running in solo mode.

  4. To select the Private data folder, click Change and browse to the AutoStow Baseline Data/backup folder.

  5. To select the test data folder, click Change and browse to the AutoStow Baseline Data/data folder.

  6. Verify the data by opening the vessel.

Check to make sure the projections from the live production environment are still present. Verify that the crane plan in Quay Commander looks correct. If either of these conditions is not correct, you need to repeat the process more carefully.

  1. Begin with creating your AutoStow strategy (on page 1).