Concurrent Work with more than one Configuration Tool

The MLC 8000 system is designed to work such that one channel cluster can be opened by one MLC 8000 Configuration Tool at a time. However, the Analog Display and Control application can be opened from up to three configuration tools concurrently (with each configuration tool installed on a separate PC). This design decision is necessary because opening the Analog Display and Control Application from the MLC 8000 Configuration Tool does not create a TCP connection between the configuration tool and the devices of the channel cluster while opening a channel cluster from the configuration tool does create such a TCP connection. Attempting to open a particular channel cluster from more than one MLC 8000 Configuration Tool concurrently results in an error message saying that the MLC 8000 device is already connected to a particular channel cluster.

If the MLC 8000 Configuration Tool is installed on more than one PC and you want to configure the same channel clusters at times using one of several PCs, a database synchronization must be performed so that each of the PCs containing the MLC 8000 Configuration Tool that you use to configure the channel cluster has the same database. As previously stated, configuration on multiple PCs not recommended because the first configuration tool must be backed up and restored to the second configuration tool when there has been a change made on the first configuration tool. Then, if a change is later made on the second configuration tool, that configuration tool must be backed up and restored to the first configuration tool. For more information on the process for keeping the database synchronized between various Configuration Tools used to update the same channel cluster, see procedure Keeping the Channel Cluster Database Consistent on more than one MLC 8000 Configuration Tool PC.