IoT Tips

There are a few recommended troubleshooting steps to alleviate this: 1. The best practice is to install without an existing Tomcat implementation. Verify whether Tomcat is currently installed on this PC. If so, uninstall Tomcat and run the installer again. 2. Assign a different port for the servlet engine. This can be changed within the server.xml file located here: <Install path>\ThingWorxManufacturingApps\PTC_Servelet_Engine\conf\server.xml 3. If the installer has stopped at approximately 90% complete, and 5 minutes have elapsed, start the ThingWorx Servlet Engine Service manually from this directory in the Windows Explorer: <Install path>\ThingWorxManufacturingApps\PTC_Servlet_Engine\bin\thingworxServerw.exe 4. The Servlet Engine log files can be used for advanced troubleshooting. They are located in this directory by default: <Install path>\ThingWorxManufacturingApps\PTC_Servlet_Engine\logs

Key Functional Highlights Add connectivity to National Instruments TestStand Make it easier to edit the apps Easier to find mashups and things in Composer Support for Asset sub-types Open up the tag picker to allow adding any connection types through Composer General App Improvements Enhance tag picker to improve speed of configuration Make it easier to add additional properties to assets Make app configuration more intuitive by centralizing the configuration Controls Advisor Merge the Server and Connection status fields Asset Advisor Performance improvement when displaying pages Add support for CFS/ServiceMax integration Added trial support for Service     Compatibility ThingWorx 8.2.x KEPServerEX 6.2 and later KEPServerEX V6.1 and older as well as different OPC Servers (with Kepware OPC aggregator) National Instruments TestStand 2016 SP1 and later Support upgrade from 8.0.1 and later     Documentation What’s New in ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps Setup and Configuration Guide What’s New in ThingWorx Service Apps ThingWorx Service Apps Setup and Configuration Guide ThingWorx Manufacturing and Service Apps Customization Guide     Download ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps Freemium portal ThingWorx Manufacturing and Service Apps Extensions

This document has been created to assist customers with the upgrade process when moving from a legacy version of ThingWorx to the latest release. It provides a checklist of activities that are critical to achieving a successful upgrade. The goal of the document is not to define the in-depth technical details required for the upgrade but to highlight how to carefully plan the overall activities and general methods beforehand.  Additional planning activities can apply and should be added based on individual circumstances.  While this section is primarily geared towards upgrading an existing installation, the proposed outline below can also be adapted to new installations as well. Note that while the information contained within this document is high-level, PTC cannot guarantee that this checklist will be entirely accurate for your particular environment. Also note that using the information in this document might require specific knowledge, skills, and expertise with PTC products and other required third-party applications. Activity     1. Establish ThingWorx Support channels of communication     2. Review the ThingWorx Installation Guide in its entirety before proceeding     3. Identify necessary resources and contacts for the upgrade process     4. Determine if any server or network architecture changes are necessary     5. Identify a roll-out plan for the upgrade process     6. Install and configure ThingWorx based on the roll-out plan ___ 1. Establish ThingWorx Support channels of communication The eSupport Portal provides important technical information and access to materials that will be helpful in all stages noted in this planning guide. It is important to navigate and become familiar with the resources that exist on this site and learn how to use them effectively. Many of the materials to which this technical brief links can be accessed from this site, including the Customer Support Guide, which provides an overview of PTC technical support services and communications channels. ___ 2. Review the ThingWorx Getting Started Guide in its entirety The ThingWorx Getting Started Guide contains useful information for all customers moving to the newest release of the platform. This guide will help new and returning users to understand the installation/upgrade process, and also prepare for any necessary architectural changes. PTC strongly recommends reviewing this guide in preparation for the upgrade procedure. ___ 3. Identify necessary resources and contacts for the upgrade process Installation will require knowledge of OS user permissions, firewall settings, and database access. Having the correct teams involved in the installation will help in achieving a successful upgrade. Installing successfully potentially requires collaboration between multiple groups at your company. This can include, but is not limited to, the following resources: A designated ThingWorx administrator A member of your local information technology team A member of your database administrator group ___ 4. Determine if any server or network architecture changes are necessary After identifying the stakeholders necessary for a successful installation, PTC recommends re-evaluating your system and network specifications. Many factors can play a role in determining if architecture changes are needed, such as an increase in the number of connections to the platform since the previous release or higher hardware recommendations for the server hosting the platform. As a starting point to this discussion, PTC recommends reviewing “Platform Server Requirements” section of the “ThingWorx Platform System Requirements” guide. ___ 5. Identify a roll-out plan for the upgrade process                The upgrade process will involve the following main components: Backup data by exporting all entities from the system as well as copying the ThingworxStorage folder (aside from additional backups performed with the back-end database, if applicable) Once all entities and data have been exported, check the Application Log to ensure successful export.  If any errors is present in the Application log, please contact Technical  Support for troubleshooting before proceeding with the upgrade. Uninstall previous ThingWorx version Upgrade server/network components based on requirements document Install/upgrade required software components based on requirements document Install ThingWorx Restore data from backup For complete details on the installation/upgrade process and configuration of the above components, please refer to the available installation and reference materials on the PTC Reference Documents page. Care should be taken when upgrading to the latest release. After any internal testing has been performed based on your company’s requirements, a hard date should be set to perform the upgrade within a production environment. Any users of the current version should be made aware of this upgrade date so that they can prepare for any outages accordingly. To minimize any downtime associated with the upgrade process, ThingWorx recommends performing the upgrade process during off-hours or overnight. ___ 6. Install and configure ThingWorx based on the roll-out plan After approval, proceed with the installation and configuration of the platform based on the finalized roll-out plan.

Many users of our software have submitted cases regarding the Third-Party Components and their functions within ThingWorx Analytics. This short blog post will provide the main components used by our software and explain their functionality.   ThingWorx Analytics uses the following components in its default installation:   Apache ZooKeeper ZooKeeper is a centralized service for maintaining configuration information, naming, providing distributed synchronization, and providing group services ThingWorx Analytics uses ZooKeeper as the gatekeeper to API calls and processes to the Application Component Homepage: https://zookeeper.apache.org/ Apache Tomcat ​Apache Tomcat software is an open source implementation of the Java Servlet, JavaServer Pages, Java Expression Language and Java WebSocket technologies ThingWorx Analytics uses Tomcat to handle webservices and API communications This enables the use of ThingWorx Foundation (Core) mashups with ThingWorx Analytics Server Component Homepage: http://tomcat.apache.org/ PostgreSQL Server PostgreSQL is an open source object-relational database system ThingWorx Analytics uses PostgresSQL server to store analytical results for later retrieval Component Homepage: https://www.postgresql.org/

Key Functional Highlights Production Advisor is now available in the Freemium and Developer Kit downloads. Plant Managers are provided with real-time monitoring of production status and critical KPI’s such as utilization, performance, quality and OEE, by unifying data from disparate lines, assets and sensors. With Production Advisor, Plant Managers have the ability to detect and react instantly to production issues- reaching lower downtime, higher production throughput and better quality from the factory resources. Compatibility ThingWorx 8.0.1 KEPServerEX 6.2 KEPServerEX V6,1 and older as well as different OPC Servers (with Kepware OPC aggregator) Documentation ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps Setup and Configuration Guide: https://support.ptc.com/WCMS/files/173133/en/ThingWorxManufacturingAppsSetup_8-0-1.pdf ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps Customization Guide: https://support.ptc.com/WCMS/files/173135/en/ThingWorxManufacturingAppsCust_8-0-1.pdf Get Started Documentation on Portal: https://www.ptc.com/en/thingworx/manufacturing-apps/Dashboard/Get-Started (PTC users should use their normal login credentials and do not need to register on the portal) Download Freemium and Developer Kit (8.0.1) are available for download here: https://www.ptc.com/en/thingworx/manufacturing-apps/Dashboard (PTC users should use their normal login credentials and do not need to register on the portal ThingWorx Platform Extensions (8.1.0, released 1 Nov 2017) are available for download here: https://support.ptc.com/appserver/auth/it/esd/product.jsp?prodFamily=TWA

ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps Setup and Configuration Guide 8.1.0 ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps Customization Guide  8.1.0

Starting with the 7.4 version of Thingworx, a license.bin file locked to the specific version of Thingworx is required in order to successfully start the Thingworx webapp. If something is wrong with the licensing, Tomcat will crash and will not show any information regarding the problem in its log files. The Catalina*.log file will look like this 13-Jun-2017 04:36:43.268 INFO [main] org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.startInternal Starting service Catalina 13-Jun-2017 04:36:43.268 INFO [main] org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.startInternal Starting Servlet Engine: Apache Tomcat/8.5.13 13-Jun-2017 04:36:43.315 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR Deploying web application archive C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\Thingworx.war 13-Jun-2017 04:36:56.080 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.jasper.servlet.TldScanner.scanJars At least one JAR was scanned for TLDs yet contained no TLDs. Enable debug logging for this logger for a complete list of JARs that were scanned but no TLDs were found in them. Skipping unneeded JARs during scanning can improve startup time and JSP compilation time. instead of continuing on through the rest of the war files present on the server as it would if everything worked properly. 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.001 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR Deployment of web application archive C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\Thingworx.war has finished in 36,684 ms 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.006 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deploying web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\docs 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.113 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deployment of web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\docs has finished in 107 ms 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.113 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deploying web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\examples 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.617 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deployment of web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\examples has finished in 504 ms 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.618 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deploying web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\host-manager 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.661 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deployment of web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\host-manager has finished in 43 ms 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.661 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deploying web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\manager 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.847 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deployment of web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\manager has finished in 186 ms 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.847 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deploying web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\ROOT 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.866 INFO [localhost-startStop-1] org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDirectory Deployment of web application directory C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\PTC_Servlet_Engine\webapps\ROOT has finished in 18 ms 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.949 INFO [main] org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol.start Starting ProtocolHandler ["https-jsse-nio-443"] 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.957 INFO [main] org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol.start Starting ProtocolHandler ["ajp-nio-8009"] 13-Jun-2017 04:37:20.958 INFO [main] org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start Server startup in 37733 ms The error will actually be in the ThingworxStorage/logs/ApplicationLog.log file - something like this: 2017-06-14 10:00:19.057-0700 [L: INFO] [O: c.t.s.ThingWorxServer] [I: ] [U: SuperUser] [S: ] [T: localhost-startStop-1] Subsystem LicensingSubsystem is starting 2017-06-14 10:00:19.057-0700 [L: INFO] [O: c.t.s.s.Subsystem] [I: ] [U: SuperUser] [S: ] [T: localhost-startStop-1] Starting Subsystem [LicensingSubsystem] 2017-06-14 10:00:19.088-0700 [L: ERROR] [O: c.t.s.s.l.LicensingSubsystem] [I: ] [U: SuperUser] [S: ] [T: localhost-startStop-1] ==================================================================== 2017-06-14 10:00:19.088-0700 [L: ERROR] [O: c.t.s.s.l.LicensingSubsystem] [I: ] [U: SuperUser] [S: ] [T: localhost-startStop-1] C:\PTC\KinexForManufacturing\ThingworxPlatform\license.bin: license file does not exist! 2017-06-14 10:00:19.088-0700 [L: ERROR] [O: c.t.s.s.l.LicensingSubsystem] [I: ] [U: SuperUser] [S: ] [T: localhost-startStop-1] ==================================================================== 2017-06-14 10:00:19.088-0700 [L: WARN] [O: c.t.s.ThingWorxServer] [I: ] [U: SuperUser] [S: ] [T: localhost-startStop-1] Shutting down the Platform. Get your license installed properly and the problem should go away.

The following Expert Session videos are now available for viewing within the ThingWorx Community: ThingWorx Analytics Installation - This Expert Session will walk you through the complete installation of ThingWorx Analytics from the Prerequisites to Confirming the Installation is successful and all steps in between. The first half of the video gives a breakdown of the components and the process of the installation with the second half being an actual Demo of the Installation.     ThingWorx Analytics API Overview - This Expert Session is designed to help beginners get up and running with ThingWorx Analytics. It covers basic concepts like: What are APIs, how to configure the metadata file, and a live Demo that shows you how to interact and use ThingWorx Analytics in real time. This Expert Session would also be useful for experienced users who need a refresher course.   Decision Tree, ThingWorx Analytics Builder - This Expert Session reviews the concept of “Decision Trees” and the functionality that is available in ThingWorx Analytics Builder. First, you will learn how to create and upload a dataset in ThingWorx Analytics Builder.  After that, it shows you how to train a model and score on the model that was just generated. It then goes into detail on how the prediction learner "Decision Tree" operates and classifies inputs.   Use Case Identification - This Expert Session goes over ways to identify and develop a successful use case for ThingWorx Analytics. The example use case presented here is on employee retention in a fictional company with the goal of maximizing employee retention . This presentation will provide you with all the fundamentals you need to develop your own ThingWorx Analytics use cases from the ground up.   ThingWorx Analytics Signals - This Expert Session will provide you with an in depth explanation behind how Signals are calculated in ThingWorx Analytics, what purpose they serve, and why we use them.  Some basic mathematical concepts are discussed so viewers will have a better idea of how ThingWorx Analytics operates behind the scenes.   Related Links For more information, you can visit a new space dedicated to these helpful technical videos.   Additional Expert Sessions will be highlighted here in the ThingWorx Community every few weeks. Visit the Online Success Guide to access additional information about ThingWorx training and services.

Hi,   If you need to change the used hostname at installation of Thingworx Flow, some manual changes should be done without re-installing Flow. Basically, hostname for Flow should be changed in the nginx configuration and in Flow modules configuration; whenever you see the hostname used at Flow installation, change it with the new hostname.   Change the following configurations after renaming the ThingWorx Flow server in Windows OS : 1. Stop Flow, Nginx and ThingWorx Tomcat services 2. Update C:\Program Files\ <nginx>\conf\conf.d\vhost-flow.conf server_name : change hostname with new one      3. Update C:\Program Files (x86)\ <ThingWorxFlow>\modules\lookup\deploymentConfig.json ENDPOINT : change hostname with new one      4. Update <ThingWorxFlow>\modules\oauth\deploymentConfig.json UI_ENDPOINT : change hostname with new one ENDPOINT : change hostname with new one      5. Update <ThingWorxFlow>\modules\trigger\deploymentConfig.json DOMAIN : change hostname with new one TRIGGER_HOST : change hostname with new one 6. Update <ThingWorxFlow>\modules\ux\deploymentConfig.json api_endpoint : change hostname with new one view > oauth_server : change hostname with new one service_api_endpoint : change hostname with new one      If the ThingWorx Platform is installed on the Flow server : enterprise > built > host + prefix_url : change hostname with new one 7. If the ThingWorx Platform is not installed on the Flow server: Stop Thingworx Tomcat service Update <ThingworxPlatform>\platform-settings.json         PlatformSettingsConfig >  OrchestrationSettings > QueueHost : change flow hostname with new one 8. Restart the Thingworx, Flow and Nginx services   After these steps, Flow should be accessible with the new hostname: https://new_hostname:port/Thingworx/Composer/apps/flow/     Regards, Raluca Edu    

Video Author:                     Mohammed Amine Chehaibi Original Post Date:            November 28, 2016 Applicable Releases:        ThingWorx Analytics 52 to 8.0   Description: In this video we will cover how to start your virtual image of ThingWorx Analytics using Oracle Virtual Box.    

Welcome to the ThingWorx Service Apps Community! The ThingWorx Service Apps are easy to deploy, pre-configured role-based starter apps that are built on PTC’s industry-leading IoT platform, ThingWorx. The Asset Advisor for Service provides the ability to remotely identify, diagnose, and resolve service issues for a proactive maintenance approach.   A. Sign up: PTC account credentials are needed to participate in the ThingWorx Community. If you have not yet registered a PTC eSupport account, start with the Basic Account Creation page.   B. Download: Import as a ThingWorx Extension (for users with a ThingWorx SCP entitlement-- including PTC employees, and PTC Partners): ThingWorx Service Apps can be imported as a ThingWorx extension into an existing ThingWorx Platform install (v8.1.0). To locate the download, open the PTC Software Download Page and expand the following folders:   PTC Smart Connected Applications | Release APPs | ThingWorx Service Apps Extension | Most Recent Datacode   C. Learn Find helpful documentation in PTC Reference Documents.   D. Get help / give feedback / interact Use the ThingWorx Service Apps Community page as a resource to find documentation, peruse past forum threads, or post a question to start a discussion! For advanced troubleshooting, licensed users are encouraged to submit support tickets to the PTC My eSupport portal.

Scripto Editor is an enhanced Groovy Script Editor that allows the developer to compile and test uploaded Groovy Scripts on the fly.  Please note that Scripto Editor is not a replacement for an IDE and should be used mainly for debugging Groovy Scripts. Installation: Download the Javascript Scripto Editor archive attached to this post. Install the archive as a custom app - Log into the Axeda Platform - Navigate to Administration > More Links -> Extended Applications - Click Browse and select the file downloaded in step 1. - Set the URL as "ScriptoEditor" - Set the Default Index as ScriptoEditor.html - Set Dsplay Mode as Standalone - Optionally enter a ​Description​, such as Scripto Editor for Groovy Objects​ - Click Upload Open Scripto Editor by navigating to https://yourServicelink.axeda.com/apps/ScriptoEditor/ScriptoEditor.html Log in using your Axeda Platform credentials Double click any previously uploaded Groovy Script in the list to open Add or edit parameters in the Properties sidebar Test the script by clicking the Test tab in the sidebar and clicking "Run Test" Results will appear in the console at the bottom of the screen Save the Groovy Script by clicking "Save"Note: if the session expires before you have finished editing, the application will alert you with a pop up "Http Request Error".  You will be unable to save your changes - at this point it is recommended to open a new tab and copy over your changes back into Scripto Editor.  For this reason, Scripto Editor is not a replacement for an IDE and should be used sparingly for on-the-fly debugging.Additionally, any changes made in Scripto Editor will need to be manually copied back into the local development source code. WARNING: Scripto Editor has a 1000 line code limit.  If your custom objects are longer than this, Scripto Editor will truncate them when saving!!

Here are some tips on how to submit a ticket to the ThingWorx technical support team and what to expect. Providing a typical minimum information is always a good practice to lessen the questions and unnecessary back-and-forth communication prior to the actual investigation of the problem. Open a new ticket for each separate issue. We do track every technical issue that comes in. If the ticket is being submitted for troubleshooting: Please provide the versions of Thingworx, Tomcat, java; Operating System and specs. Attach the list of the extensions used. Include a detailed description of the problem; if applicable, include the screenshots. Evaluate the business impact caused by the issue. Optional: state the method of contact preference, whether it's a phone or email, and time if applicable. Expect a support engineer (SE) to establish the first contact via email, letting known of the case ownership, and further investigation. If the ticket is being submitted for enhancement request or improvement: Please provide a clear description of the feature, use case(s), expectations and any additional details that might play a role in prioritizing the request. Once the ticket has been created, it will be assigned to a support engineer (SE) who will then place a request (Jira) to R&D and provide a Jira # to the point of contact in the support ticket Enhancement requests and improvements are always considered; however, the delivery is not guaranteed. Once an SE provides the case contact with the Jira #, the support ticket will be closed, and the point of contact may reach out to the SE at any time to check on the status of the Jira. If the ticket is being submitted for a bug or a defect: Please provide the versions of Thingworx, Tomcat, java; Operating System and specs. Include a clear description of the problem, expected result, current result; a Evaluate the business impact. If reproducible, include the steps. Optional: include the entities and data (.xml, .json if applicable) to demonstrate the issue Once the ticket has been created, it will be assigned to a support engineer (SE) who will then place a request (Jira) to R&D and provide a Jira # to the point of contact in the support ticket (assuming no further information is required) The R&D will provide an estimate release after the issue is evaluated. Upon sending the ETA to the case contact, the SE will close the support ticket.

Video Author:                     Christophe Morfin Original Post Date:            September 26, 2017 Applicable Releases:        ThingWorx Analytics 8.0 & 8.1   Description:​ This video shows the commands to execute to deploy the training and results microservices as docker container.  This is based on Docker Toolbox to highlight the specific settings required on Toolbox.    

When installing KEPServerEX, you will be presented with a tree of features to install. Open the pull-down menu next to "Full install" and select "Entire feature will be installed on local hard drive." This will ensure all needed drivers and plug-ins are included. When either a Client application has made a request of a Driver, or a Plug-in becomes activated, then a license check is performed. If a feature is not licensed, a two-hour demo countdown period will begin. For more information on this, see: KEPServerEX V6 Demo Timer

ThingWorx Manufacturing Apps Setup and Configuration Guide 8.2 ThingWorx Manufacturing and Service Apps Customization Guide 8.2

ThingWorx Service Apps Setup and Configuration Guide 8.2 ThingWorx Manufacturing and Service Apps Customization Guide 8.2

We are pleased to announce that the Expert Sessions video series is now available in the ThingWorx Community. We are kicking off this availability with a new space dedicated to these helpful technical videos. In the first round of videos, we are highlighting two ThingWorx Foundation videos that are designed to provide foundational knowledge to get you up and running on the ThingWorx IoT platform. New Expert Sessions Available Now ThingWorx Foundation - Installation is an introduction to installing the ThingWorx platform. The video includes information on the environment, prerequisites, and configuration steps when installing ThingWorx, and includes walkthroughs of installing with H2 and PostgreSQL databases, an introduction and demonstration of the Linux installation script, solutions to common installation problems and more. ThingWorx Foundation - Scalability talks about platform sizing with dependency on the type of environment and correlated scalability options. The video educates you about federation and high availability as well as provides visual diagrams to understand the architecture of different ThingWorx solutions. What is an Expert Session? Expert Sessions are focused, technical webcasts (both recorded and live) where PTC subject matter experts share knowledge and best practices on topics related to the design, development, deployment and operation of PTC software. Expert Sessions are designed using five categories: Get Started, Design, Develop, Deploy, and Operate. Additional Expert Sessions will be highlighted here in the ThingWorx Community every few weeks. Visit the Online Success Guide to access our Expert Session videos at any time as well as additional information about ThingWorx training and services.

Hi everybody, In this blogpost I want to share with you my local ThingWorx installation, with some optimizations that I did for local development. -use the -XX:+UseConcMarkSweepGC . This uses the older Garbage Collector from the JVM, instead of the newer G1GC recommended by the ThingWorx Installation guide since version 7.2. The advantage of ConcMarkSweepGC is that the startup time is faster and the total memory footprint of the Tomcat is far lower than G1GC. -use -agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,address=1049,server=y,suspend=n. This allows using your Java IDE of choice to connect directly to the Tomcat server, then debugging your Extension code, or even the ThingWorx code using the Eclipse Class Decompilers for example. Please modify the 1049 to your port of choice for exposing the server debugging port. -use -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port=60000 -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl=false                  -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate=false           This sets up the server to allow JMX monitoring. I usually use VisualVM from the JDK bin folder, but you can use any JMX monitoring tool.           This uses no Authentication, no SSL and uses port 6000 - modify if you need. I usually startup Tomcat manually from a folder via startup.bat, and the setenv.bat looks like: set JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_102 set JRE_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_102 set THINGWORX_PLATFORM_SETTINGS=D:\Work\servers\apache-tomcat-8.0.33 // this is where the platform-settings.json file is located set CATALINA_OPTS=-d64 -XX:+UseNUMA -XX:+UseConcMarkSweepGC -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,address=1049,server=y,suspend=n -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port=60000 -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl=false -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate=false In this mode I can look at any errors in almost real time from the console and it makes killing the server for Java Extension reload a breeze -> Ctrl+C Please don't hesitate to provide feedback on this document, I certainly welcome it. Be warned: THESE ARE NOT PRODUCTION SETTINGS. Best regards, Vladimir