Changes can be made to a running remote application's data using two methods:
• Configuration changes
• Operational changes
Configuration Changes
Configuration changes involve the use of the Remote Configuration dialog and result in a remote application's resource items being locked; typically when the application is in design mode (that is, the configuration toolbox and its tools are in use). Any operations that cause VTS to automatically lock one or more of an application's resource items is a configuration change. For example, if you use the configuration toolbox to open the Tag Browser, and then modify the properties of a tag, the tag is automatically locked by VTS. This is then a configuration change. Likewise, if you add an object to a page of a VTS application, VTS automatically locks that page. This is also a configuration change.
Operational Changes
In some circumstances, such as in the case of an emergency shutdown, changes can be made to tag data and can be distributed to all workstations without using the Remote Configuration dialog and the locking scheme. These changes are known as operational changes.
Operational changes are accomplished while an application is in operation mode using the shortcut menu (that is, the configuration toolbox and its tools are not in use). The shortcut menu is accessed whenever a tag's drawing method on a system page is right-clicked. Any of the options chosen from the shortcut menu will allow you to make operational changes to the tag's data that will immediately be propagated to all workstations running the networked application. (For example, accessing a tag's properties folder via the shortcut menu, entering manual data via the shortcut menu, etc.) The associated resource item(s) are not locked, and do not require updating using the Remote Configuration dialog.