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Andon Visualization Always-on by Auto-Login Proxy

Introduction

Dashboard Designer based on Grafana visualization enables customers to monitor the key information, status, KPIs of their machines, production process, manufacturing shifts, shopfloor environments via dashboards using Insights Hub Gateway login for authentication.

However, this authentication mechanisms including 30-minute token expiration and mandatory re-login every 12 hours create significant friction for shopfloor personnel who need dashboards to remain operational 24/7 without manual intervention.

The Andon Board is provided for the system's need for continuous display on shopfloor computers, addressing token expiration issues with a proxy solution. This solution involves deploying a dedicated package as Docker Image on customer-hosted computer and a proxy-based solution to ensure continuous, uninterrupted display of Andon visualization on shopfloor computers. The approach addresses the challenge of token expiration from Insights Hub, which previously required manual re-authentication. By centralizing token management through a proxy, the system maintains active token and streamlines credential handling.

Prerequisites

Before implementing the proxy package deployment, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

  • Host Machine:
    • The host must be running Windows 11 or Linux Server.
    • Use Microsoft Edge or Chrome(version higher than V110)
    • Hardware specification:
      • CPU: 4 cores
      • RAM: 8GB
    • Docker Desktop or Rancher Desktop for Windows 11, Docker Engine and Docker Compose for Linux Server must be installed and running on the host machine.
  • Network Requirements:
    • The host machine must be able to access the public internet for customers of Insights Hub on the AWS public cloud.
    • Shopfloor browsers must be able to access this host machine on port 80 or 443.
  • HTTPS (Optional but Recommended):
    • For local security of sensitive data within the customer enterprise network, Andon visualizations on shopfloor monitors can utilize HTTPS. For more information, refer to Andon Proxy HTTPS Support.
    • To enable HTTPS, place the customer’s self-signed certificate and key files into the certs folder within the Proxy deployment package before deployment.
    • If these files are absent, the proxy uses HTTP by default.
  • The Andon Visualization is available for download on the Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) Portal.
    • The Andon modules are bundled into an installer ZIP file.
    • Unzip the downloaded file.
    • Click "start-deployment.bat" for Windows 11 or "start-deployment.sh" for Linux Server and start the deployment of the containers.
    • Check and confirm the status of all the containers working properly in your Docker Desktop or Rancher Desktop for Windows 11 or Docker Engine for Linux Server.

Windows 11 Host Prerequisites

On a Windows 11 host, ensure the following:

  • Docker Runtime:
    • Docker Desktop or Rancher Desktop is installed and actively running.
  • Permissions:
    • You have permissions to run .bat files and manage Docker containers.
  • Storage:
    • Sufficient disk space is available to store Andon proxy Docker images and logs (as per the internal standards).

Linux Server Host Prerequisites

On a Linux Server host, ensure the following:

  • Docker Runtime:
    • Docker Engine is installed and actively running.
    • Docker Compose is installed and accessible via the system's PATH.
  • Shell / Tools:
    • You can execute shell scripts (.sh) and have permissions to manage Docker.
  • Storage:
    • Sufficient disk space is available to store Andon proxy Docker images and logs (as per the internal standards).

Installation on Windows 11 Host

To install the Windows 11 Host, follow these steps:

  1. Access Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) page and download the "Andon board proxy installer" ZIP file.
  2. Extract the ZIP file to a local directory on the Windows host (e.g., C:\AndonProxy).
  3. To enable HTTPS between shopfloor browsers and the proxy, place your self-signed certificate and key files into the certs folder located inside the extracted deployment package. If this step is skipped, the proxy will use HTTP by default.
  4. Start Docker Desktop or Rancher Desktop on the Windows machine and wait until Docker is fully initialized and running.
  5. In File Explorer or a terminal, navigate to the extracted deployment folder and run the script start-deployment.bat. This script initiates the required Docker containers for the Andon proxy.
  6. Open Docker Desktop or Rancher Desktop and confirm that all containers related to the Andon proxy are running and healthy.

Installation on Linux Server

To install the Linux Server, follow these steps:

  1. Access Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) page, from a browser or command line (for example, wget/curl), and download the "Andon board proxy installer" ZIP file.
  2. If downloaded elsewhere, copy the ZIP file to the Linux server. On the Linux server, extract it using a command unzip andon-board-proxy-installer.zip -d /opt/andon-proxy.
  3. To enable HTTPS between shopfloor browsers and the proxy, copy your self-signed certificate and key files into the certs folder located inside /opt/andon-proxy (or the chosen deployment directory). If this step is skipped, the proxy will use HTTP by default.
  4. Run the following commands:
    • docker ps to confirm Docker is installed and active
    • docker-compose version to confirm Docker Compose is installed.
  5. Run the following commands:
    • cd /opt/andon-proxy to change to the deployment directory.
    • sh start-deployment.sh to execute the deployment.

  6. Check that all containers are running from the command:

    docker ps
docker-compose ps

Configuration Procedure

To configure the proxy, follow these steps:

  1. Open your web browser and navigate to the configuration page for the proxy:
    • Standard access: http://{{ ip_address }}/config/ui
    • Secure access (if a certificate is configured): https://{{ proxy_domain }}/config/ui

  2. Create a Technical User:

    • The application requires a Technical User with a client ID and secret for accessing Dashboard Designer by the Andon Proxy.
    • Role Required: Ensure the role mdsp:core:dashboardbackend.andonreadonly is assigned to this Technical User.

    • Guidance: For detailed instructions, refer to Technical Users.

      edit assignment

  3. Register Credentials:

    • In the configuration interface, locate the "Client ID" and "Client Secret" fields.

    • Enter the credentials of the Technical User created.

      proxy config

  4. Verify Configuration:

    • Click the "Dashboard Designer" button.
    • If the configuration is successful, the UI of Dashboard Designer via proxy will be opened without errors.
    • If it fails, please double-check the Technical User roles and credentials.

Generating Converted URLs

To display a dashboard in the Andon view, you must convert its standard URL into a proxy-compatible format:

  1. Locate the Tool: Use the "URL Converter" utility found on the right side of the configuration page.
  2. Prerequisite: Ensure the technical user is correctly configured with the required role in the Settings application.
  3. Conversion: Paste your standard Insights Hub URL into the ”Input URL" field. It will generate a proxy-compatible URL displayed in the “Converted URL" field suitable for shopfloor browsers.
  4. Multiple Dashboards: To display multiple dashboards, repeat the conversion process for each URL individually.
Last update: April 28, 2026