About Java Versions

Ignition runs on Java, and Java is always being updated to have better security or include new features. It's important to pay attention to what version of Java is being run on the computer that Ignition is installed on, especially since you can have multiple copies of Java on a computer at the same time. We recommend that you turn Java's "Automatic Updates" off since Java will sometimes remove older versions that Ignition might still be using. This is not as important on client computers since you are starting and stopping the clients much less frequently than the Gateway.

You can update which version of Java the Ignition service is pointed to from a configuration file. See Changing Gateway Java Version for more information.

About Memory Usage

The Ignition Gateway uses memory just like any other program, and the amount of memory Ignition is allowed to use can be set in a configuration file. It is important to know how much Ignition initially asks for because if you don't have enough free memory for that initial amount, the Ignition service won't start. Likewise, you can set the maximum memory that Ignition uses so it doesn't starve other programs. Of course we recommend that Ignition is installed on it's own server to it can maximize it's performance, but often Ignition is installed on a computer that is already running several other important programs. Note: on older 32bit systems (modern computers are all 64 bit these days), you cannot set the memory to be more than about 1.5Gb. If you do, the program will never be allowed to start. Learn more about setting memory at Changing Gateway Memory Allocation.

Using Ports

Ignition uses ports on a computer to give you access to the Gateway Webpage. The default port for any webpage is 80, and all webpages hide 80 from you in the website address. If multiple programs try to use the same port they will fail, and because many computers already use this standardized default port, Ignition defaults to 8088 instead. This means that you will access Ignition's gateway webpage with http://ipaddress:8088. Once it is installed, you can change the port Ignition to whatever you like, including to 80. See Changing Gateway Ports.