Operation in hybrid mode - overview
When migrating a plant from MES MatControl V2.11 to IAS Material Management V3 it may not be possible to migrate all lines to Material Management V3 in one go, because functions like StateTracking, PsaTransfer or LineControl Block Synchronization may not be available yet in Material Management V3, but necessary on some production lines. As an intermediate step in order to keep some production lines running in an MES environment, while migrating other lines to IAS Material Management V3, it is possible to operate one MES MatControl V2.11 service instance and one IAS Material Management V3 service instance in parallel with the same Material Management Database. This is called the Hybrid Mode. This chapter describes how the two services have to be configured and how the overall system has to be operated in Hybrid Mode.
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As of now, block synchronization of the Material Management IAS instance to BMS is not available yet. As a consequence synchronization of blocks to LineControl is only available for lines operated with the MES MatControl V2.11 instance. |
?= Differences in Database Timestamp Handling between Classic MES and IAS or MES operating in Hybrid Mode
In the following two tables 'MES MatControl V2.11' means, that the parameter DataServices.UseDbTimezoneInfo has not been set or is set to 'false', while 'MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode' means that the parameter DataServices.UseDbTimezoneInfo is set to 'true'.
Reading and writing of timestamps into the database
| Version | Result |
|---|---|
MES MatControl V2.11 |
Stores local timestamps into the database with the database timezone and interprets all timestamps as local time in the database timezone. |
IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode |
Stores timestamps in different timezones with consistent value and timezone information and will interpret timestamps stored in the database considering the stored timezones (only the stored timezone will be considered, independent of the set database timezone). |
Example how timestamps are stored in the database
All the Local Times in the following table are at 2025-06-13 12:00:00 UTC.
| Version | Service Timezone | Database Timezone | Local Time | Saved Timestamp in DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
MES MatControl V2.11[] |
(UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (Daylight saving enabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 14:00:00+02:00 |
2025-06-13 14:00:00 (Europe/Berlin) |
MES MatControl V2.11 |
(UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (Daylight saving disabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 13:00:00+01:00 |
2025-06-13 13:00:00 (Europe/Berlin) |
MES MatControl V2.11 |
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) (Daylight saving enabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 08:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00 (Europe/Berlin) |
MES MatControl V2.11 |
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) (Daylight saving enabled) |
America/New_York |
2025-06-13 08:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00 (America/New_York) |
IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode |
(UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (Daylight saving enabled) |
any |
2025-06-13 14:00:00+02:00 |
2025-06-13 14:00:00 (GMT+2) |
IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode |
(UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (Daylight saving disabled) |
any |
2025-06-13 13:00:00+00:00 |
2025-06-13 13:00:00 (GMT) |
IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode |
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) (Daylight saving enabled) |
any |
2025-06-13 08:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00 (GMT-4) |
IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode |
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) (Daylight saving enabled) |
any |
2025-06-13 20:00:00+08:00 |
2025-06-13 20:00:00 (GMT+8) |
Reading of existing timestamps in hybrid mode created by MES MatControl V2.11 (before switching to Hybrid Mode)
| Version | Existing timestamps were created with database and service set to the same timezone | Result |
|---|---|---|
MES MatControl V2.11 |
Cannot be used anymore. |
|
IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode |
yes |
The service will read the existing timestamps in the database correctly (as the saved timezone will be consistent with the value). |
IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode |
no |
The existing timestamps in the database need to be converted into timestamps with value and timezone information being consistent (correct values when considering the timezone saved with the timestamp) before the switch to Hybrid Mode is performed. |
After switching to Hybrid Mode, IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode will store timestamps with consistent value and timezone. As these timestamps might have timezones different from the database timezone assigned, the parameter DataServices.UseDbTimezoneInfo should not be disabled in the MES MatControl V2.11 instance after the switch to Hybrid Mode has been performed if the MES MatControl V2.11 timezone does not match the database timezone, as this could lead to incorrect time values being read for any timestamps written into the database after switching to Hybrid Mode.
Example how timestamps are read from the database
| Saved Timestamp in DB | Service Timezone | Database Timezone | Read by MES MatControl V2.11 | Read by IAS Material Management V3 and MES MatControl V2.11 in Hybrid Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025-06-13 14:00:00 (Europe/Berlin) |
(UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (Daylight saving enabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 14:00:00+02:00 |
2025-06-13 14:00:00+02:00 |
2025-06-13 13:00:00 (Europe/Berlin) |
(UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (Daylight saving disabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 13:00:00+01:00 |
2025-06-13 13:00:00+02:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00 (Europe/Berlin) |
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) (Daylight saving enabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 08:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00+02:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00 (America/New_York) |
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) (Daylight saving enabled) |
America/New_York |
2025-06-13 08:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 14:00:00 (GMT+2) |
(UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (Daylight saving enabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 14:00:00+02:00 |
2025-06-13 14:00:00+02:00 |
2025-06-13 13:00:00 (GMT+1) |
(UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (Daylight saving disabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 14:00:00+01:00 |
2025-06-13 13:00:00+01:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00 (GMT-4) |
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) (Daylight saving enabled) |
Europe/Berlin |
2025-06-13 14:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 08:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 20:00:00 (GMT+8) |
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) (Daylight saving enabled) |
America/New_York |
2025-06-13 08:00:00-04:00 |
2025-06-13 20:00:00+08:00 |
Required minimum product versions
| Product | Minimum Version |
|---|---|
MES MatControl V2.11 Instance |
2.11 latest SP |
IAS Material Management V3 Instance |
3.2 latest SP |
MatControl Database |
3.2 latest SP |
MatControl-Workflow Database |
2.11 latest SP |
Goods receiving processes
As only the Material Management IAS instance will be connected to ErpConnectivity, material label data received via the INTEGMA inbound processes eASN and Goods Receiving will only be processed by the Material Management IAS instance.
Goods receiving via the IPTE Stations or the iFNS process can in general be performed with both systems (MES and IAS). To simplify the configuration of the system and problem analysis, it is strongly recommended to configure all IPTE Stations and the iFNS process to use either the MES Service instance or the IAS Service instance. We recommend to connect all IPTE Stations and the iFNS process to the MES Service instance, as block synchronization to MES LineControl is only supported for Blocks created in the MES MatControl V2.11 instance.
The creation of materials from label data received via INTEGMA (MaterialTakeover / OnSetupLabelCreation) is possible in both Service instances.
Concept of production line separation
When operating the system in Hybrid Mode, it is necessary to separate the operations for materials which are used in production to be executed in either the MES system or the IAS system, but not mixed between the two systems for the same material. In order to accomplish this separation, it should be decided for every production line, if the line is operated in the MES system or in the IAS system and all production-related operations for one line should only be executed against the chosen service instance (MES or IAS).
Lines operated in MES system:
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All machines must be connected to a DirectDataLink instance which is connected to the MES MatControl V2.11 instance.
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Any manual modifications of materials used on this line can only be done with clients connecting to the MES MatControl V2.11 instance. For "MES lines" it is mandatory to use the OIS Portal of the MES MatControl V2.11 instance for any operation that creates or modifies data (e.g. change material data, create blocks, etc.) For read-only operations (e.g. view material data), the Nexeed Portal of the IAS Material Management V3 instance may also be used. As clients for these lines the MatClimateControl V2.11, MaterialInfoPanel V2.11, MatScanClient V2.11 or MaterialManager V2.11 connected to the MES MatControl V2.11 instance can be used.
Lines operated in IAS system:
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All machines must be connected to a DirectDataLink instance which is connected to the IAS Material Management V3 instance.
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Any manual modifications of materials used on this line can only be done with clients connecting to the IAS Material Management V3 instance. For "IAS lines" it is mandatory to use the Nexeed Portal of the IAS Material Management V3 instance and MatClimateControl V3 or MaterialInfoPanel V3 connected to the IAS Material Management V3 instance.
Configuration of the MES MatControl V2.11 service instance
This section describes the configuration settings which are specifically required for the operation in Hybrid Mode.
OpCon.Settings.xml
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Disable the IAS UIService in this instance, as the Nexeed Portal should be running only with the IAS Material Management V3 instance.
<add key="ServiceFabric.Bosch.Nexeed.MaterialControl.UIService.Enabled" value="false" />
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Enable the IAS MaterialControl Service: If INTEGMA is used in the context of this plant, the Bosch.Nexeed.MaterialControl Service has to be enabled.
<add key="ServiceFabric.Bosch.Nexeed.MaterialControl.Enabled" value="true" />
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Disable AMQP (RabbitMQ)
<add key="AMQP.Disabled" value="true" />
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Enable Timezone-aware timestamp handling (MatControl MES version 2.11.12.0 or higher)
<add key="DataServices.UseDbTimezoneInfo" value="true" />
MatControl.config
The following cyclic tasks should be disabled in the MES MatControl V2.11 instance: FindInactiveMaterial, ClearJobHistory, RebuildIndex These tasks will be running in the Material Management IAS instance.
Recommended settings for cyclic tasks:
<CyclicTasks deleteOverdueEMatLabelsInterval="3.00:00:00" daysUntilEMatLabelOverdue="180" expiredMaterialCheckInterval="1.00:00:00" blockOverexposedMaterialInterval="1.00:00:00" findInactiveMaterialInterval="0.00:00:00" inactiveMaterialThreshold="28.00:00:00" clearJobHistoryInterval="3.00:00:00" historyCutOffInDays="0" rebuildIndexInterval="0.00:00:00"/>
| The section for the MSD Handling (<MSDHandling>….</MSDHandling>) in the MatControl.config must be identical to the section used in the RuntimeConfiguration of the IAS Material Management V3 instance. |
Configuration of the IAS Material Management V3 service instance
This section describes the configuration settings which are specifically required for the operation in Hybrid Mode.
Runtime Configuration
The following cyclic tasks should be disabled in the IAS Material Management V3 instance: DeleteOverdueEMatLabels, ExpiredMaterialCheck, BlockOverexposedMaterial These tasks will be running in the MatControl MES instance.
Recommended settings for cyclic tasks:
<CyclicTasks deleteOverdueEMatLabelsInterval="0.00:00:00" daysUntilEMatLabelOverdue="180" expiredMaterialCheckInterval="0.00:00:00" blockOverexposedMaterialInterval="0.00:00:00" findInactiveMaterialInterval="7.00:00:00" inactiveMaterialThreshold="28.00:00:00" clearJobHistoryInterval="3.00:00:00" historyCutOffInDays="3" rebuildIndexInterval="1.00:00:00"/>
| The section for the MSD Handling (<MSDHandling>….</MSDHandling>) in the RuntimeConfiguration must be identical to the section used in the MatControl.config of the MES MatControl V2.11 instance. |
Process for modifying the MSD handling section
In case the MSD Handling section has to be modified (e.g. add new MSL), the following process must be used:
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Add the desired modification to the MatControl.config of the MES MatControl V2.11 instance
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Upload a new RuntimeConfiguration with the desired modification to the IAS Material Management V3 instance.
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Restart both services.