What is the JMP Protocol?

While the JNIOR Protocol remains a viable option for controlling and monitoring I/O on the JNIOR the JANOS Management Protocol or JMP (pronounced “JuMP”) offers a single connection point wherein the JNIOR may be fully managed and monitored. This capability is new to the Series 4 JNIOR and requires JANOS v1.8 and later.

To access the JNIOR using the JANOS Management Protocol (JMP) the client need only make a TCP/IP connection to the JMP port. By default this is Port 9220. This port may be disabled or moved to another number through settings in the Registry. These settings can be made through the Dynamic Configurations Pages (DCP) using the browser or by using the Command Line Console. The JMP Server can support up to 16 simultaneous connections.

Background

In order to remotely control the JNIOR you need the ability to obtain I/O status and to affect changes in I/O condition. In the earlier Series 3 JNIOR this was accomplished through the JNIOR Protocol1  made available through a TCP/IP connection typically on port 9200. This is a documented binary protocol that requires special programming external to the JNIOR for its use. Care is also required to allow access to the specific port through routers and firewalls. Once successfully implemented the JNIOR Protocol not only provided I/O status and control mechanisms, it also opened access to the JNIOR Registry2 and thereby the ability to configure and manage the product.

In addition to the JNIOR Protocol it was also necessary to access the JNIOR Command Line through Telnet in order to completely manage the product. Care again is required to allow access to the Telnet port (Port 23) through routers and firewalls. The Command Line is also accessible using a serial connection to the RS-232 port on the JNIOR and through the Dynamic Configuration Pages (DCP) Web interface . This Console connection provides tools for monitoring I/O status and affecting I/O conditions as well as use of various kinds of diagnostics. Furthermore in this environment the product can be fully configured in all aspects including the network parameters. In addition this is where application programs can be executed which extend the functionality of the JNIOR product.

Management of the JNIOR also requires the manipulation of files in the local file system. While files may be manipulated through Console connection transfer to/from an external system is done using FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or through drag and drop operations in the DCP. Again care must be taken to allow access to the FTP command port (Port 21) through routers and firewalls. FTP typically opens/accepts data connections which must also be accommodated by the network.

With the introduction of the Series 4 JNIOR running the JANOS operating system the various I/O and management requirements covered by these other protocols are additionally handled through a single Web Server connection. Access to the Web Server is typically through ports 80 and 443. The latter connection providing for TLS Transport Layer Security up to 256-bit. While these ports would also need to be accommodated by routers and firewalls this is a much more standard requirement and often routine request for IT personnel. This consolidation of functionality is accomplished using the Websocket Protocol. This can result in a fully functional browser-based dynamic website providing JNIOR monitoring and control. The example being the Dynamic Configuration Pages provided with the product. These Javascript[TM] based dynamic web pages have replaced the Java-based applets used by the Series 3 JNIOR products. This Websocket interface utilizes the very same JSON Objects associated with the JMP Server (as documented here) to achieve the desired performance.

The JANOS Management Protocol (JMP) exposes the underlying JSON interface previously only available through the Websockets connection. This is handled by the JMP Server.

Message Format