How to Back Up and Restore a Niagara JACE

Why JACE Backups Matter

A JACE controller stores everything on a single microSD card—typically 4 GB on a JACE 8000 with roughly 2 GB of usable space. That one card holds the QNX operating system, the Niagara runtime environment (NRE), all installed modules, the station database (config.bog), history archives, alarm databases, custom graphics, and TLS certificates.

When that SD card fails—and flash storage in industrial environments does fail—you lose everything. The station logic, point naming, custom schedules built up over months of commissioning, and trend histories needed for energy reporting: all gone. Without a backup, the only recovery path is a complete re-commission from scratch, which can take days or weeks for a complex site.

SD card corruption is not the only risk. Firmware upgrades can leave the station unbootable. A technician can accidentally overwrite a running station with the wrong distribution file. Power failures during a write operation can corrupt the file system. Module version mismatches after a partial upgrade can prevent the station from starting. In every one of these scenarios, a recent backup is the difference between a 15-minute recovery and a multi-day rebuild. Despite these risks, many sites run for years without a single backup being taken.

Backup via Workbench

The most common method uses Niagara Workbench to create a distribution file (.dist) containing the complete station configuration. This works across all JACE models and Niagara versions.

What the Backup Contains

A Workbench backup .dist file includes the entire station folder, the NRE configuration, installed licenses, TLS certificates, pointers to the NRE core and Java VM, all installed modules, and the TCP/IP configuration. It is a self-contained snapshot of everything needed to rebuild the station on the same or compatible hardware.

By default, history archives and alarm databases are not included to keep the file size manageable. If you need history data preserved, explicitly enable history inclusion in the backup options—but be aware that large history databases can push the file past 1 GB, which may cause timeouts on slower connections.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Open Niagara Workbench and connect to the JACE using the Fox protocol (TCP 4911 on Niagara 4.x).
2. In the Nav tree, expand Platform and open Platform Administration.
3. Select the Backup tab (or right-click the platform node and choose Backup, depending on your Niagara version).
4. Choose a destination folder on your local PC for the .dist file.
5. If you want to include histories, check the appropriate option. For a standard configuration-only backup, leave histories excluded.
6. Click Start Backup. Workbench will download the station data from the JACE and package it into the .dist file. This typically takes 1–5 minutes depending on station size and network speed.
7. Verify the backup by checking the file size. A typical JACE station backup without histories is 20–200 MB. If the file is only a few kilobytes, the backup likely failed.

Store the resulting .dist file in a known location with a clear naming convention. A good format is SiteName_StationName_YYYY-MM-DD.dist. Keep at least the three most recent backups for each controller.

Backup via SD Card Copy

The JACE 8000 and JACE 9000 support a USB clone backup that captures a complete image of the microSD card, including the QNX operating system, the Niagara installation, all modules, the station, and all data. This is a more thorough backup than the Workbench method because it captures the entire file system, not just the station configuration.

JACE 8000 USB Backup Procedure

1. Insert a USB flash drive into the JACE 8000's USB port. The drive must be formatted as FAT32 and have enough free space to hold the full image (up to 2 GB).
2. Press and hold the Backup/Restore button on the JACE until the Backup LED begins flashing at medium speed (approximately 100 ms on, 100 ms off).
3. Release the button. The LED will switch to a slow flash pattern (1 second on, 1 second off) indicating the backup is in progress.
4. Wait for the Backup LED to turn off completely. This confirms the backup has finished. Do not remove the USB drive or disconnect power while the LED is still flashing.
5. Remove the USB drive. The backup image file is named using the JACE's host ID and a timestamp, for example: hostid_20260402_143000.img.

Copy the image file to a secure network location. This image restores the JACE to the exact state at the time of backup, including the operating system and all configuration.

JACE 9000 Differences

The JACE 9000 supports a similar USB backup with a different button layout. It also performs an automatic backup at 02:00 local time daily, retaining the three most recent copies on the microSD card. These automatic backups help with software corruption, but since they are stored on the same card as the station, an SD card failure destroys them along with everything else.

Important Limitation

USB backup and restore is not supported on JACE 8000 units that have been converted from Niagara AX to Niagara 4. If your JACE 8000 was originally commissioned with AX and later converted, you must use the Workbench backup method instead.

Automated Scheduled Backups

Manual backups only work if someone remembers to take them. For production buildings, automated scheduled backups through the Niagara provisioning engine are the recommended approach. This requires a Niagara Supervisor (or Web Supervisor) managing the JACE controllers on the Niagara Network.

Setting Up Provisioning-Based Backups

1. In Workbench, connect to the Supervisor station and open the Niagara Network in the Nav tree.
2. Expand the ProvisioningNwExt (Provisioning Network Extension) object. If this extension is not present, you need to add it to the Niagara Network from the palette.
3. Create a new NiagaraNetworkJobPrototype object under the provisioning extension.
4. From the provisioning palette, drag a Backup Schedule object into the job prototype you just created.
5. Double-click the Backup Schedule object. Click Add and select Week And Day from the schedule type menu.
6. Choose which day(s) of the week the backups should run. For most sites, a weekly backup on a low-traffic day (such as Sunday or Monday early morning) is sufficient.
7. Set the start time. Choose an off-hours window to minimize impact on the running station—02:00 to 04:00 is a common choice.
8. Apply the schedule to the target JACE stations on the Niagara Network.

Completed backups are stored as .dist files on the Supervisor under Files > provisioningNiagara > StationData. Each file can be used to restore the JACE through the same provisioning engine.

Cloud-Based Backup with Niagara Recover

Tridium offers Niagara Recover as part of the Niagara Cloud Suite, which automatically backs up JACE and Supervisor station data to Tridium's cloud infrastructure. Subscribers can restore backups on demand through the cloud portal. Niagara Recover requires an active Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) and a subscription license.

Third-Party Backup Tools

For Supervisor stations (which cannot be backed up through the provisioning engine the same way downstream JACEs can), third-party tools like ossStationBackup from OneSight Solutions provide scheduled automated backup capabilities, filling a gap in Niagara's built-in functionality.

Restoring from Backup

The restore method depends on how the backup was created and the current state of the JACE. There are three primary restore paths.

Restore via Workbench (Distribution File Installer)

This is the standard restore method when the JACE is still bootable and reachable over the network.

1. Connect to the JACE in Workbench via the Fox protocol.
2. Navigate to Platform > Platform Administration.
3. Open the Distribution File Installer view.
4. Browse to the .dist backup file on your local PC.
5. Click Install. Workbench uploads the distribution file to the JACE and begins the restore process.
6. The JACE will reboot automatically—potentially multiple times—as it applies the restored configuration. Do not interrupt power during this process.
7. After the final reboot, reconnect in Workbench and verify that the station is running with the expected configuration, points, schedules, and graphics.

If the JACE is reachable on the network but the station is not running (platform daemon is up but station failed to start), you can still use the Distribution File Installer through the Platform Administration page at https://<jace-ip>:3011/admin in a web browser.

Restore via USB (JACE 8000)

Use this method when the JACE is not reachable over the network, or when the SD card has been replaced with a blank card loaded with a clean distribution.

1. Copy the backup image file to a FAT32-formatted USB flash drive.
2. Insert the USB drive into the JACE 8000's USB port.
3. Power on the JACE while holding the Backup/Restore button pressed.
4. Release the button when the Backup LED begins flashing at the medium-speed pattern (100 ms on, 100 ms off).
5. A 10-second countdown begins automatically. If multiple backup images are on the USB drive, you may be prompted (via serial console) to select which image to restore.
6. The restore process runs automatically. The JACE will reboot one or more times. Do not remove the USB drive or disconnect power until the process completes—interrupting a USB restore can permanently brick the controller.
7. Once the JACE finishes booting normally, remove the USB drive and verify the station in Workbench.

Restore via Provisioning (Supervisor)

If backups were created through the provisioning engine, push a .dist backup from the Supervisor to the JACE over the Niagara Network. Navigate to Files > provisioningNiagara > StationData, locate the correct backup, and use the provisioning deployment tools to install it on the target JACE. The JACE must be online and reachable from the Supervisor.

Clean Distribution Recovery

If the JACE is completely unresponsive, you may need to perform a clean distribution recovery—loading a fresh Niagara distribution via USB or serial connection to bring the JACE to a factory state, then restoring your backup on top of it. This last-resort method requires a clean .dist file matching your JACE hardware and Niagara version.

Common JACE Backup Mistakes

• Confusing "Save Station" with "Backup Station." In Workbench, Save Station writes the current in-memory configuration to the JACE's config.bog file on the local SD card. It does not create an off-device backup. Backup Station (through Platform Administration) creates a .dist file saved to your PC. Many technicians perform a "Save" thinking they have a backup, then discover during a failure that no backup exists outside the JACE. Save Station is important—it persists your changes across reboots—but it is not a substitute for a proper backup to external storage.
• Storing backups only on the JACE's own SD card. The JACE 9000's automatic daily backups live on the same microSD card as the station. If the card fails, the backups are destroyed along with the live station. On-device backups protect against software corruption but not hardware failure. Always copy backups to an external location—a Supervisor, a network share, or cloud backup.
• Never verifying that a backup can actually be restored. A .dist file on a network share for three years is not a reliable backup unless someone has verified it works. Distribution files can be corrupted during transfer, truncated by disk-full conditions, or rendered incompatible by version changes. Test-restore to a lab JACE or Workbench software station at least once a year.
• Restoring a backup from a different Niagara version without upgrading modules first. A backup taken on Niagara 4.8 cannot be directly restored to a JACE running 4.12 without ensuring all modules are compatible with the target version. Module version mismatches are a leading cause of failed restores. Either downgrade the JACE to match the backup or upgrade the backup's modules to match the JACE before deploying.
• Interrupting a USB restore by pulling power or removing the drive. The USB restore writes directly to the JACE's SD card. If power is lost or the drive is removed mid-write, the SD card can be left in an unbootable state, potentially bricking the controller. Always ensure stable power and never remove the USB drive until the restore LED confirms completion.

Platform Compatibility

Backup and restore behavior varies across JACE hardware models and Niagara software versions. The following table summarizes key differences:

Niagara Version Considerations

A backup taken on a specific Niagara version restores most reliably to the same version. Cross-version restores require careful module compatibility verification and should be tested in a lab environment first. If you must cross versions, update the station's modules to the target version in a Workbench software station before deploying to the physical JACE.

Source Attribution

The technical guidance in this entry is informed by the following sources:

• JACE-8000 Backup and Restore Guide — OneSight Solutions / Tridium. Official technical document covering USB clone backup, Workbench backup, and restore procedures for the JACE 8000 platform.
• JACE-9000 Backup and Restore Guide — OneSight Solutions / Tridium. Official technical document covering backup and restore procedures for the JACE 9000, including automatic daily backup behavior and factory default recovery.
• Startup Guide for the JACE 8000 — Innon Knowledge Base. Commissioning and initial setup guide with backup procedure references for the JACE 8000 platform.
• Niagara Recover — Tridium — Tridium, Inc. Product documentation for the Niagara Cloud Suite cloud-based backup and recovery service for JACE and Supervisor stations.
• ossStationBackup for Niagara 4 — OneSight Solutions. Third-party automated backup tool for Niagara Supervisor stations not covered by the built-in provisioning backup engine.
• Automatic Backups of HAWK / JACE — niagaraNX on Medium. Step-by-step walkthrough for configuring provisioning-based automated backups of downstream controllers from a Niagara Supervisor.
• HVAC-Talk Forums — Technician discussions on JACE backup failures, restore troubleshooting, version mismatch issues, and field recovery procedures.
• Tridium JACE-8000 and JACE-9000 FAQ Documents — Tridium, Inc. Hardware specifications, storage configurations, and backup/restore feature support matrices for current JACE platforms.