Application Server provides a number of new features and interfaces, as well as some general improvements. The following sections introduce these features and improvements. More details about the features are provided in other modules.

1. Visual Build

• The Configure New Asset wizard allows instances to be created from within the Symbol Editor.

2. Linked Symbols

• Instead of creating a symbol that is owned by the automation object, you can choose to link symbols from the Graphic Toolbox to the automation object such that the object does not own the symbol.
• Changes applied to the symbol automatically cascade to each object with which the symbol is linked.

3. Object Wizards

• Object Wizards provide a simplified interface for configuring objects in the Object Editor. The interface allows users to configure instances by simply answering a series of prompts or questions, thus reducing the amount of product knowledge and training required.
• Object Wizards can help achieve reduced levels of derivation, providing for easier Galaxy maintenance.
• With Object Wizards, only necessary attributes are deployed to runtime to yield leaner runtime objects.

4. Staged Object Redeployment

• A staged deployment scheme is used when redeploying objects to minimize runtime interruptions caused by deployment.
• To ensure against deployment failure due to communication or other errors, the existing configuration remains deployed and on scan until the new configuration is successfully deployed. 
• If a redeployment fails for any reason, operations are not affected because the existing configuration remains available within the production environment.
• Assets are not stopped or taken off scan until the new configuration replaces it, and this occurs only as the final stage of pushing out the new configuration.

5. Preserving Runtime Changes for Redeployment

• The Deploy dialog box includes an option for preserving runtime changes. When checked, changes made to attribute values at runtime are preserved on redeployment. This option is checked by default.

6. Wonderware Simulator OI Server

• The Wonderware Simulator OI Server (OI.SIM) is automatically installed on the Galaxy Repository node, rather than having to be selected for installation as in previous versions.
• The Simulator OI Server sends data to attributes of instances configured for I/O automatic assignment in the Galaxy, the same way that a PLC would.
• It lets you develop and test a Galaxy before deploying it to your production environment.

7. Simulator as Reserved Name for DI Objects

• Simulator is a reserved keyword for naming device integration objects.
• You can create a DI Object named Simulator and configure it with a corresponding Server node, Server name (Device integration application name), and at least one topic or Scan Group named Fast. Then, new instances are automatically assigned to the Simulator in the topic or scan group named Fast. To gather simulated I/O data, you need to make sure that all of the I/O references of attributes in instances all exist in the DI Object or Device Integration Server.
• Specifically, if connecting an OPCClient instance named Simulator with the OI.SIM and an added Scan Group named Fast, it connects with the OI.SIM automatically to provide simulated I/O data to any instances that are assigned to the Fast scan group. It does not need to have I/O references added to the DI Object and OI.SIM server.