Kepware KEPServerEx Advanced Plug-in

KEPServerEX is more than an OPC server—it’s a connectivity platform for industrial automation and IoT. Simply download KEPServerEX,
and then select from Kepware’s library of more than 150 device drivers, client drivers, and advanced plug-ins to fit the communication requirements unique to your industrial control system.

An advanced plug-in extends the capabilities of the KEPServerEX connectivity platform. It provides enhanced server functionality, increasing the usefulness of data by transforming it beyond raw data in a device register.

Advanced plug-ins may be licensed individually or as part of suites and can be licensed on demand as connectivity needs evolve.

Advanced Tags

Advanced Tags enables Machine to Machine (M2M) tag linking, logic, and math functions for operational communications and analysis. It can link two data tags, set a trigger based on logical states, and calculate new values from raw measures. Executing math, logic, or analysis at the connectivity platform level brings data closer to the source.

Advanced Tags provides users the tools needed for proper operational analysis, which requires that industrial control applications deliver an array of data that often needs some form of calculation to identify deficiencies and determine whether operations are functioning correctly. By offering six easy-to-use, pre-defined tags to execute math, logic, or analysis at the tag level, Advanced Tags helps users improve decision-making and efficiency in their industrial control applications.

Alarm & Events

Alarms and Events for KEPServerEX can help reduce costs and improve performance. OPC Alarms and Events (AE) clients can receive and monitor process alarms, operator actions, informational messages, and tracking/auditing messages directly from Alarms and Events. Users can monitor areas of a process that may require operator attention when defined thresholds are met, including safety limits of equipment, event detection, and abnormal situations. Alarms and Events can also be used to help identify faulty equipment, create maintenance work orders, and improve operators’ effectiveness. Furthermore, it can be used to collect and record alarm and event information for audits or used in correlation with other historical data.

Alarms and Events is an advanced plug-in to Kepware’s industry-leading connectivity platform, KEPServerEX, and works in conjunction with the platform’s free OPC AE server interface. Creating an alarm is as simple as browsing the existing tags within KEPServerEX and selecting the item that will be used as the alarm. Once an item is chosen, a condition and sub-condition need to be set for the item. A trigger is then set comparing the current data value and the threshold. When the condition’s trigger is met, an alarm will be sent to the corresponding Alarms and Events client application providing the user with unique alarm input, output, and acknowledgement messages.

Data logger

DataLogger is an easy-to-configure application that logs data from an OPC server to many ODBC-compliant databases. DataLogger’s seamless integration with KEPServerEX provides substantial, unique benefits such as simple installation, high-efficiency performance, and easy browsing of tags in the OPC browse space.

EFM Exporter

Many flow computers and devices store historical Electronic Flow Measurement (EFM) data used primarily for custody transfer. The EFM Exporter for KEPServerEX works hand-in-hand with the EFM drivers bundled in the EFM Suite to schedule the retrieval and export of EFM data from flow computers and RTUs to common industry formats like FLOWCAL and PGAS and customizable formats like CSV and SQL.

The EFM Exporter collects EFM data from EFM drivers and maps attributes to defined EFM parameters for upload into flow analysis software. The solution works with both gas and liquid EFM data, providing the same look and feel for both applications.

Industrial Data Forwarder for Splunk

The Industrial Data Forwarder for Splunk connects Operations Technology (OT) with Information Technology (IT), extending the KEPServerEX connectivity platform and enabling Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT). The Industrial Data Forwarder for Splunk takes advantage of the 150+ communications drivers supported by KEPServerEX to seamlessly stream real-time industrial sensor and machine data directly into Splunk® software and cloud services, enabling users to search, monitor, analyze, and visualize machine-generated Big Data from websites, applications, servers, networks, sensors, and mobile devices. (Splunk® is a registered trademark of Splunk, Inc.)

IoT Gateway

The IoT Gateway is an advanced plug-in that extends the capabilities of the KEPServerEX connectivity platform. It presents RESTful web servers for integration with web services in MES and other systems, and seamlessly streams real-time industrial data directly into device clouds and Big Data analytics platforms across the enterprise.

The IoT Gateway connects Operations with IT to support the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This enables decision-makers to search, monitor, analyze, and visualize data for real-time insight into industrial operations—leading to increased system security, improved customer service, streamlined automation, and better decisions across the enterprise.

Enterprise and cloud-based solutions enable organizations to search, monitor, analyze, and visualize KEPServerEX-generated data coming from PACs, PLCs, RTUs, flow computers, OPC servers, and other industrial hardware and software. Kepware has partnered with Big Data and analytics providers to enable insight into the operations and conditions of industrial devices and systems.

• Measurement, Verification, and Constant Commissioning: Ensure that devices in the field operate as intended.
  Capacity Planning:Monitor data for risk of unplanned device or system downtime.
• Root-Cause Analysis and Remote Troubleshooting: Gain a better understanding of the cause of a particular failure on a particular device and improve efficiency.
• Anomaly and Outlier Detection: Identify outliers that may be an early indicator of issues in device production or deployment.
• Safety, Security, and Compliance: Gain visibility into system performance or set points that could put machines or people at risk, and quickly develop and access reports for compliance purposes.
• Cybersecurity: Improve security posture across industrial systems to mitigate emerging cybersecurity threats.

Local Historian

The Local Historian for KEPServerEX moves data collection, storage, and access closer to the data source to prevent data loss and improve operational efficiency via open access and a single product solution. By plugging into the KEPServerEX connectivity platform, the Local Historian can connect to any device and add devices in real-time without operational downtime. The advanced plug-in architecture simplifies configuration, provides flexibility, and makes the information accessible across OPC HDA (an open standard).

Scheduler

The Scheduler for KEPServerEX enables users to move the scheduling of data requests from the client to the server to optimize client communications across networks with limited bandwidth. It can define polling schedules for specific tags from multiple devices by the time of day or frequency. The advanced plug-in also allows users to define exceptions for periods of time when polling is undesirable. Each schedule can be configured with its own priority to determine which schedule is serviced first when a conflict arises; the server will update clients with data once it is available.

SNMP Agent

Making industrial automation application data and information accessible to IT and Network Management Systems (NMS) is a challenge for the IT and Infrastructure Industry. Because most industrial automation devices and systems do not support SNMP (the IT standard), there are limited ways to identify these devices and systems within NMS applications.

The SNMP Agent for KEPServerEX provides an easy to use software platform for IT professionals to access automation systems and devices. It is a single application with over 150 communication drivers specifically built for industrial applications like Building Automation, Oil & Gas, IT and Infrastructure, Power & Utilities, and Water & Wastewater. The SNMP Agent enables most NMS to communicate with automation devices and automation systems.

The SNMP Agent enables IT professionals to monitor network-attached devices for conditions, avert and remedy failed internal processes, and fix unexpected external events. Monitoring and managing these devices and systems are critical to improving the reliability and performance of industrial automation networks.