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KEPServerEX v5 OPC and Communications Server

KEPServerEX v5 is the next generation of Kepware communications technology and represents over 10 man year's worth of development, delivering both architectural and feature enhancements. KEPServerEX v5 is the most advanced communication technology and OPC Server on the market and will remain the foundation for future Kepware development. As a result of our new licensing utility, Kepware is providing new vertical driver suites including Building Automation, Oil and Gas, and Water and Waste Water to name a few.

KEPServerEX v5 has been re-designed from the ground up to take advantage of new technology, and is positioned to move onto new automation platforms while delivering legacy compatibility.

The single, consistent interface of KEPServerEX allows you to truly maximize the promise of OPC. You can add multiple driver "plug-ins" all within a single OPC server without worrying about learning new communication protocols or spending time understanding new applications. The list of drivers includes PLC and device drivers, database and application specific drivers, and a user-configurable driver for serial and Ethernet data acquisition.

Kepware communications drivers are available individually and are bundled into suites delivering a greater level of value for vertical markets. Please review the Bundled offerings first, as they are collections of the most commonly needed drivers in a vertical market. Vertical Suites may be purchased in combination with individual drivers, and all drivers will be supported under a single KEPServerEX OPC Server and its various options.
  2011 Control Engineering Engineer's Choice Award
New to KepserverEX 5.7 Runtime:  
  • Addition of Alstom Redundant Ethernet, Belkin / IP and Lufkin Modbus Drivers - Downloads
  • Fixed an issue where a deadlock could occur while a client is adding items and one or more components is utilizing Lite Licensing.
  • Fixed an issue where items in an OPC group could fail to update after Advise and Unadvise calls occurred during a call to the client's data change handler.
  • Upgraded OPC Core Components to version 3.00.105.1. This version resolves conflicts between x64 and x86 versions of OpcEnum.
  • Added a new system tag called "_OpcClientNames" that lists the names of all OPC clients that connect to the server and register their name through the IOPCCommon::SetClientName method.
  • Changed the OPC DA "Return Initial updates for items in a single callback" compliance setting to be disabled by default for new installations of the server. In case of slow communications (slow protocols), it is recommended that this server configuration setting be disabled to improve responsiveness. This setting can be located in the server configuration by clicking File | Project Properties | OPC DA Compliance.
 
   

Features Include:
  • OPC Connection Security
  • Process Mode
  • Processor Affinity
  • Host Name Resolution
  • Program Identification Redirect
  • Scan Floor Rate
  • OPC A&E Events
  • Server Administration Properties
  • Auto Demotion
  • Automatic Tag Database Generation
  • Device Level Redundancy
  • Ethernet Encapsulation
  • Modem Support
  • Application Connectivity
  • Quick and Easy Configuration
ESI offers a page devoted specifically for Machine connectivity, presenting drivers for (GE) Fanuc Focas, Mitsubishi CNC Ethernet and the newly released MTConnect - link
   
Quantity Discounts and Bundled Product Discounts Available - Contact ESI for more Information
   
Downloads and Resoucres  
Software Download - (Redirected) KepServerEX v5 Server Bundles (Redirected)
KEPServerEX v5 compared to v4 (70KB pdf) KepServerEX v5 Options and Accessories (Redirected)
KEPServerEX v5 Driver List / Price List (70KB pdf) Other Kepware Products (Redirected)
KEPServerEX v5 Manual (2.50MB pdf) KEPServerEX v5 Kepware's Knowlege Base Index with Links (185KB pdf)
   
Pricing for Server Bundles, Options, Accessories and Other Kepware products are listed on each product page. Index page will provide access.
   
KepserverEX Individual OPC Driver Suites - KepserverEX Individual OPC Driver Suites - Comprised of 72 Suites with over 150 different drivers and include over 250 unique protocols.
KepserverEX Vertical Bundle OPC Driver Suites
KepserverEX Plug-ins and Options
   
OPC Connection Security  
The Secure by Default feature enables users to select whether or not the server should respect the DCOM security settings as they appear in the DCOM Configuration Utility. When this setting is enabled, users can select the authentication, launch and access security requirements through the DCOM Configuration Utility. This allows users to specify the level of security they want to implement and also restrict access for certain users and/or applications.

When this setting is disabled, the server will override the DCOM settings set for the application and will not perform any authentication on the calls received from client applications. It will impersonate the security of the client when performing any actions on behalf of the client application.
   
Process Mode  
KEPServerEX runtime Process features are used to specify how the servers runtime process mode will operate and utilize PC resources. It is used to specify whether the server will be running as System Service or Interactive.

KEPServerEX also allows you to set its own process priority giving the server priority access to resources.
   
Processor Affinity  
This parameter allows the user to specify which CPUs the server can be executed on when it is run on PCs containing more than one.
   
Host Name Resolution  
KEPServerEX allows for host name resolution which is an alias assigned to identify a TCP/IP host or its interfaces. Host names are used in all TCP/IP environments and user can specify host name instead of an IP address when using KEPServerEX v5.
   
Program Identification Redirect  
This feature allows users to map third-party server’s OPC registration to KEPServerEX, providing users with a quick solution mapping and reconfiguring OPC Client projects.
   
Scan Floor Rate  
Ability to manage device and application read requests. Overrides client application read requests.
   
OPC UA  
KEPServerEX supports OPC UA Client Connections and the OPC DA data set.

OPC UA is the most capable OPC specification for interoperability between automation software products. It unifies previous OPC "Classic" specifications, data encryption to RSA standards and authentication based on the x509 Certificate standard. Its firewall friendliness allows communications within the automation environment, across the enterprise and through public network segments with high security and performance.
   
OPC A&E (Events)  
KEPServerEX exposes event log data (Events) to OPC A&E Client applications. The Event server works in runtime and service modes supporting 3 Event categories (Information, Warning, Error). KEPServerEX also supports A&E client filtering by event type, severity, and category and is OPC Compliant. Full OPC A&E v1.10 Support will be available in the Q4 09 or Q1 10 release including Alarms and a new User Interface.
   
Server Administration Properties  
The User Management system of the server controls what actions a user can take within a server project. The User Properties dialog is used to configure the name, password and privileges available for each account.
   
Auto - Demotion  
The Device Auto-Demotion parameters allow a driver to temporarily place a device off-scan in the event that a device is not responding. By placing a non-responsive device off-line, the driver can continue to optimize its communications with other devices on the same channel by stopping communications with the non-responsive device for a specific time period. After the specific time period has been reached, the driver will re-attempt to communicate with the non-responsive device. If the device is responsive, the device will be placed on-scan, otherwise it will restart its off-scan time period.  
   
Automatic Tag Database Generation  
The promise of OPC is to make the customer's life easier. With that goal in mind Kepware has added a new feature that helps bring OPC technology closer to true Plug and Play operation. The Automatic Tag Database Generation feature of KEPServerEX, available on select OPC servers, allows you to configure all of the necessary tags for your device automatically at startup, or with the simple press of a button. OPC Tag browsing is one of the key features of OPC technology. To use this feature in most cases requires the user to manually enter all of the tags required for their application. While tedious, once complete the user had the benefit of being able to point and click from their OPC client applications to link with these tags. The Automatic Tag Database Generation feature of KEPServerEX eliminates that last tedious step for OPC users. For the drivers that support it, this feature makes OPC project setup a quick and painless operation.

More information is provided in the KepWare ServerEX Manual
   
Device Level Redundancy
KEPServerEX's Media Level Redundancy establishes a reliable and uninterruptable network for monitoring and controlling your automation processes. Media Level Redundancy is a standard feature within KEPServerEX, and is used to establish a redundant connection of a single device or a pairing of two devices. Both redundant methodologies can be used together to eliminate a single of point of failure within a system.

Communications Path Redundancy is the ability to communicate with the same device over multiple communications paths.

Examples:

  1. A device supporting communications via TCP as well as RS-485/RS-232 serial ports. The device could be to set up with a primary communications path via TCP but then fall back to RS-485 if there are issues with the Ethernet network.
  2. A PC/Machine with multiple Ethernet cards communicating with a single device can establish primary communications through a primary Ethernet card and fall back to the secondary Ethernet card.
  3. A PC/Machine supporting multiple RS-485/RS-232 serial ports and a Device with multiple RS-485/RS-232 serial ports. The RS-485/RS-232 Port 1 of PC and Device could be set up as the primary and fall back to Port 2 of PC and Device.

Device Pair Redundancy is the ability to communicate with two identical devices that are configured as a redundant unit, each running the same logic, and on the same network. Client monitoring software needs to be able to receive information from at least one of these devices in order to maintain the integrity of information.

Available Media Level Redundancy System Tags

Name Data Type Description
_ActivePath VT_BSTR The fully qualified path of the active device.
_ActiveSec VT_UI4 Number of seconds that the active device has been active.
_PreviousActiveSec VT_UI4 Number of seconds that the previously active device had been active.
_Switchovers VT_UI4 Number of times the active device has changed.
_OperatingMode VT_BSTR Current operating mode of the pair: "Switch On Failure", "Primary Only", "Secondary Only"
_SecondaryPath VT_BSTR Current value of the "Secondary Path" setting.
_FavorPrimary VT_BOOL Current value of the "Favor Primary" setting.
_MonitorItem VT_BSTR Current value of the "Monitor Item" setting.
_MonitorIntervalSec VT_UI4 Current value of the "Monitor Interval" setting.
   
OPC Quick Client  
KEPServerEX includes an extensive OPC Quick Client application to aid in the development of your OPC applications. The Quick Client is a full-featured OPC client that supports all of the operations available in any OPC client application. Using the Quick Client you can access all of the data available in your server application including system, diagnostic, and user defined tags. The Quick Client allows you to read and write data, perform structured test suites, and test server performance. The Quick Client's comprehensive error reporting provides detailed feedback regarding any OPC errors returned by the server helping diagnose common OPC Client/Server issues.
   
Multiple Tag Generation  
Have you ever worked on large HMI or SCADA projects that needed access to thousands of tags? Ever wish there was a quick and easy way to generate those tags without exporting and manipulating tag information within a .CSV file?

KEPServerEX's Multiple Tag Generation tool allows for quick and easy project builds. The Multiple Tag Generation tool can be used with any of our 140 communication drivers.

The Multiple Tag Generation Tool dynamically creates multiple tags using user-defined driver nomenclature. The tool allows a variety of address formats (such as ranges utilizing decimal, hexadecimal, and octal number systems). To avoid overlapping data, the Tag Generation Tool also has the ability to increment by a user-defined data type.
   
Ethernet Encapsulation  
Ethernet Encapsulation is the enhanced ability of KEPServerEX serial drivers to communicate directly with terminal servers. As described in the previous section, we could have used the software supplied with the terminal server, but this would not have yielded the most optimal result in terms of performance or reliability. With this in mind, Kepware has incorporated the functions needed to directly connect to a serial device connected to an Ethernet based terminal server.

What is a Terrminal Server?

A terminal server is essentially a virtual serial port. More importantly, a virtual serial port that can sit on your existing Ethernet network.

   
Application Connectivity  
KEPServerEX has been enhanced to provide the widest range of connectivity of any server product available. KEPServerEX supports the following client server technologies:
OPC Data Access Version 1.0a
OPC Data Access Version 2.0
OPC Data Access Version 2.05a
OPC Data Access Version 3.0
OPC Alarm and Events AE version 1.10
OPC Unified Architecture (UA) Version 1.01
FastDDE for Wonderware
SuiteLink for Wonderware
DDE Format CF_Text
DDE Format AdvancedDDE
NIO Interface for iFIX
OPC Data Access 1.0a was the original specification the OPC Foundation developed back in 1996. Many of the OPC client applications in use today support this original specification. The 2.0 version of the interface was developed to make better use of the underlying Microsoft COM technology. Most OPC client applications now support the 2.0 OPC DA specification. KEPServerEX now fully supports OPC Data Access 3.0. The DA 3.0 spec is an enhancement of the DA 2.05a and DA 2.05 specs. KEPServerEX was tested at the 2005 North American Interoperability Workshop in Tampa, FL and now has 100% compliance test success. The DDE format CF_Text is the standard DDE format as defined by Microsoft. All DDE-aware applications support the CF_Text format. AdvancedDDE is a variation on the normal CF_Text format. Advanced DDE allows larger amounts of data to be transferred between applications at higher rates of speed, and with better error handling than a normal CF_Text DDE link. FastDDE/SuiteLink format provides native support for Wonderware Factory Suite products. In keeping with Kepware's goal of providing the broadest range of connectivity, KEPServerEX simultaneously supports all of the client server technologies listed above. Client applications using any of these technologies can access data from KEPServerEX at the same time.

Based on Microsoft's COM technology, OPC servers can share data with remote client applications using DCOM(Distributed COM). DCOM allows you to use a single OPC server to provide data to client applications running both locally and on remote machines. DDE is not without its own means of allowing remote access. All of the DDE formats supported by KEPServerEX can also be accessed remotely using what is known as NETDDE. NETDDE allows a remote DDE client application to use the machine name of a remote DDE server when specifying a DDE link. KEPServerEX has been designed to allow both of these methods of remote server access. In terms of OPC connections, KEPServerEX will properly configure your DCOM settings to allow remote OPC clients to access and browse KEPServerEX. For DDE clients, KEPServerEX will automatically start NETDDE services and register all of the required DDE shares to allow remote DDE clients to access device data. Establishing DDE share names can be a time consuming process with this in mind, NETDDE services are not enabled in KEPServerEX by default.
   
KEPServerEX v5 is designed to allow quick and easy configuration of your communications.
  1. Select a driver to create channel
  2. Specify the device or system to communicate with
  3. Select the items or tags for your database

Windows O/S Requirements:
  • Windows 2000 SP4
  • Windows XP SP2
  • Windows Server 2003 SP2
  • Windows 7 Pro and Ultimate
  • Windows Vista Business / Ultimate
  • Windows Server 2008 / 2008 R2
 Minimum System Requirements:
  • 2.0 GHz Processor
  • 1 GB installed RAM
  • 180 MB available hard disk space
  • Ethernet Card
  • Super VGA (800 x 600) or High resolution video
  • CD Rom or DVD Drive
 
KEPServerEX v5 Licensing Procedures
   
Activating a Software License  
KEPServerEX 5 incorporates new tools for handling license activations and transfers. Terminology will be slightly different between KEPServerEX v5 and all other Kepware products but procedurally is similar. A Kepware ID available at My Kepware and an internet connection is required however it can be from a machine not utilizing the license. The new licensing is no longer handled within the KEPServerEX application but instead is managed in a separate License Activation Utility. Follow these few simple steps to activate your product.
The following process is required for Activating a License Key.
  1. Open the included Licensing Utility:
    Open License Utility Select Manage Software Licenses and then click Next.
  2. Select "Manage software license activation between this PC and the issuer."
    Click Next to continue.
  3. Enter the Activation ID
    In Create Activation Request File, enter the Activation ID, which is assigned by Kepware with the purchased product. Then, click Save to File….
  4. Save the Request File
    The License Utility will then display a file-browse dialog, allowing you to save the generated request file, "activation_request.txt." Save the file, making note of its location as it will be sent to Kepware in the next step.
  5. Launch License Management Tools
    In an internet browser, navigate to     www.kepware.com/mykepware. This will bring you to the My Kepware Portal. Returning users will be prompted to enter login information, whereas first users must create a My Kepware Account to continue. Once logged in, select Product Registration and Activation under the License Management Tools. Next, fill out the required information and click Browse to select the downloaded activation request file.
  6. Save the Activation Response File
    Next, click Generate Activation Response File. You'll receive an activation response file called "response.txt" from Kepware. Save this file to the Host PC.
  7. Process the Activation Response File
    Return to the Manage Software License Activation dialog in the License Utility. Next, click Load From File.... then select the downloaded Activation Response File. The document is then processed. If successful, the View Page will be displayed.
   
Kepware License Service Agreement  
In July of 2009, coinciding with the release of KEPServerEX version 5, Kepware is introducing a new License Service Agreement delivering both Technical Support and Product Updates as an optional purchase with a product sale. This service program will take the form of an annual service agreement, tracked on a per license basis, and will commence after the initial warranty period.

Kepware Warranty – The Kepware warranty period will be extended from 60 to 90 days. During this time, customers are entitled to free email and phone support, and at least one product update – if an update is delivered with-in the Warranty period. In the case of KEPServerEX, access to one product update, regardless of timing, is a deliverable along with the KEPServerEX license. See the Product EULA (End User License Agreement) for additional Warranty information.

Kepware License Service Agreement – Includes both support and product updates. These items are not available separately. The License Service Agreement begins following the Warranty expiration and extends for one full year. The License Service Agreement includes Phone Support, Email Support and Knowledgebase Access. The License Service Agreement also includes product updates for the duration of the support term.

Support Details – Includes up to 4 hours of Phone support per month and unlimited email support. Phone support in excess of 4 hours will require a separate extended support contract, available on a custom basis. Unlimited email support and Knowledgebase access is included with the License Service Agreement.

Update Details – Includes updates for the Licensed product for the duration of the Support term. Updates are for existing licensed products only. Licenses may be upgraded with new products (contact Kepware for costs). After an upgrade, updates will be available as part of the normal warranty policy and new functionality will be supported under an updated License Service Agreement (contact Kepware for costs).

Out of Warranty or outside License Service Agreement Updates –Updates are available at any time after the warranty or after a License Service Agreement expiration, by purchasing a New, License Service Agreement. The cost for a New License Service Agreement, when not purchased with the initial license purchase or after a License Service Agreement has expired, is approximately 50% of the product list price. Once the License Service Agreement is current, renewals are available at the normal rate of approximately 20% of sales list price.
   
Downloads and Resoucres  
Software Download - (Redirected) KepServerEX v5 Server Bundles (Redirected)
KEPServerEX v5 compared to v4 (70KB pdf) KepServerEX v5 Options and Accessories (Redirected)
KEPServerEX v5 Driver List / Price List (70KB pdf) Other KepWare Products (Redirected)
KEPServerEX v5 Manual (2.05MB pdf) KEPServerEX v5 Kepware's Knowlege Base Index with Links (185KB pdf)
   
   
KepserverEX Individual OPC Driver Suites - KepserverEX Individual OPC Driver Suites - Comprised of 72 Suites with over 150 different drivers and include over 250 unique protocols.
KepserverEX Vertical Bundle OPC Driver Suites
KepserverEX Plug-ins and Options
   
Pricing for Server Bundles, Options, Accessories and Other Kepware products are listed on each product page. Index page will provide access.

Quantity Discounts and Bundled Product Discounts Available - Contact ESI for more Information

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