Connectivity Platform for Industrial Automation and the Internet of Things
A Connectivity Platform
KEPServerEX® is a single solution for collecting, aggregating, and providing secure access to industrial operations data. Its platform design allows users to connect, manage, monitor, and
control diverse automation devices and software applications—from plant control systems to enterprise information systems.
KEPServerEX offers:
- Connectivity to an ever-growing list of devices and applications in a scalable, secure architecture
- A streamlined interface that provides the convenience of installation, configuration, and support in one solution from a single vendor
- Direct, simultaneous connections to clients, including ERP, MES, HMI, SCADA, mobile, Big Data, Enterprise Asset Management, analytics, and IoT platforms
- Secure, authenticated, and encrypted communications from client to device across various network topologies
Importance of Industrial Data Access
Access to real-time plant floor data enables companies to improve processes, drive productivity, make better decisions, and maintain a compectitive edge. Control engineers and executives need access to real-time data from industrial control equipment through their MES, SCADA, Big Data, and analytics solutions. A range of departments – including engineering, operations, quality assurance, IT, sales, supply chain, and accounting – can benefit from increased data access and visibility
Communications Challenges
Disparate, edge-based, and legacy devices are unable to connect to each other or to enterprise business systems.
Users must purchase, install, learn, maintain, and troubleshoot multiple communication solutions that have varying degress of complexity.
Big Data and IoT platforms need to connect to industrial control systems remotely and securely.
Data may be poor quality, outdated, or lost.
Communication mediums between sources are often unreliable.
KEPServerEX FEATURES AND ARCHITECTURE
Connectivity
KEPServerEX offers the broadest range of drivers available, supporting current and legacy devices across various verticals within the Industrial Automation Industry. Drivers support a variety of wired and wireless networks including Ethernet, serial, and proprietary networks and various telemetry mediums. KEPServerEX provides connectivity to databases, custom software applications, and other OPC servers, and supports simulation for implementation and testing prior to deployment.
Optimization
Through data conditioning and reduction, customized load balancing, and protocol-specific communications optimization, KEPServerEX improves communications and reduces network and device load. It also features Machine-to-Machine linking and redundancy.
Aggregation
KEPServerEX maximizes data applications by supporting connections to thousands of data sources and providing information to hundreds of applications through a single architecture. This eliminates the need to purchase, operate, and maintain disparate applications for discrete connectivity.
Accessibility
KEPServerEX provides accessibility to leading automation, Big Data, and analytics software via OPC, proprietary protocols, and IT protocols (including MQTT, REST, ODBC, and SNMP). Historical data is accessed through OPC standards, trend logs, and Electronic Flow Measurement (EFM) for hydrocarbons.
Security
Tools within KEPServerEX expand administrators’ abilities to control user access and regulate browse/read/write privileges for secure data communications. KEPServerEX supports a number of secure client standards including SNMP, OPC, and HTTPS to further restrict access to the server, as well as a number of secure device protocols to meet the requirements of DNP3, SNMP, and OPC UA data sources.
Diagnostics
KEPServerEX provides robust communications diagnostics to easily isolate and troubleshoot device and application communications.
