N°10 - September 2001

CONTENT

TRENDS

At the Hanover Fair last April, a highly recognized supervision product was presented in its 'Terminal Services' version. With this technology, when a client station wishes to be provided access to an application located on a server station, it runs an instance of the client application on the server station, and redirects all inputs (keyboard and mouse) and outputs (screen) to the client station. For those who are acquainted with PC Anywhere, it is rather similar to the latter, with multiple sessions, but without remote control of the distant computer.

The product’s documentation specifies that in the past, in typical applications of the said product, any update of the application was a "huge administrative issue". It also adds that when implementing Terminal Services, "the use of a large number of colors, large moving bitmaps, screen savers or any other application devices that consume significant bandwidth over the network should be exercised with caution."

This indication, which admits the existence of a weakness, first hurt us, and gave us the feeling that the techniques we have been proposing for years (an applications client/server transferring dynamic data –the variables excluding static data– the configuration data such as images) was completely ignored, and because nothing would have been more flattering for us than being followed. But come to think of it, as many of you express their satisfaction about the use of TOPKAPI client/server, in the end, we cannot expect a better recognition.

As we have already written previously, supervision station remote access is spreading constantly. Although TOPKAPI’s technical offer is reliable (and continues being enriched and adapted according to the evolution in telecommunications), our commercial offering needed to focus on these multiple station intermittent access requirements. It is the purpose of the 'Open Client' option introduced in this newsletter.

Have a pleasant read

After the Hanover Fair last April, you will be able to meet us at the next events where AREAL will be present.

NEW PRODUCTS
Extended range

Version 3 which we presented in the previous issue of the TOPKAPI letter, is now commercially available in France (foreign versions should be available early 2002) : object heritage, extended zoom functions with decluttering according to the scale factor, multiple screen management, 255 layers to manage displays and operator locks, etc..

After PRIMO Vision, the commercial offering is broadening :

Settings automation has been enhanced :

TOPKAPI MMI A man-machine graphics interface for the workshop.

In its standard version, TOPKAPI offers comprehensive features in terms of calculation, processing, archiving, network operation, etc.

The drop in PC prices, whether typical desktops or touch-screens with electric cabinet front faces, provides operators with operating interfaces (MMI – Man Machine Interface) in workshops, as close as possible to the ongoing process

To meet this requirement, AREAL now offers TOPKAPI MMI, a highly attractive priced version of TOPKAPI, without all its sophisticated features, in order to focus on viewing and controlling graphics synoptic diagrams.

TOPKAPI MMI maintains TOPKAPI Vision’s graphics features and basic functions required for viewing : acquisition (single communication protocol, selectable), alarms management (alarm views frozen without filtering ability, with limited logging memory).

Compatibility with TOPKAPI Vision applications is ensured : easy development of an MMI application from a TOPKAPI Vision application, and vice versa.

OPEN CLIENT One client licence, without a protection key.

Until now, you could purchase one TOPKAPI client license, with its protection key, for each computer likely to be connected with a TOPKAPI server station. This situation was inappropriate for stations with punctual access to a server station : desktops or laptops for stand-by agents, operating engineers, etc.

To meet with these requirements, AREAL’s commercial offering now includes the "OPEN CLIENT" option. A server station featuring this option will communicate with one or several stations fitted with a free of charge « light client », which the user may elect to install on as many client stations as required.

The price of the "OPEN CLIENT" option for the server depends on the number of concurrent connections it is authorized to open.

To prevent a client station from monopolizing a connection indefinitely, the session is restricted to 4 hours, unless the operator closes it himself. Traditional client stations with a key-protected license are not included in the connection count, and can open unlimited duration sessions at any time.

UPGRADES

WEBSERV GENERATION 2

Supervision over the Internet in a few clicks

Without exagerating, we can sincerely state that the new version of the Webserv module enables posting your supevision on the Web in record time.

The Setup guides you through the installation of the software component. You then set a few general parameters and, providing the Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Server) is operating on the machine concerned⁽¹⁾, all the data in your application is available on the Web.

1 - Except in isolated cases, the administrative procedure and global Web connection security must be managed by your company’s system specialists.

An add-in to the Softlink tool, opening a dynamic link between supervision and controller programming tool databases, Profiler enables managing structured data blocks, reducing the setting time, simplifying and customizing the settings interface.

For example, to add a dual direction variator-fitted motor object, just insert in a synoptic diagram the appropriate object from the library; a dialogue box opens prompting you to enter the name of the motor, its tag, and the address of the structured data block (and nothing more).

The object is then created automatically, and all associated variables (display, commands, archiving operating statuses, failures, speed, etc.) are managed.

The procedure presumes that the data is structured identically  in a controller block for a specific type of object, but access is also possible without any other drawback than making entry heavier, to several data blocks or individual variables.

Productivity gains expected can enable to divide application implementation and testing by a factor of 2 to 5, while simplifying settings (accessible to less experimented operators on TOPKAPI ), with an initial investment hardly above that of an application developed using traditional methods.

	Here again, a demonstration is far better than a speech, and we invite you to attend a demonstration at the Automation and Pollutec exhibitions. You will appreciate the possibilities offered by this new.
	You can also call us for a commented presentation from our Web site.

ALONG THE WEB www.areal.fr

Although this newsletter provides you regularly with news about major upgrades of TOPKAPI, our web site posts constantly updated information.

More particularly, it features :

•  This newsletter and its previous issues.

•  A constantly updated list of protocols, with practical indications which can change over time.

•  LCompatibility sheets providing details about additional features provided in each version, constraints and guidelines related with hardware, steps and precautions required for new versions.

•  Guidelines related with choosing hardware and environment.

•  Chronological contents providing the latest information published.

•  Addresses of suppliers for hardware commonly associated with TOPKAPI.

•  …and soon an integrator forum presenting TOPKAPI specialists in your area, or your field of business.

IN SHORT
Protocols

TOPKAPI’s operation with the OPC servers from Applicom and Easylon from Gesytec (Lon networks) has been validated.

SAUTER : in addition to the protocol for the NOVANET networks developed in spring 2001, TOPKAPI now enables setting schedules for the SAUTER stations.

Several of our foreign partners have responded rapidly to our invitation to share their experience, and therefore this newsletter is marked by foreign achievements.

In this issue : Bolivia, Argentina, the Reunion Island, Morocco. But depending on circumstances and contacts, this could have been China, Ouzbekistan, Gabon, or other countries in which TOPKAPI was recently installed.

  COMSUR : The mining company pushes TOPKAPI to the top.        

  FAIM in Argentina        

  REUNION ISLAND : Water processing on Bourbon Island.     

  MOROCCO : At ONEP a simple, economical, and effective solution for supervision PC fail-over.