Server Solution with the Unified-E App Manager
The Unified-E App Manager fulfills two essential tasks:
- Simple Communication via Internet
With firewall-friendly communication, communication via the internet can start immediately even in corporate networks, without requiring any router or firewall configurations. Remote operator devices are registered by scanning a QR code on the Unified-E App Manager. - Central Management of Machine Data
Data such as recipe datasets or the alarm and message history are centrally managed, allowing multiple operator devices for a plant to use the same data base.
The Unified-E App Manager operates as a Windows service on a Windows computer (Windows 7 or higher) and runs even when no Windows user is logged in. Although the Unified-E App Manager has a server function, a Windows Server operating system is not necessary. Since the App Manager receives requests from operator devices from the LAN or internet, this is referred to as gateway communication as opposed to direct communication (see also Communication Types).
The Unified-E App Manager can simultaneously host multiple, different HMI operator apps. Depending on the gateway license, multiple operator devices can be registered or connected per operator app.
Registered operator apps and devices can be easily managed in the Unified-E App Manager
Manage Operator Apps and Devices
The following main functions are available for managing operator apps and devices:
Registration and assignment of operator devices to the installed operator apps
No re-registration on the operator device is required when updating a operator app
Diagnosis and display of connection errors to the endpoints
Manual endpoint configuration possible to override the default configuration of the operator app
Easy backup of HMI data such as messages, as it is file-based
Set Up Secure Communication via the Internet Easily
The easiest way to set up remote control via the internet is with the Unified-E App Manager. With the various communication types, you have the choice of how to conduct communication depending on your plant's environment.
- Firewall-friendly communication:
The App Manager does not need to accept incoming IP connections, so no firewall and router configurations are required. This is made possible with the ServiceBus Relay service from Microsoft Azure. - Direct internet communication:
Here, the App Manager acts as an HTTP server and receives requests directly from the operator device. The SSL certificate is automatically renewed regularly by the App Manager, and the operator devices verify the validity of the SSL certificate with the help of a Unified-E online service. Port forwarding must be set up on the router. Additionally, firewall configurations may be necessary.
With firewall-friendly communication, you save a lot of work when setting up remote control and are miles ahead of traditional browser-based HMI solutions!
Simple Device Registration
Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets can easily register for a operator app by scanning a QR code. Registration is only possible with approval from the administrator on the Unified-E App Manager. Once registered, users can connect to the Unified-E App Client as often as they like and start the operator app. If the operator app is updated on the App Manager, the registered devices are automatically updated without needing to re-register by scanning the QR code again.
For devices without a camera, such as Windows computers, registration can also be done manually.
Registration always occurs with the help of a PIN, ensuring the registration process is encrypted and secure.
Central Functions
Normally, the Unified-E App Manager is active even when no operator devices are active or turned on. This allows error messages to be recorded, trigger actions to be executed, configured data point connections to be synchronized, or configured curves (trend/time diagrams) to be recorded.
All collected data from messages or curve recordings are centrally managed. The same applies to recipes: Recipe datasets are managed by the Unified-E App Manager during gateway communication, so all operator devices use the same data base when handling recipes!
Send Push Notifications to Smartphones
When configuring messages, it can already be decided in the Unified-E App Designer whether a message should be sent to registered smartphones when a message occurs. This allows employees to be quickly informed about critical messages and, if necessary, intervene remotely in the process and troubleshooting.