January 2009 InStep Newsletter

For a PDF version of this month's newsletter, please click here.

Contents:

InSource Solutions Employee Spotlight! Learn More About the People Dedicated to Serving You!

Introducing Joey Rodems, Wonderware Southeast Account Executive Extraordinaire!

Joey has been with InSource Solutions since the beginning. He is responsible for account management and new business development for Wonderware Southeast in Central and South Florida. Joey entered the Wonderware distribution channel in 1993 as the first hire of Florida Data Systems, an Authorized Wonderware Distributor. He served in various sales and technical roles before the company merged with InSource Software Solutions in 1995. Joey has 15 years experience selling Wonderware-based HMI, SCADA, Batch and MES solutions.

Joey says he enjoys working for InSource for many reasons:
“My vision coming out of college was to work in a sales role for a small technology-oriented company for 3 years as a low-risk way to develop business experience before starting my own company. When I joined InSource, I had no idea how profoundly Wonderware would change the manufacturing/industrial information technology market space. The personal and professional opportunities that developed through InSource exceeded my expectations enough that I consciously delayed my original vision several times over. With InSource I have had a strong sense of ownership and control over my professional realm and the opportunity to contribute to the evolution of the information technology standards that define the state-of-the-art of intelligent manufacturing/industrial productivity. InSource has been a great personal blessing to me, Lily, and the kids and has opened the door to several life-long friendships with co-workers, clients and partners that we cherish.”

Joey was born in Buffalo, New York (technically Cheektowaga), but moved to Lakeland, Florida at a very young age. Here are some interesting facts that you may or may not know about Joey:

He met the love of his life at age 4, and married her 22 years later.
Lily and Joey have two beautiful girls, Gabby (4 1/2) and Olivia (1 1/2). They are expecting a third baby girl in May.
At age 6, Joey was attacked by a Pit Bull and has undergone 14 reconstructive surgeries over 20 years to repair the damage.
Joey enjoys spending time with his faith, family, close friends, and a fine cigar. He also enjoys philosophical conversations.
He has a passion for authentic Roman Catholicism and one of his inspirational figures is Pope John Paul II.
Joey’s favorite place on Earth is the Galapagos Islands.
His favorite saying is, “Success is the point where opportunity meets persistence. Since we can’t control our opportunities, we must be more persistent to achieve more success.”
He enjoys hard rock music (AC/DC) and some of his favorite movies are The Passion of the Christ, Gone with the Wind, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Fletch, and the Terminator.

Joey is intensely devoted to being a Trusted Advisor for solutions to complex manufacturing IT problems. If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Joey, we hope you do soon! We are proud to have Joey as part of the InSource family!

InSource Solutions Baltimore Location is Moving! Please Update Your Records

InSource Solutions is GROWING and to meet our needs and those of our customers, the Baltimore Office is moving to a new and larger location!

Our state-of-the-art location will feature a new high-tech Training Center conducive to an exceptional learning experience. We're also taking steps to become a little more earth-friendly and energy-wise, with features such as motion-controlled lighting. We hope you will like our new home as much as we do. In the mean time, don't forget to update your files with our new address!

Beginning January 30th, the new address will be:
1730 Twin Springs Road
Suite 214
Baltimore, MD 21227

All phone numbers and extensions will remain the same:
Toll Free: 877.INSOURC
Local: 410.644.6700
Fax: 410.644.9500

Join us for an Open House Event!
When: Thursday, February 19th
Time: 4:00—6:00p.m. Light Refreshments will be provided.
Please RSVP to Paula Waddell at 443.683.8040 or pwaddell@insourcess.com.

If you have any questions, please contact the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com. For a complete list of InSource Solutions locations, please click here.

Ask the Infrastructure Experts! Lesia's Q&A Corner

“What kind of Microsoft Client Access Licensing do I need for my particular application?”

It’s a new year and that means change! Beginning this month, InSource will include an “Ask the Infrastructure Experts - Lesia’s Q&A Corner” section in our newsletter. Lesia Bell, I2 Infrastructure Inside Sales Coordinator, will field your questions about infrastructure solutions for industrial environments. To have your infrastructure questions answered and potentially be featured in an upcoming issue of InStep, please submit your questions to Lesia via phone at 443.683.8031, by email at lbell@insourcess.com or simply click here. We’re looking for questions regarding industrial infrastructure as it relates to your existing or upcoming Wonderware solution(s) or other industrial applications. All questions will be answered, and some will be featured.

So, onto this month’s question…
“What kind of Microsoft Client Access Licensing do I need for my particular application?”

In 2008, the I2 Infrastructure team worked closely with Wonderware Southeast on many Terminal Service Solutions, which was reflected by a growth greater than 200% for 2008. Terminal Service Applications are proving to be very valuable on the plant floor. Because of this tremendous growth in the number of Terminal Service Applications being deployed, this month’s question was very popular: “What kind of Microsoft Client Access Licensing do I need for my particular application?”

In order to answer this question fully, you must first understand Client Access Licenses or CALs. For our discussion here, there are two major categories of CALs – Microsoft Server 2003/2008 CALs and Microsoft Terminal Server CALs.

With any Microsoft Server Operating System (2003 or 2008), it is required to have MS Window OS CALs in order to access the server remotely, whether it be from a PC or a Thin Client device. Please note – there are two administrator connections allowed with Microsoft Server Operating Systems 2003 and 2008. In addition to the standard MS Windows Operating System CALs, in a Terminal Server (TS) environment you will need additional Terminal Server (TS) CALS to connect to the Terminal Server. This will allow multiple users to connect to the server simultaneously.

Subsequently, there are two types of Windows Server and Terminal Server CALs: User CALs and Device CALs.

A Windows User CAL is assigned to a User, or a person. Windows User CALs might make the most sense for an organization with many employees in need of access to the corporate network from unknown devices and/or an organization with employees in need of access to the network via multiple devices. Please note – if the user has more than one login user name, they will still only need 1 User CAL as they are still only 1 person.

A Windows Device CAL is assigned to a Device, for example a thin client, which has many users. Windows Device CALs might make the most economic and administrative sense for an organization with multiple users for one device, such as shift workers running Wonderware InTouch on the plant floor.

For example, imagine a situation where one Administrator (IT Manager) maintains 5 thin clients. These thin clients, used by numerous employees on the plant floor, are running Wonderware InTouch in a Terminal Server Application environment. In this instance, you will need:

What you have:
1 – Microsoft Terminal Server
1 – User
5 – Devices

What you will need:
1 – OS (Operating System, Windows Server 2003 or 2008)
5 – Device Window CALs
5 – Device Terminal Server CALs

These CALs are independent of any Wonderware or ACP ThinManager licensing you would also need**

Setting up an efficient Terminal Server environment can get confusing! Fortunately, I2 Infrastructure is here to save the day. We are happy to help with Microsoft Licensing (Operating System Licensing and both types of CALs), Wonderware and ACP ThinManager Licensing, and with choosing the Server(s) on which to run your systems. We want to make certain that you have the best infrastructure foundation for your software application(s). If you have additional Terminal Server Licensing or industrial infrastructure questions, please contact me at 443.683.8031 or by email at lbell@Insourcess.com.

Don’t forget to submit your questions for next month! Submit your industrial infrastructure questions to Lesia’s Q&A Corner by phone 443.683.8031 or email lbell@insourcess.com.

Lesia Bell has been with InSource since February of 2007. To learn more about Lesia, click here and read her Employee Spotlight, originally published in the July 2008 Issue of InStep.

I2 Infrastructure, an InSource Solutions Business Unit, focuses on the specialized, rigorous application of standard commercial IT infrastructure technology to situations that have specific industrial requirements. The I2 Infrastructure team works with your Wonderware Southeast representative to complement Wonderware software solutions by offering products and services that keep your Wonderware software running continuously and efficiently.

InSource Solutions Enterprise Events Module - Bridging the Gap Between IT and Manufacturing

Have you ever been in the situation where IT changes and/or load changes have had a profound effect on your plant floor? If so, how long did it take you to find the root cause to your plant floor changes?

Does your current Archestra based SCADA system send notifications if one of your Application object servers or HMI workstations is experiencing an issue? Do you know the current health status of your network switches and other industrial hardware connected to your Archestra based SCADA system? Can you acquire the current health of other computers that are used by that same SCADA system (database servers and mail servers that are not part of your SCADA system) without loading an Archestra Platform?

The InSource Solutions Enterprise Events Module (EEM) facilitates the creation of computer health metrics that can be used to send notifications via Email, SMS or pop-up’s. You can also log, historize, analyze and report on the captured events.

To access your non-Archestra enabled computers and hardware on your network, EEM uses an OPC server that supports Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and SNMP to receive health metrics and system process data. You can acquire temperature, fan speeds, and other system information using WMI.

Using EEM will allow you to get notification of a hardware health issue before the problem becomes a serious failure.

The Enterprise Events Module from InSource Solutions allows you to spend less time troubleshooting by providing visibility of IT and load changes and linking that to the effect on the plant floor.

EEM – Bridging the gap between IT and Manufacturing!

For more information, please contact your Wonderware Southeast Account Executive or the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com. To download an Enterprise Events Module Datasheet, please click here.

Wonderware Introduces Performance Software 3.5 as Integral Part of MES and Supervisory Platform Offering

On January 12, 2009, Wonderware announced the release of Performance Software 3.5, the newest evolution of its equipment downtime and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) software, and an integrated module of the Wonderware comprehensive MES and supervisory software solution.

Performance Software 3.5 features an ArchestrA technology-based configuration and visualization, providing a solution that is easy to set up for a single line, but capable enough to support enterprise-level asset performance strategies. The software is ideal for manufacturers that require a comprehensive equipment downtime and efficiency tracking solution that can be easily deployed across multiple plants.

Performance Software 3.5 is more than a point solution for downtime and OEE tracking. It is part of a unified supervisory and manufacturing execution system (MES) solution that can evolve as a customer’s MES requirements grow, saving development costs and simplifying the number of applications that plant IT needs to service and maintain over the long term.

“When Cimnet was acquired, a key part of the strategy was to integrate the Cimnet Factelligence MES functionality with the Wonderware System Platform to unlock ArchestrA’s scalability and extensibility benefits to customers needing to monitor equipment downtime and OEE,” said Jim Frider, marketing manager for Wonderware. “This has now been accomplished with Performance Software 3.5. As part of this release, Wonderware also is providing software migration tools and commercial upgrade paths to customers who have utilized previous Wonderware OEE offerings such as DT Analyst and Equipment Performance Module.”

As part of Performance Software 3.5, Wonderware includes a new Utilization Capability Object which leverages the scalability and extensibility of the Wonderware System Platform. Complete equipment monitoring strategies can be configured using this application object, which can then be rapidly deployed in multiple instances for new applications. Monitoring strategies can be easily standardized to enable effective line comparisons. In addition, system development costs are minimized due to significant reuse of applications engineering.

In addition, new ArchestrA graphic templates developed for downtime, OEE and production help reduce system development and enable complete customization of KPI (Key Performance Indicator) graphic displays within the InTouch 10.0 HMI (human-machine interface) environment. These ArchestrA graphics can be easily deployed to existing InTouch 10.0 applications, allowing expanded visibility into real-time equipment performance.

Enhanced .NET controls also are built into Performance Software 3.5 to provide operators with a fully interactive display capability. Using these controls, operators can gain insight into real-time equipment performance and provide structured feedback concerning specific equipment events, enhancing the value of the system and increasing operator knowledge. In addition, extensive data filtering capabilities help ensure that operators are only seeing the information they need to drive improved asset utilization.

Timely reporting of equipment downtime and efficiency performance is accomplished using the Wonderware Information Server component of the Wonderware System Platform. The Information Server software provides Web-based reporting and data visualization and extends the development of report templates based on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. This functionality saves time when creating and distributing equipment performance reports.

“Wonderware Performance Software 3.5 provides tight integration with the Wonderware System Platform that enables us to take advantage of System Platform’s core strengths including developing functionality in a modular fashion and rolling out solutions in a controlled, repeatable manner,” said Robert Peters, chief executive officer at ASECO Integrated Systems, a Wonderware Certified Systems Integration Partner. “Performance Software 3.5 has reduced the engineering effort required for ASECO to develop performance management solutions and simplifies maintenance and support for our customers. We see the combination of Wonderware Performance Software 3.5 and System Platform as hitting the sweet spot between real-time performance metrics and manufacturing intelligence.”

For more information about Wonderware Performance Software or any other Wonderware product, please contact your Wonderware Southeast Account Executive or the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com. To download the Wonderware Performance Software Datasheet, please click here.

InSource Solutions and ACP Present: ACP Lunch & Learn

Come experience the latest in Presentation Virtualization!

Take Advantage of Microsoft’s Presentation Virtualization in an Industrial Environment with the tools from ACP ThinManager!

When: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

ACP ThinManager extends Microsoft Presentation Virtualization so that you can more easily configure, maintain, upgrade, and replace thin client devices on your industrial network quickly and efficiently!

Please join us for lunch and an overview of ACP’s Thin Client Solution! This half-day event is designed for anyone interested in learning more about:

Reducing the cost of commissioning and administering industrial computer networks
Increasing the fault tolerance, security, reliability, and useful lifetime of industrial computing systems
Dramatically enhancing remote administration of Industrial Terminal Server computer systems
Side-stepping the pitfalls of deploying office-grade thin client technology in industrial applications
Achieving levels of functionality, integration, and intelligence that are impossible with PCs or Microsoft Virtualization stand-alone

Location: JMU Festival Conference & Student Center
1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Space is limited! Please RSVP by Monday, February 2nd to: Paula Waddell at 443.683.8040 or by email at pwaddell@insourcess.com.

Advantech Launches New Wireless Access Point/Client Bridge

Advantech has introduced the EKI-6311G. This new wireless access point/client bridge features enhanced wireless transmission capabilities to provide a reliable wireless environment for industrial building systems. The detachable antenna can collocate with any high gain antenna to enhance wireless connections even further. To protect your wireless connections, the EKI-6311G can encrypt transmissions through 64/128-bit WEP data encryption and also supports WPA2/WPA/802.1x for powerful security authentication.

For more information on the new EKI-6311G or any other Advantech product, please contact your I2 Infrastructure Specialist or the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com.

Advantech Announces New Generation of Modbus Gateways

The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech introduces the EKI-1220 series Modbus Gateways, for quick and easy integration of Modbus serial devices with Industrial Ethernet networks. Available in two configurations, the EKI-1221 and EKI-1222 feature one or two RS-232/422/485 serial ports, with redundant 10/100 Mbps Ethernet connections, for transparently connecting Modbus ASCII/RTU and Modbus/TCP devices and equipment.

Transparent Operation
The EKI-1220 series gateways support a wide range of configurations between serial and Ethernet devices, including: Ethernet master to serial slave, serial slave to Ethernet master, and concurrent operation of both modes. More importantly, they are designed for transparent operation, which means no changes are required to installed devices, equipment or software systems.

Advanced Functionality and Security
To route requests to the appropriate serial port on multi-port models, a user-defined table associates Ethernet host IP addresses to serial slave IDs, allowing access through a single IP port, for easier systems integration and compatibility with existing Modbus/TCP networks. A connection status monitor is included, that displays which IP hosts are connected to each serial port, that is very helpful during setup and commissioning or to troubleshooting communications issues. For enhanced security, access can be restricted to specific IP network hosts.

“Building upon our previous generation Modbus Gateway, and numerous enhancements suggested by our customers, we’re excited about the exceptional performance and capabilities of these new models” said Paul Wacker, Product Manager for Industrial Communications at Advantech. “The EKI-1221 and EKI-1222 give industrial equipment OEMs and end-users a transparent and cost-effective means to connect serial Modbus ASCII/RTU devices and equipment with Ethernet using Modbus/TCP.”

Redundant Ethernet for High Availability
Given the zero unplanned downtime requirements for industrial applications, these Modbus gateways feature dual 10/100 Mbps Ethernet connections, to ensure communications in the event of a network problem. With one physical connection assigned as primary and the other as backup, communications can continue on the backup in the event of a problem with the primary, ensuring uninterrupted communications and peace-of-mind for plant maintenance and operations staff.

Ruggedized for Demanding Industrial Applications
Like the other EKI series Industrial Ethernet products, the EKI-1221 and EKI-1222 are packaged in a compact and thin metal DIN-rail mount chassis. Ruggedized for demanding industrial applications, these units include dual 12 to 48 VDC power inputs, power line surge (EFT) protection of 3,000 VDC, and 4,000 VDC Ethernet ESD protection to ensure maximum system uptime and uninterrupted communications.

“ARC’s market research indicates that MODBUS remains the most common protocol for industrial Ethernet networks” said Harry Forbes, an ARC analyst. “Advantech’s new gateway products for MODBUS and MODBUS TCP illustrate the continued need for solid products that serve these industrial applications.”

For more information on these new Advantech products or any other Advantech offerings, please contact your I2 Infrastructure Specialist or the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com.

Advantech Releases New Embedded Automation Computers

Advantech has released two new embedded automation computers. The UNO-1170 is an DIN-rail based embedded automation computer, which provides several serial communication ports and Ethernet interfaces. The UNO-1170E is compact sized, with a small foot print, and helps to save space. Its easy to access front is very convenient for wiring and the DIN-rail design makes for easy installation in field cabinets. It features rich OS and driver supports, such as Windows XP embedded, WinCE 6.0, and even embedded Linux.

Features include:

Onboard Celeron® M 1.0 GHz or Pentium® M 1.4 GHz
Onboard 512 KB battery-backup SRAM
Onboard system & I/O LED indicators
Two RS-232 and one RS-232/422/485 ports with automatic flow control
Two 10/100Base-T RJ-45 ports
3 x external USB and 1 x internal USB for dongle and flash drive
PC/104+ expansion slots option
DIN-rail design for easy installation in field cabinet
Wide temperature operation
Windows® CE 6.0, Windows XP Embedded, and Linux ready solution
Supports Boot From LAN function
Fanless and no internal cabling design

For more information, please contact your I2 Infrastructure Specialist or the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com.

Who Do You Know? InSource Solutions Now Hiring

InSource Solutions currently has two position openings. We recognize that some of the best candidates are referrals from clients who know who we are and what we expect from our employees. If you know anyone who could serve as either a Wonderware Account Executive in Maryland or an Infrastructure Product Specialist covering Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, we’d love to talk with them! Please click here for descriptions of our current openings. Please click here for more information on how to apply. We appreciate your help!

New Wonderware Tech Alerts and Notes

Tech Note 562: Replacing the CMOS Battery in the Series B and C Touch Panel PC
Tech Note 563: Configuring FSGateway to Access Historian Data from Wonderware® Application Server
Tech Note 564: Removing an Undeployed or Deleted Galaxy Erroneously Listed in the SMC DAServer Manager and Log Viewer
Tech Note 565: Connecting to Migrated QI Analyst Databases

Registered users can view and download archived Tech Notes and Alerts from the Wonderware website at http://www.wonderware.com/support/web/secure/selfsupport/estechalerts.asp.

New Wonderware Software Patches and Device Integration Releases

Wonderware Application Server 3.0 Service Pack 2
InTouch® 10.0 TSE SP2
10.0 SP2 for InTouch®

Registered users can view and download this and other patchfix releases on the Wonderware eSupport
website at http://www.wonderware.com/support/web/secure/downloads/esdownload.asp.

Upcoming Events

InSource Solutions & ACP Present: ACP Lunch & Learn

Take Advantage of Microsoft’s Presentation Virtualization in an Industrial Environment with the tools from ACP ThinManager!

When: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Location: JMU Festival Conference & Student Center
1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Space is limited! Please RSVP by Monday, February 2nd to: Paula Waddell at 443.683.8040 or by email at pwaddell@insourcess.com.

Baltimore Office is Moving!

Beginning January 30th, the new address will be:
1730 Twin Springs Road
Suite 214
Baltimore, MD 21227

Join us for an Open House Event!
When: Thursday, February 19th
Time: 4:00—6:00p.m. Light Refreshments will be provided.
Please RSVP to Paula Waddell at 443.683.8040 or pwaddell@insourcess.com.

If you have any questions, please contact the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com. For a complete list of InSource Solutions locations, please click here.