Precise knowledge of the network topology is essential in order to be able to monitor industrial networks reliably. Ethernet has long been prevalent in the office, and is now making its way onto the production line as well. Because the administrator must know how and where components are connected in order to be able to manage complex networks efficiently, tools such as Hirschmann’s Industrial HiVision network management software with fast display and reliable monitoring have become indispensable today. Particularly this is so, where terminal devices or infrastructure components have to be checked for proper functionality. It is tools like these that speed up error detection in the event of conditions such as temperature fluctuations, cable-breakage, interruption of the power supply and others.
Hirschmann’s new HiVision v4.0 designed for effective industrial supervision, integrates easily into scada applications. It offers a built-in SNMP to OPC server. A graphical user interface is available as an ActiveX control and a DTM offers seamless operation inside FDT applications.
To guarantee a higher level of operational reliability, the new software facilitates efficient, convenient and reliable network management. It provides engineers and plant managers with a rapid visualisation of the network topology, a valuable aid for network diagnostics. The intelligence in the program provides a display of the network with its hierarchical structure and topology. It is open to the full range of programmable memory controller devices and decentralised I/O components as well as network components like switches and routers. The ability to visualise the status of a network provides confidence in its performance and early warning in the event of problems.
Industrial HiVision v4.0 is the fourth generation network management software from Hirschmann. It encompasses all the features and benefits of earlier versions, including client/server architecture, Web browser, network hierarchy display, status display and propagation, flexible event handling, customisable data acquisition, trending, and asset management.
The latest release also offers benefits like the integration of third-party devices, enhanced auto-topology discovery and MultiConfg for configuring multiple devices. For the first time the software is able to detect unmanaged switches and hubs and display their position within a network diagram. The software is also able to determine the network topology of devices which are located behind a router. Industrial networks evolve over time, and documentation can easily become out of date. The enhanced auto-topology discovery function ensures that users always know what is connected where in the network.
Most network infrastructure devices require configuration parameters which may vary from one network to the next. Which redundancy protocol is required? What is the temperature threshold of the devices? Where is the time server located? Should the web interface be disabled for live operation? To which management station should alarms be sent? Must unused ports be disabled? The list goes on.
Whether the user is configuring 10 or 100 devices, the problems are the same. Device configuration is a tedious task. Even worse, a configuration error on a single device can be almost impossible to find. As a result, site acceptance tests become prolonged or the network may fail during live operation.
MultiConfg overcomes these problems by allowing the configuration of the same parameters across multiple devices simultaneously. It will also highlight any inconsistencies in parameter configurations It even works across different types of devices, where those devices have parameters in common. Finally, MultiConfg saves multiple devices configurations, both locally and to a server, without interfacing with each device individually – the perfect end to a network deployment. As a result, network administrators can now meet their work objectives with a lot less effort and risk.
For more information contact Vladimir Milovanovic, IAC, +27 (0)12 657 3600, [email protected], www.iaconline.co.za
| Tel: | +27 12 657 3600 |
| Fax: | +27 12 657 3630 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.iacontrol.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about Industrial Automation & Control (IAC) |
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version