GE Measurement & Control Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide
Contents BENEFITS OF REMOTE COMMS SYSTEM... 1 HOW THE REMOTE COMMS SYSTEM WORKS... 3 COMPONENTS OF REMOTE COMMS SYSTEM... 2 PREREQUISITES... 4 SOFTWARE AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS... 4 INSTALLATION PREREQUISITES... 4 INSTALL AND SET UP REMOTE COMMS SYSTEM... 5 CREATE REMOTE COMMS DATABASE... 5 INSTALL REMOTE COMMS MANAGER SOFTWARE... 7 SET SERVER CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS... 8 UNINSTALL REMOTE COMMS MANAGER... 8 CONFIGURE REMOTE COMMS SYSTEM... 9 APPLY REMOTE COMMS SERVER LICENCE... 9 CREATE CLIENTS... 9 CREATE USER ACCOUNTS... 10 USING ASCENT WITH REMOTE COMMS... 11 CONFIGURE ASCENT FOR USE WITH REMOTE COMMS SYSTEM... 11 SEND DATA FROM ASCENT TO REMOTE COMMS SERVER... 12 RECEIVE DATA FROM REMOTE COMMS SERVER INTO ASCENT... 12 REMOTE COMMS FUNCTIONALITY ON SCOUT / VBSERIES INSTRUMENT... 13 CONFIGURE SCOUT / VBSERIES INSTRUMENT FOR USE WITH REMOTE COMMS... 13 RECEIVE DATA INTO SCOUT / VBSERIES INSTRUMENT... 14 SEND DATA FROM SCOUT / VBSERIES INSTRUMENT TO ASCENT... 14 MONITOR AND MAINTAIN REMOTE COMMS... 15 SEND MESSAGE OR FIRMWARE UPGRADE TO INSTRUMENT... 15 VIEW HISTORY OF USER ACCESS... 15 VIEW HISTORY OF INSTRUMENT ACCESS... 16 RUN CUSTOM LOG REPORT... 16 Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide
Benefits of Remote Comms System The Remote Comms system provides vibration analysts and field engineers who are using SCOUT / vbseries instruments with secure, asynchronous communication to Ascent. The connection is made via a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or the internet. This enables users to send and receive data remotely 24/7, anywhere in the world. The SCOUT / vbseries instrument and Ascent do not need to be connected at the same time or in the same location. The Remote Comms system works equally well for consultant analysts who manage several small remote client plants and large corporations that have a central vibration analysis division devoted to remote site analysis. The Remote Comms system enables you to: Save time and money Diagnose problems quickly Work smarter and more efficiently Minimize travel time and costs Access data securely, 24/7 anywhere in the world Choose when you want to upload data you have collected NOTE: The Remote Comms system is available via the Flex licensing system. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 1
Components of Remote Comms System The Remote Comms system comprises a range of components that enable remote communication between Ascent in the office and SCOUT / vbseries instruments in the field. This system contains the following components: Ascent An Ascent installation, with a Remote Comms license, sends folders to and receives data from the Remote Comms server. Portable instrument The portable instrument, with a Remote Comms license, receives folders from and sends data to the Remote Comms server. The Remote Comms server The physical or virtual hardware where Remote Comms is installed. MORE: See the system requirements for this server. The Remote Comms service A Windows service that receives from and sends data to Ascent or your portable instrument. Your Remote Comms database Stores folders and data while they are waiting to be received from Ascent or a portable instrument. The Remote Comms Manager (RCM) The Remote Comms Manager is an application that is used to configure the Remote Comms service. Remote Comms system components Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 2
How the Remote Comms System Works The Remote Comms system functions a bit like a post office or email server. Information is gathered in a central location on its way between Ascent and one or more portable instruments. Here is an example of how you could use the Remote Comms system: 1. A vibration analyst in your head office creates a route in Ascent. 2. This vibration analyst sends the route to your Remote Comms server. 3. A field engineer stationed at a plant in a remote location downloads the route from your Remote Comms server to their portable instrument. 4. This field engineer uses their instrument to take the recordings for the route. 5. The field engineer then uploads the recordings from their instrument to your Remote Comms server. 6. The vibration analyst in your head office receives an automated email, notifying them that these recordings are available. 7. They then use Ascent to retrieve the recordings from your Remote Comms server and download these to the Ascent database for analysis. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 3
Software, Licence, and Installation Prerequisites In order to use the Remote Comms system you will need to comply with the following system, licensing and preinstallation requirements. Software and Licensing Requirements You will need to meet the following system and licensing requirements to use the Remote Comms system: Ascent 2013 R3 or later. SCOUT / vbseries Instrument firmware to match the version of Ascent installed. NOTE: The latest versions of Ascent and the vbseries firmware are available at www.commtest.com. You will also find the relevant release notes and upgrade guide here. One licence for the Remote Comms Server. One licence for each Ascent installation that will use the Remote Comms system. One licence for each portable instrument that will be used with the Remote Comms system. NOTE: All vbseries instrument models are compatible with the Remote Comms system. MORE: The latest version of the Ascent Reference Guide explains how to apply a Flex licence. This guide is available at www.commtest.com. Installation Prerequisites In order to install the Remote Comms system you will need the following system resources: Server hardware designed to support the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 operating system. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 or higher operating system installed. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 or higher (including Express edition) installed. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Installed. Remote Comms database configured in the Microsoft SQL Server environment Selected communications port open on firewalls The default is TCP port 6116. A static IP address or URL. SMTP Server available (Optional) for sending automatic notifications. NOTE: The Remote Comms system does not require a dedicated server. It can also be operated in a virtualized environment. Likewise the Remote Comms databases can coexist with other databases on a single SQL server. Microsoft SQL Express can be used but this is subject to Microsoft size limitations for this product. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 4
Install and Set Up Remote Comms System Creating the Remote Comms database and installing the Remote Comms Manager software requires administration permissions and router configurations. Consequently we recommend involving your IT professional in the installation of the Remote Comms system. To install and set up the Remote Comms system you will need to: 1. Set up a Remote Comms database on your Remote Comms server. 2. Install Remote Comms Manager (RCM) and specify the settings required to access your Remote Comms server. 3. Set your organisation up as a client in RCM You will need your Commtest Licence Key (CLK) to do this. 4. Set up one or more users for your organisation in RCM, ensuring you specify appropriate folder access for each user. NOTE: A user will only be able to receive data contained in folders they have permission to access. 5. Add your Remote Comms server details to Ascent. 6. Update your vbseries instrument with the settings you specified in RCM. Create Remote Comms Database To create the database for your Remote Comms system: 1. Open the SQL Server Management Studio. 2. Expand the navigator > Select the Database folder. Selecting the Database folder 3. Right-click the Databases folder > Select New Database The window for creating a database opens. 4. Enter the database name as RemoteComms. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 5
Naming the Remote Comms database 5. Click Add. 6. Expand the Security folder in the Navigator. 7. Right-click Logins > Select New Login. 8. Create a new database user account. 9. Enter the name for the new user as Remote Comms User. TIP: If your company already has a database policy you can use an existing administrative user. 10. Click OK. 11. Right-click the Remote Comms User account > Select Properties. 12. Select User Mapping in the Login Properties window 13. Tick the Remote Comms checkbox in the top right of the window. 14. Tick the db_owner checkbox in the bottom right of the window. 15. Click OK to finish creating the database. Setting up the Remote Comms database Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 6
Install Remote Comms Manager Software Remote Comms Manager (RCM) is a small software application you can use to manage your Remote Comms server settings. You will need to install and run this application only on your Remote Comms server. To do this: 1. Download and run the Remote Comms Installer at http://www.commtest.com/what_s_new/product_releases/index#remote. 2. Click Next on the Remote Comms Setup wizard. 3. Tick the checkbox provided to accept the licence agreement > Click Next. 4. Enter the Server instance, name, or IP address in the SQL Server machine name field. 5. Enter your authentication details using EITHER of these options: Tick the Use Windows Authentication checkbox. Untick the Use Windows Authentication checkbox > Enter your SQL Server authentication details. 6. Click Next. 7. Click OK to acknowledge the message notifying you that your connection is successful. TIP: If the connection is unsuccessful, reconfirm the address and name of the SQL Server and try again. 8. Click Browse to install RCM in a different location (if required). 9. Click Install. 10. Click Close once the installation is complete Remote Comms Manager will open ready for you to configure the Remote Comms service. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 7
Set Server Configuration Parameters During the initial setup, you will need to check each of the configuration parameters and update them if required. The table outlines the parameters available. Parameter Accepting Connections (Read Only) Admin Notification Email Application First Start Date (Read Only) Description Accepting Connections status Recipient(s) of daily notifications (Separated by semicolons) First startup date of Remote Comms service Clean Up Folder Data After X Days Removes old data from server (0=disable) * 1 Enable Daily Report (Read Only) From Email Address Daily Admin reports enabled Specifies From address for email notifications Minimum Password Length Default 5 Port TCP Port used for Communications. Default 6116. SMTP Password SMTP Port SMTP Server SMTP Username Password to access email server (if required) TCP Port for email server Address of email server Username to access email server (if required) * 1 Data that has not been received will not be deleted by the automatic clean-up function. To check and update these parameters: 1. Open Remote Comms Manager. 2. Select the Configuration Parameters tab. 3. Double-click each parameter to view the current configuration. 4. Update the parameter (if required). 5. Click Save. Uninstall Remote Comms Manager If required you can uninstall the Remote Comms Manager. Doing so will remove the application and service. To do this: 1. Stop the Remote Comms service from Remote Comms Manager the Windows Services console. 2. Select Start > All Programs > Commtest > Remote Comms > Uninstall Remote Comms. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 8
Configure Remote Comms System Remote Comms Manager provides the interface to manage your Remote Comms service settings. It is installed when you install the Remote Comms system. You can use Remote Comms Manager to: Configure the server Create and manage users Monitor performance NOTE: Remote Comms Manager only runs on the Remote Comms server. Apply Remote Comms Server Licence You will need to apply the licence for your Remote Comms server. This is NOT the same as the licence key for your Ascent applications. To apply this licence: 1. Open Remote Comms Manager. 2. Select the License tab. 3. Enter your Remote Comms server license key. 4. Click Get/Update License. Create Clients Clients are created within Remote Comms Manager to control which users can access data: If you only collect data within your own organisation, you will only need to create one Client. If you are a Service Provider collecting data for different customers, you will need to set up a Client for each of your customers. To set up a Client in Remote Comms Manager: 1. Open Remote Comms Manager. 2. Ensure the Site Structure tab is selected. 3. Click New Client at the bottom of the window. 4. Enter your Commtest Licence Key (CLK) in the field provided. 5. Click Add. 6. Double-click the client > Add a description on the right of the table. 7. Click Save to apply the update. 8. Repeat these steps to add more clients as required. TIP: You can add clients later if required. To do this, re-open Remote Comms Manager. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 9
Create User Accounts Access to the Remote Comms system is controlled by user accounts. Each person who will be using the Remote Comms system will need a user account. To create a user account: 1. Open Remote Comms Manager. 2. Select the Users tab. 3. Click New User. 4. Enter a username and password for the user in the fields provided. 5. Expand the Client field > Select the client for the user. 6. Click Create. 7. Double-click the user account you have created. 8. Enter an email address for the user in the field provided. 9. Select ONE of these automated email notification options for the user: Never The user will NOT receive any email notifications about the Remote Comms system. All activity relating to my folders The user will be notified whenever there is activity relating to a folder they have permission to access. They will also receive the Daily Summary email. Daily summary The user will receive an email detailing their daily activity on the server. 10. Click Save. 11. Use EITHER of these options to manage the user s access to your organisation s data folders: Tick Allow access to all folders for selected Client to grant the user access to all the data folders. Untick Allow access to all folders for selected Client > Tick the particular folders you wish to grant the user access to. 12. Click Save. 13. Repeat these steps to add more users (if required). NOTE: If required you can open Remote Comms Manager at a later to date to change a user s password, the client they are assigned to, or disable their account. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 10
Use Ascent with Remote Comms System When configuring Ascent for use with the Remote Comms you will need the server settings for your site. You might need to ask your IT professional for these details. Configure Ascent for use with Remote Comms System To set up Ascent for use with the Remote Comms system: 1. Open Ascent. 2. Select Edit > Manage > vbinstruments. 3. Click Add > Select Remote Comms Server. 4. Enter your server details in the fields provided: a. Enter the name or description of your server in the Name field. b. In the Server Address field enter the IP Address or URL of the Remote Comms Server. c. Change the number in the Port field to reflect that used by the Remote Comms server The Default is 6116. d. Enter the username and password for your server in the fields provided Both are case sensitive. e. Click Test Connection. f. Tick Enable Proxy Settings if your network uses a Proxy Server to connect to your Remote Comms server > Enter the relevant details in the fields provided. 5. Click Add Server when you have finished entering the required details. Setting up Remote Comms functionality in Ascent Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 11
Send Data from Ascent to Remote Comms Server To send data from Ascent to your Remote Comms server: 1. Open Ascent. 2. Click Send. 3. Select Remote Comms Server in the Comms Method field. 4. Select your Remote Comms server in the Server field. 5. Tick the checkboxes beside the folders you wish to send. 6. Click Send. NOTE: You will NOT be able to receive the data into your instrument until you have been granted permission for this within the Remote Comms server. Sending data from Ascent to your Remote Comms server Receive Data from Remote Comms server into Ascent To receive data from your Remote Comms server into Ascent: 1. Open Ascent. 2. Click Receive. 3. Select Remote Comms server in the Comms Method field. 4. Select your Remote Comms server in the Server field. 5. Expand the navigator tree > Select the folders you wish to receive data from. 6. Tick the checkboxes beside the data you wish to receive. 7. Click Receive. Preparing to receive the selected data from your Remote Comms server into Ascent Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 12
Remote Comms Functionality on SCOUT / vbseries Instrument Once you have configured your SCOUT / vbseries instrument for use with the Remote Comms system, you can transfer data between your instrument and a Remote Comms server. Configure SCOUT / vbseries Instrument for use with Remote Comms System You will need to configure each instrument that will use the Remote Comms system with your Remote Comms server details. To do this: 1. Press Remote Comms. 2. Press Settings. 3. Press Server Address. 4. Enter the IP address followed by a colon ( : ) and the port number configured in the Remote Comms server E.g. 192.168.45.200:6116 > Press. 5. Press Username > Enter your Remote Comms user account name in the field provided > Press. 6. Press Password > Enter your Remote Comms password in the field provided > Press. NOTE: The username and password are case sensitive. Configuring a SCOUT / vbseries instrument for use with the Remote Comms system 7. Press Proxy Settings if your network uses a Proxy Server to connect to your Remote Comms server: a. Press Proxy Server > Enter the Proxy address > Press. b. Press Proxy Type > Enter the proxy type in the field provided > Press. c. Press Proxy Username > Enter the proxy username in the field provided > Press. d. Press Proxy Password > Enter the proxy password in the field provided > Press. 8. Press Connection Test to check you are successfully connecting to the network. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 13
9. Press Sync Enabled to toggle and select your preferred option: Yes All Routes and Recordings that are waiting are automatically sent to and received from your Remote Comms server. NOTE: When Sync is enabled, all data within a folder is sent to your Remote Comms Server and will no longer be visible on your instrument. No You will be able to send and receive folders manually. 10. Press Delete Sent Folders to toggle between: Ask You will receive a message asking whether you wish to delete a sent folder. No Sent folders will NOT be deleted automatically. Yes Sent folders will be deleted automatically from your instrument, saving you space. NOTE: This function is NOT available when Sync mode is enabled. 11. Press Site to select from the available sites you have access to. NOTE: Sites must be uploaded from Ascent to the Remote Comms server and user permissions must be granted before sites will be visible from the instrument. Receive Data into SCOUT / vbseries Instrument To receive data from a Remote Comms server into your instrument: 1. Press Remote Comms > Wait while your instrument connects to the server. 2. Press Receive Folder or Sync with Server. NOTE: The option displayed depends on whether Sync is enabled in your instrument settings for Remote Comms. 3. Select the folder containing the data you wish to receive > Press. Send Data from SCOUT / vbseries Instrument to Ascent To send data from your instrument to Ascent via a Remote Comms server: 1. Press Remote Comms > Wait while your instrument connects to the server. 2. Press Sync with Server or Send Folder. NOTE: The option displayed depends on the settings you specified for Remote Comms on your instrument. 3. Select the folder you wish to send the data to > Press. 4. Take EITHER of these actions: Press Delete if you wish to delete the folder you have just uploaded. Press Continue if you wish to retain the folder you have uploaded to the server. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 14
Monitor and Maintain Remote Comms System To maximise the benefits of the Remote Comms system, we recommend you monitor and maintain your Remote Comms server. Send Message or Firmware Upgrade to Instrument You can send a message or firmware upgrade to one or more instrument. This is useful if you want to get a quick message to a field engineer onsite or ensure they are using the latest version of the SCOUT / vbseries firmware. When you do this, the user will receive the message or Proflash file when next they access the Remote Comms functionality on their instrument. To send a message or firmware upgrade to an instrument: 1. Open Remote Comms Manager. 2. Use EITHER of these methods depending on whether you want to send the message or file to one or more instruments: Send to one instrument Select the Instruments tab > Right-click the required instrument. Send to multiple instruments Select the Site Structure tab > Right-click the site. 3. Select View Messages. 4. Click New Message on the Messages window that opens to create and send a message to the selected instrument. 5. Select EITHER of these options: Select Text Message to send a text message to the instrument > Enter the message in the field provided. Select Proflash > Click the browse button to locate and select the firmware file you wish to send. 6. Click OK. 7. Click Close The user will receive the message or Proflash notification the next time they access the Remote Comms functionality on their instrument. View History of User Access Sending a message to an instrument You can view a history of each user s activity on your server. To do this: 1. Open Remote Comms Manager. 2. Select the Users tab. 3. Double-click the user s name The User log displays at the bottom right of the Remote Comms Manager window. Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 15
View History of Instrument Access You can view the last connection of each instrument to the Remote Comms system. To do this: 1. Open Remote Comms Manager. 2. Select the Instruments tab The last connection of each instrument is shown in the table. Run Custom Log Report Seeing which instruments have connected to your server You can run a custom log report to view details of activity on your server, including logins and sent emails. To do this: 1. Open Remote Comms Manager. 2. Select the Log tab. 3. Use the filter checkboxes provided to select the required categories. 4. Use the date fields provided to select the required time period. 5. Click Refresh Log to ensure you are viewing current data that matches your filter and date selections. Running a custom log report to view activity on your server Remote Comms System Installation and User Reference Guide 16