copadata/service-grid-proxy repository overview

⁠What is zenon?

zenon is a software platform from COPA-DATA for manufacturing and the energy industry. Machines and equipment are controlled, monitored and optimized. zenon’s particular strength is open and reliable communication in heterogeneous production facilities. Open interfaces and over 300 native drivers and communication protocols support the horizontal and vertical integration. This allows for continuous implementation of the Industrial IoT and the Smart Factory. Projects with zenon are highly scalable.

zenon is ergonomic, both for the engineer and for the end user. The engineering environment is flexible and can be used for a wide range of applications. The principle of “setting parameters instead of programming” helps engineers to configure projects quickly and without errors. Complex functions for comprehensive projects are supplied out-of-the-box to create intuitive and robust applications. Users can thereby contribute to increased flexibility and efficiency with zenon

⁠zenon Service Grid

zenon Service Grid is part of the zenon Software Platform. This software platform makes the engineering and automated operation of manufacturing and infrastructure equipment incredibly easy. The zenon Service Grid connects the Engineering Studio, Service Engine and Report Engine. These components can thus exchange data via the Service Grid and make it accessible to other Service Grid components.

The term Service Grid refers to a distributed software platform that consists of several components, called services. Each one of these services fulfills a certain task and can be installed and operated on different target systems separately from other services.

The individual services use web technologies. Content is thus completely usable on mobile devices too.

⁠Scope of Application

Users can implement different application scenarios using the networking capabilities of Service Grid together with the existing components of the zenon platform.

For example:

• Central monitoring and control of distributed sites – without VPN
• Analysis of historical data and behavior of values predicted therefrom
• Connection of third-party systems and mobile apps for data querying and control
• Connection of IoT devices such as smart energy meters
• Display of the current equipment status using web-based visualization thanks to HTML5

zenon Service Grid uses event-oriented communication via the central Service Hub for data transfer between the services. The individual participants can thus exchange data flexibly with each other Since the individual service components only need to be aware of the Service Hub, this model also supports the ability of the system being distributed.

⁠Data Encryption and Security

Data transfer via the Service Hub is encrypted all the time. Participants utilize service credentials and digital certificates for this. Secure data transfer via public networks, such as the Internet, is thus guaranteed.

Mechanisms for the authentication and authorization of users ensure regulated access to the web user interfaces and programming interfaces of the services offered.

⁠Download and Getting Started Guide

The initial setup of zenon Service Grid is documented in detail in the “Service Grid – Getting Started Guide for Docker”. You can download this guide – and other resources, like configuration files and the user manual – from our website copadata.com⁠.