Edge Server

Introduction

As part of a scalable EcoStruxure Building Management System (BMS), Edge Server provides key functionality, such as control logic, trend logging, and alarm supervision, and supports communication and connectivity to IP based field buses. The distributed intelligence of the EcoStruxure BMS helps ensure fault tolerance against detected faults and provides a fully featured user interface through WorkStation and WebStation.

Edge Server has the same role in an EcoStruxure BMS as the automation server, such as SpaceLogic AS-P, but is software only using modern deployment and orchestration technologies.

Features

Edge Server is a powerful software component for customers who prefer use of container technologies for hosting software applications. In a small installation with IP based field controllers, Edge Server acts as a standalone server. In medium and large installations, functionality is distributed over multiple Edge Server instances that communicate over TCP/IP with Enterprise Server as the Operational Technology (OT) orchestrator.

Edge Server has the following features:

• Communications hub

• Container

• Authentication and permissions through powerful systems

• WorkStation/WebStation interface

• Native BTL-listed BACnet support

• BACnet/SC node, hub, or router

• Native OPC UA Client support

• Native Modbus support

• Web Services support based open standards

• EcoStruxure Web Services support

• MQTT IoT protocol support

• External log storage option

• AVEVA PI System support

• Meter management

• Normalization and signatures

• Compliance for regulated industries

• Reporting

• Text and graphics-based programming tools

• I/O expansion option

• IT friendly networking based on the TCP/IP suite of communication protocols

• TLS support

Capable of coordinating traffic from above and below its location, Edge Server can deliver data directly to you or to other servers throughout the site. Edge Server can run multiple control programs, manage alarms and users, handle scheduling and logging, and communicate using a variety of protocols. Because of this, most parts of the system function autonomously and continue to run as a whole even if communication is interrupted or individual EcoStruxure BMS servers or devices go offline.

Edge Server can be seen as a software-only version of SpaceLogic AS-P, enabling very fast and more secure deployment, a high level of resiliency, and ultra-fast disaster recovery. Edge Server can be deployed on operating systems with Linux container support and in large installations, and orchestration infrastructure such as Kubernetes can be used.

An EcoStruxure BMS provides a powerful permission system that is easy to manage, flexible, and adapts to all kinds of system sizes. The permission system provides a high standard of authentication. Authentication is done against the built-in user account management system or a SAML 2.0 identity provider. If used with Enterprise Server for Windows, authentication can be done against Windows Active Directory. The built-in account management system allows an administrator to establish password policies that meet stringent cybersecurity guidelines. In addition, multi-factor authentication (MFA) according to RFC 6238 is supported and enforceable. Applications such as Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator can be used as part of the user authentication. When Windows Active Directory or SAML 2.0 authentication is used, the administration costs are lower because users do not have to be managed in multiple directories.

Through any client, the user experience is similar regardless of which EcoStruxure BMS server the user is logged on to. The user can log directly on to Edge Server to engineer, commission, supervise, and monitor the server as well as the IP based field bus controllers that the server hosts. See the WorkStation and WebStation specification sheets for additional information.

One of the cornerstones of the EcoStruxure BMS is support for open standards. Edge Server can natively communicate with some of the most popular standards for buildings: BACnet (including BACnet/SC), OPC UA Client, and Modbus.

Edge Server communicates directly to BACnet/IP networks. Edge Server is BTL-listed as BACnet Building Controllers (B-BC), the most advanced BACnet Device Profile. This capability provides access to an extensive range of BACnet devices from Schneider Electric and other vendors. See the BTL Product Catalog for up-to-date details on BTL listed firmware revisions on BACnet International's home page. Edge Server can also serve as a BACnet Broadcast Management Device (BBMD) to facilitate BACnet systems that span multiple IP subnets.

Edge Server supports BACnet/SC applications as a BACnet/SC node, hub, and router. This allows Edge Server to be in BACnet/SC networks and support applications that connect BACnet/IP with BACnet/SC networks. A major benefit of BACnet/SC is that it allows more secure transport of BACnet traffic and information between BACnet/SC devices over private and public networks without the need for BBMDs, VLANs, and VPNs, because the BACnet/SC protocol uses WebSocket technology and TLS 1.3 encryption. In addition, BACnet/SC uses certificate management to help ensure only those devices authorized to be on a BACnet/SC network can operate on that network.

OPC UA Client functionality is natively supported in Enterprise Server and automation servers, enabling powerful and high-capacity integration of devices or systems that have OPC UA Server capability. OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is a standard originating from industrial automation and process control that provides methods intended to provide improved security, performance, and engineering efficiency. With OPC UA Client support, the EcoStruxure Building Operation software can monitor and control a wide variety of devices or systems, from Schneider Electric as well as from other companies.

Edge Server natively integrates Modbus TCP client and server configurations. This allows full access to third-party products and the range of Schneider Electric products that communicate on the Modbus protocol, such as power meters, UPS, circuit breakers, and lighting controllers.

Modbus device types are pre-configured Modbus applications for quick and easy Modbus device integration in EcoStruxure Building Operation solutions.

Edge Server supports the use of Web Services based on open standards, such as SOAP and REST, to consume data into the EcoStruxure BMS. Use incoming third-party data (temperature forecast, energy cost) over the Web to determine site modes, scheduling, and programming.

EcoStruxure Web Services, Schneider Electric’s Web Services standard, is natively supported in the EcoStruxure BMS servers. EcoStruxure Web Services offers extra features between compliant systems whether within Schneider Electric or other authorized systems. These features include system directory browsing, read/write of current values, alarm receipt and acknowledgement, and historical trend log data. EcoStruxure Web Services requires user name and password to log on to the system.

The Enterprise Server and automation servers support MQTT as an option for publishing data to, and receiving updates from, other systems. MQTT is a messaging transport protocol that with its small footprint, light bandwidth utilization, and simplicity, is ideal for M2M and IoT communication. The MQTT capability supports communication with any MQTT broker, for example, Amazon, Microsoft, Google or IBM.

EcoStruxure BMS servers can be configured to automatically store all historical data, trend log data, event log and audit trail data, in an external database. If data needs to be available for longer periods of time, an external log storage can be incorporated into the EcoStruxure BMS without the need for extensive engineering work. The supported databases are TimescaleDB, which is built on PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server. The data in the external log storage is available natively to the viewers built into the EcoStruxure Building Operation clients and to the built-in reporting functionality.

You can use the powerful Log Processor functionality for custom processing of trend data for viewing in charts, dashboards and for inclusion in reports. The Log Processor enables advanced calculations on one or multiple trend logs and point values.

Examples of advanced calculations:

• Energy usage normalization

• Virtual submeters and summaries

• Calculation of Mean Kinetic Temperature

• Unit conversions

• Average, maximum, and mini m um over custom periods

The output of the Log Processor can be saved in the database, including the External Log Storage or calculated automatically on demand.

Selected trend logs and the event log can be sent to AVEVA PI System directly without the need for intermediate storage or specialized PI System connectors. The EcoStruxure BMS server can also be the front-end client to AVEVA PI System and obtain data from the PI System that can be included in reports, graphics, and dashboards.

With the meter management functionality, EcoStruxure Building Operation offers improved methods to ensure data is accurate and meter changes are automatically detected. In addition, purpose-built functions enable easier handling of the following concepts:

• Aggregations

• Virtual metering

• Apportioned metering

• Unit conversions

Meter hierarchies enable powerful visualization of sub-meter structures or categorizations. A web-based editor with intelligent help functions enables efficient construction of meter hierarchies.

The normalization functions help with benchmarking, and the signature function enables automation and/or alerting when resource usage is too high or low. This enables early detection of faulty equipment and misused building functions, resulting in energy savings and higher occupant satisfaction.

The system includes easy-to-use tools for regression analysis and powerful methods for time-period classification, that is, differentiation of workdays versus holidays.

Using the built-in security features within the EcoStruxure Building Operation software, you can comply with 21 CFR Part 11 and other Life Sciences regulations, restricting access to authorized and qualified individuals and with full audit trail. In addition, the built-in access and security settings can be enhanced by applying further restrictions and limit access by time-of-day or geographic location.

The change control features extend the basic activity logging provided by the EcoStruxure Building Operation software by enhancing the functionality of the standard log, enabling efficient and fully configurable change control with the following features:

• Single or dual electronic signature application

• Change control that can be restricted only to specific objects in the system

• Change control that can easily be applied to all objects

• Every associated action is logged with the parameter that was changed

• Before and after parameter values including meta data

For each signature event, the change control signatures contain:

• The unique identifier of the person executing the signature

• The full name of the user who performed the action

• The geographical date and time stamp

• The meaning of the signature, such as approval, review, responsibility, and authorship

The EcoStruxure BMS servers provide built-in functionality for basic reporting that can deliver reports in any text format and XLSX, without any dependencies to other external software. Reports for XLSX can be enriched by using advanced functionality such as formulas, conditional formatting, charts and sparklines.

Reports can be generated on schedule, on an alarm event or other custom conditions, and you can get the output delivered via email or written to file.

For applications that require remote I/O resources, the SpaceLogic IP-IO modules provide a versatile mix of I/O points for any application. For more information, see the SpaceLogic IP-IO Specification Sheet.

Unique to the industry, the EcoStruxure BMS servers have both Script and Function Block programming options. This flexibility helps assure that a suitable programming method can be selected for the application.

The EcoStruxure BMS servers communicate using the networking standards. This makes installations easy, management simple, and transactions more secure.

• IP addressing

• TCP communications

• DNS for simple lookup of addresses

• HTTP/HTTPS for Internet access through firewalls, which enables remote monitoring and control

• SMTP or SMTPS with support for SSL/TLS based authentication, enables sending email messages triggered by schedule or alarm

• SNMP enables network supervision and reception of application alarms in designated network management tools

• WebSocket Secure (WSS) and TLS 1.3 encryption (BACnet/SC applications)

Communication between clients and the EcoStruxure BMS servers , and between EcoStruxure BMS servers, can be encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS ). The servers are delivered with a default self-signed certificate. Commercial Certification Authority (CA) server certificates are supported to lower the risk of malicious information technology attacks. Use of encrypted communication can be enforced for both WorkStation and WebStation access.