FDP Server

Introduction

Fire detection is at the core of an EcoStruxure Building Management System (BMS). The Esmi Sense FDP server provides communication and connectivity to the fire detection system. This field server performs key functionality, such as control logic, trend logging, and alarm supervision, and supports communication and connectivity to the fire detection system. 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.

Features

The Esmi Sense FDP server can act as a standalone server to manage the fire detection system or as a native server in the EcoStruxure BMS architecture.

The Esmi Sense FDP server has the following features:

• Communications hub

• Authentication and permissions through powerful systems

• WorkStation/WebStation interface

• Native BACnet support*

• Native OPC UA Client support

• Native Modbus support

• EcoStruxure Web Services support

• MQTT IoT protocol support

• External log storage option

• AVEVA PI System support

• Compliance for regulated industries

• Reporting

• Scalable configurations

• Text and graphics-based programming tools

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

• TLS support

* Pending BTL certification

Capable of coordinating traffic from above and below its location, the Esmi Sense FDP server can deliver data directly to you or to other servers throughout the site. The Esmi Sense FDP server provides access to the full fire detection system and 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.

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 an Esmi Sense FDP server to engineer, commission, supervise, and monitor the Esmi Sense FDP server as well as the fire detection system. See the WorkStation and WebStation specification sheets for additional information.

One of the cornerstones of the EcoStruxure BMS is support for open standards. The Esmi Sense FDP server can natively communicate with some of the most popular standards for buildings: BACnet/IP, OPC UA Client, and Modbus TCP/IP.

The Esmi Sense FDP server communicates directly to BACnet/IP networks. The Esmi Sense FDP servers have a pending BTL certification 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. An Esmi Sense FDP server can also serve as a BACnet Broadcast Management Device (BBMD) to facilitate BACnet systems that span multiple IP subnets.

OPC UA Client functionality is natively supported in Enterprise Server and field 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 BMS software can monitor and control a wide variety of devices or systems, from Schneider Electric as well as from other companies.

The Enterprise Server and Esmi Sense FDP server natively integrate Modbus TCP/IP 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, lighting controllers, and emergency lighting.

Modbus device types are pre-configured Modbus applications for quick and easy Modbus device integration in EcoStruxure BMS solutions. For information on the Modbus devices supported using Modbus device types, see the document EcoStruxure Building - Modbus Device Integration - Supported Device Brochure.

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 field 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 BMS 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.

Using the built-in security features within the EcoStruxure BMS software, you can comply with regulations related to restricting access to authorized and qualified individuals and with full audit trail. Not only providing a digital journal for fire detection, but extending to other areas such as 21 CFR Part 11 and other Life Sciences regulations. 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 BMS 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.

The Esmi Sense FDP server can represent up to 32 Esmi Sense FDP fire detection panels connected in a network and the associated loop devices. The Esmi Sense FDP server can access those fire detection panels that are configured as visible to the Esmi Sense FDP fire panel running the EcoStruxure Fire Operation software. The Esmi Sense FDP server will automatically create all components of the fire detection system based on the active fire detection system configuration that exists in the Esmi Sense FDP server.

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

• DHCP for easy network configuration

• DNS for simple lookup of addresses

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

• NTP (Network Time Protocol) for time synchronization through the fire detection system configuration

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

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.

Software Licensing Model

EcoStruxure BMS software version 7.0 offers a simplified and centralized licensing model which allows for one-time, single-step activation of a system license deployed at the top level server of the system, thus removing the need for license engineering on each server in the system. This provides considerable time savings during the initial commissioning as well as during any future upgrade of the system.

System capabilities are available in a three-tier model: Essential, Advanced, and Advanced Plus. Select the tier that matches your business needs, and everything will then be bundled into the centralized system license and inherited across all servers in your system architecture, including Enterprise Central, Enterprise Server, and field servers.

The centralized licensing model combined with the three-tier capability model provides a uniquely easy-to-manage system throughout the lifecycle. Among other benefits, this gives the ability to remotely manage the capability tier as business needs evolve and to facilitate expansion as the system grows with added servers and connected devices.

Configuration of software licenses is done through EcoStruxure Power & Building Software Companion, accessible by EcoXpert™ partners and Schneider Electric representatives. It provides the ability to select architecture and tier options as well as manage license evolutions throughout the lifecycle of the system.

For more information on the three-tier system capabilities, see the Schneider Electric website, www.se.com .