Network management

Siemens Industry Automation Division has extensively revised its network management software Sinema Server.

The new version 12 allows each Sinema Server station to monitor up to 500 devices, i.e. double the number of clients monitored by its predecessor. Moreover, as each Sinema Server can display the status of up to 100 other Sinema Servers within the network, the total number of clients that can be monitored by Siemens application the is 50,000. Connected components are automatically identified via SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and Profinet devices via DCP (Device Control Protocol). The new version 12 also allows the user to edit, load and save device profiles. Moreover, the user interface has been enhanced and the integration into HMI devices and Scada systems such as Simatic WinCC or Simatic PCS7 greatly improved.

Sinema Server has been designed to continuously monitor Ethernet and Profinet networks in industrial and infrastructure environments. The software displays all physical connections at port level as well as machine- or application specific network configurations. The application flags up any malfunction within the network, thereby assisting with rapid fault-location and removal, which in turn, lead to reduced downtime. In order to do this, Sinema Server creates an image of the network topology including any existing VLANs (Virtual LANs). This enables the software to then continuously monitors both changes in the network architecture and the availability and status of components and connections within the network. This is possible even for network sections which are protected by security products provided they have been cleared for access by Sinema Server. The device diagnostics function provides configuration and identification data such as name, device type, serial number and product-specific status values. Sinema Server V12 also allows users to define alarm threshold values for the various parameters of a specific device. Sinema Server can be used not only for monitoring but also for documenting device inventory, network availability and network utilization.

Sinema Server V12 supports Windows XP, Windows 7 (32/64 bit) and Windows Server 2008 R2. Users are now free to choose from four display languages: English, German, French or Chinese.