Remote access to a PLC, camera, meter or some type of industrial device is a common need/want for many applications. There are many different options on the market including Secomea’s own Solution using the SiteManager, GateManager and LinkManager combination. You can find more specific information on the Secomea Remote Access solution here.
You have a central log server, historian or SCADA system along with several remote sites. You would like to get data back to that central location. Since you already have the Secomea Remote Access solution in place, its possible you could go through each SiteManager and access the connected device to pull the data. That wouldn’t be very efficient or practical in this scenario.
What is the solution? You need a persistent connection. You conclude a VPN tunnel from the remote site back to the central server is the answer. The problem now, is you would need to buy some VPN hardware/software to be at each remote site and maybe at the Central Server. You have to do VPN configurations, routes, firewalls, IP schemes, etc. Its going to be a lot of work. But have no fear, because Secomea has another EASY solution.
Introducing LogTunnel, LogTunnel enables you to establish those persistent connections to the same or other SiteManager controlled devices using simple drag-and-drop operations in the GateManager portal. This function works concurrently and independent of the standard LinkManager “on-demand” remote access. You don’t have to deal with any VPN, routes or firewalls.
The two additional things you need to use LogTunnel:
Some need to knows:
You have a central log server, historian or SCADA system along with several remote sites. You would like to get data back to that central location. Since you already have the Secomea Remote Access solution in place, its possible you could go through each SiteManager and access the connected device to pull the data. That wouldn’t be very efficient or practical in this scenario.
What is the solution? You need a persistent connection. You conclude a VPN tunnel from the remote site back to the central server is the answer. The problem now, is you would need to buy some VPN hardware/software to be at each remote site and maybe at the Central Server. You have to do VPN configurations, routes, firewalls, IP schemes, etc. Its going to be a lot of work. But have no fear, because Secomea has another EASY solution.
Introducing LogTunnel, LogTunnel enables you to establish those persistent connections to the same or other SiteManager controlled devices using simple drag-and-drop operations in the GateManager portal. This function works concurrently and independent of the standard LinkManager “on-demand” remote access. You don’t have to deal with any VPN, routes or firewalls.
The two additional things you need to use LogTunnel:
- LogTunnel License – one-time fee
- A SiteManager at the central location i.e. Log server, historian or SCADA. This would be the Master.
Some need to knows:
- Each LogTunnel Master takes up 1 agent.
- Each LogTunnel Master can have up to 254 clients.
- Each LogTunnel Master can only have 20 concurrent connections at once.
- Pull and Push Master can be on the same SiteManager, each will take up 1 agent.
Creating the Master or client agents are simple because Secomea already has set types to choose from.
Please note that LogTunnel Clients cannot be accessed via LinkManager.
If an agent needs to do both LogTunnel and Remote Access then create an agent like below.
Or if it is an existing agent, you just have to check the “Tunnel” box.
Configuring the LogTunnel Master is easy and straightforward.
- Enter the IP address of the log server.
- Configure the range of “alias” addresses that should represent the remote devices.Make sure that no other equipment is using any of the IP addresses in the range, as it may result in unpredictable network behavior.
- You will need to configure the specific ports or port range for TCP ports and/or UDP ports for the LogTunnel Master to listen on.
- You can specify whether the address range should be created on the Uplink or the DEV port.
- Idle timeout value in seconds. If left blank the default values will be 120 seconds for TCP connections and 30 seconds for UDP connections.
Once you have that completed, go into GateManager, click on the Master and attach it.
Then you simply can drag and drop your clients to the LogTunnel Master.
After that, you are done! You can poll data as if you were local.
If that's not enough for you, please check out the LogTunnel Case Study link below and this quick 3 minute video that explains LogTunnel.
