Particularly beneficial in plants distributed over a wide geographical area, such as those of the automotive, chemical, solar energy and offshore wind industries, the Simatic IPC Remote Manager software package from the Siemens Industry Automation Division is used for efficient remote maintenance and administration of Simatic industrial PCs with Intel Core 2010 i5 and i7 processors. For password-protected remote access, it uses Intel AMT (Active Management Technology) functions, which act independently of the operating system and software, and regardless of whether the system is switched on or in standby. The software package reduces the number of time-consuming and costly on-site service visits and cuts energy consumption, for example, through the targeted shutdown of plant computers at the end of a production shift. It enables centralized service concepts to be implemented in which AMT functions are used for remote access of Simatic IPCs. System or program errors, for example, can be rectified and BIOS or program updates can be run from a control room without the need for a site visit. Productivity is increased and resources are saved by activating and deactivating systems centrally and loading updates during breaks in production. Remote access is carried out via secure connections providing access only for authorized personnel by means of HTTPS or TLS encryption. An icon-based user-friendly menu bar supports rapid access to all functions. The "Keyboard Video Mouse Redirection" function can be used to redirect the remote computer’s KVM signal to a central computer, without the need for additional hardware, so that an administrator can control the remote computer from a distance and set parameters, for example. Until now additional hardware, such as a switch, was required. The "Remote Power On / Off / Reset" function switches the remote computer on and off, or resets it, for maintenance purposes or when the operating system no longer responds. This function also supports centralized coasting down of the plant computers when production has stopped or before a production-free weekend. This enables a company to cut operating and power costs. The "Remote Reboot" function initiates a restart of the remote computer from hard disk, CD or network drive, following installation of an update, for example. Simatic IPC Remote Manager is suitable for all Simatic IPCs of device generation "B" and Simatic Field PG programming devices.
Edited by: Teoman Tugsuz
