This section outlines the validation testing of Kepware Server and Kepware Edge. Kepware Server validation testing was completed on a Dell EMC Edge Gateway 5200 running Windows Server 2019. Kepware Edge validation testing, along with its counterpart licensing server, was tested on VMs hosted on a vSphere environment. The subsequent sections will outline the architecture and specific components used for each test. It is important to note that the goal of the validation testing was to confirm basic functionality. Both Kepware Server and Kepware Edge support many more use cases than what is listed here.
Kepware Server validation testing
The main goal of the Kepware Server validation testing is to confirm basic functionality of Kepware Server running on a Dell Edge 5200 Gateway. The Operating System used in this validation testing was Windows Server 2019. Kepware Server version 6.11.718 was used for these tests. Reference the KEPServer EX V6 Manual for deployment steps and any further detail.
The testing confirms the following functionality:
Ability to ingest data from external sources
Confirm functionality of MQTT and OPC UA client drivers
Successful connection to ThingWorx server using the ThingWorx Native Interface
Confirm correct Kepware Server tag data in the corresponding ThingWorx Thing properties
Test steps:
The data flow from the preceding figure originates from device simulators. Examples of device simulators could be a OPC UA server, MQTT broker, or a Modbus TCP simulator.
Configure Kepware server to use its client drivers to connect to the different simulators over each unique protocol.
Add the externally simulated data as tags within Kepware Sever under each appropriate Channel.
Configure Kepware Server to connect to a ThingWorx server using the ThingWorx Native Interface connection settings (for details on a secure connection, see Security).
After a successful connection from Kepware Server to ThingWorx, add the Kepware Server connection as an Industrial Connection within ThingWorx.
After this step, ThingWorx is able to browse the tags that already exist within Kepware Sever.
To complete the validation testing, add Kepware Server tags from the device simulators as ThingWorx Things, also known as tags.
Confirm that these tags have the correct value by comparing to the device simulator values.
Kepware Edge validation testing
The goal of the Kepware Edge validation testing is to confirm basic functionality of Kepware Edge running as a virtual machine with a corresponding licensing server. Kepware Edge was hosted on a VM running Ubuntu 18.04 per the system requirements. Kepware Edge version 1.4 was used for the testing. The licensing server software for this testing was done on a Windows VM running Windows Server 2019. The licensing server can also run on Linux based environments. Licensing sever version 1.4.181.446 was used in these tests. Reference the ThingWorx Kepware Edge User Manual and the ThingWorx Kepware Edge License Server Manual for deployment details and any further information.
The following is a list of the confirmed functionality:
Successful deployment of the licensing server
Connection to licensing server
Kepware Edge successfully obtaining a license from the licensing server
Kepware Edge connection to external Modbus TCP/IP device
Ability to connect Kepware Edge to ThingWorx using the ThingWorx Native interface
Confirm correct Kepware Edge tag data in the corresponding ThingWorx Thing properties
Test steps:
Deploy the Kepware Edge License Server. This is done by installing the licensing software on a Windows Server 2019 VM.
After successfully deploying and confirming a successful binding status of the licensing software to the host, licenses are obtained and installed.
Install Kepware Edge software on an Ubuntu 18.04 VM and configure it to connect to the Kepware Edge Licensing Sever.
After a successful connection to the licensing server, create a Channel using the Modbus TCP/IP Ethernet client driver with a device and tag to read a holding register on the Modbus TCP simulator.
When Kepware Edge has successfully connected to a Modbus TCP device and is reading data to a tag, check the licensing server to confirm that a Modbus client driver license is now checked out.
Use an OPC UA Client to connect to the OPC UA Server interface running on Kepware Edge to browse the device and confirm that the tag can be read and has the accurate value.
Update Kepware Edge settings to enable the ThingWorx Native Interface and to update settings such as the host address and security settings (see Kepware Edge security configurations for more information on how to securely connect Kepware Edge to the licensing server and ThingWorx).
After a successful connection from Kepware Edge to ThingWorx, add the Kepware Edge connection as an Industrial Connection within ThingWorx.
ThingWorx is now able to browse the tags that already exist within Kepware Edge.
To complete the validation testing, add Kepware Edge tags from the device simulators as ThingWorx “Things”, also known as tags.
Confirm that these tags have the correct value by comparing to the device simulator values.
Note: When installing the Kepware Edge Licensing Server on a Windows operating system, it is important to use (and map to the Environment Variables PATH) the 32-bit version of Java. Otherwise, the licensing server does not bind correctly and Kepware Edge is not able to obtain licenses.