EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert 2020 IT Guide

Introduction

This document serves as an IT guide for Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert (PME) 2020. PME is a client-server, on-premise software application designed to collect, process, and store power monitoring data from connected devices. It utilizes Microsoft SQL Server for data management and is accessible through various user interfaces.

The guide is intended for IT professionals responsible for PME system installations and support. It provides comprehensive information on deployment architectures, supported operating environments, necessary access permissions, IT and network considerations, cybersecurity best practices, the PME installer, and general dependencies and prerequisites.

Overview

The overview section details the PME system's architecture, including Standalone and Distributed Database configurations. It also outlines different client types (Engineering Clients and Web Clients) used for system management and data access, and provides a comprehensive explanation of PME's licensing structure, including license activation and various license types (Trial, Base, Express Base, Device, Client Access, Software Module, Data Exchange, Developer/Demo). Basic administration tasks are also introduced.

IT Requirements

This section specifies the hardware and software requirements for PME 2020. It covers computer hardware recommendations (type, CPU, RAM, storage) based on system size and complexity (Basic vs. Advanced Systems), client computer specifications, data storage considerations (size, performance, availability, RAID configurations), and supported operating environments including Windows OS versions, SQL Server versions, virtual environments, and web browsers. It also details Windows update policies, localization support, and specific considerations for operating systems and SQL Server.

Cybersecurity

The cybersecurity section emphasizes securing the PME system through a defense-in-depth strategy aligned with IEC 62443 standards. It covers awareness, features like data encryption (at rest and in transit), user account management, session timeouts, and recommended actions across the system lifecycle (Planning, Installing/Upgrading, Configuring, Administering, Decommissioning). Specific guidance is provided on obtaining security certificates, using antivirus/whitelisting software, planning network security, and securing the system during installation, configuration, and ongoing administration.

Device Networks

This section details how PME communicates with monitoring devices. It explains device network overviews, supported communication protocols (Modbus TCP/RTU, ION, OPC DA), and network types (Ethernet/TCP and Serial). It provides guidance on optimizing network performance, time synchronization methods, and introduces tools like the Daisy Chain Calculator.

Reference

The reference section provides in-depth information on various technical aspects, including detailed cybersecurity references, PME accounts (users, Windows accounts, SQL Server accounts), PME services, network shares, session timeouts, system integration security, file integrity verification, SQL Server accounts and permissions, PME Windows services, IIS Application Pools, PME databases (ION_Network, ION_Data, Application_Modules, ION_SystemLog), database maintenance task definitions, database growth calculations, and IP port requirements. It also covers decommissioning procedures (Destroy/Overwrite) and diagnostics/usage services.

Resources

This section lists various resources for further information and support:

• Schneider Electric Download Center for system guides and documentation.
• Schneider Electric Exchange for discussion forums, knowledge base articles, and community support.
• Technical Support resources including the Schneider Electric Website and the mySchneider app.
• Links to Microsoft technical documentation for SQL Server and .NET Framework.

Key resources include: Schneider Electric Download Center, Schneider Electric Exchange.