Field Information Manager Connectivity to HART-IP

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The HART-IP Communication Server connects Field Information Manager with HART-IP servers and their connected field devices.

HART-IP Communication Server

General Information

Field Information Manager supports the connectivity to HART-IP servers and connected field devices.

Basic part of the FIM connectivity to HART-IP is the HART-IP Communication Server. The HART-IP Communication Server is based on a FDI Communication Server and allows the FIM client to access configured HART-IP servers and connected field devices.

The HART-IP Communication Server is implemented as a windows service. In addition the security between the HART-IP Communication Server computer and the FIM client computer has to be configured. A failing start of the HART-IP Communication Server will leave a message in the application event log of the operating system.

Security Options

Simple Security Setup
There are project without high security requirements. To simplify the security configuration for these cases, a quick but less secure setup option is provided. This less secure setup uses self-signed security certificates. Self-signed certificates are not issued by a certificate authority that is considered trust-worthy. To decide if this is acceptable for you, consider at least the following impacts of self-signed certificates:

  • Self-signed certificates must be set up on the client machine to establish the trust relationship on the side that needs to accept the certificates.
  • It is the responsibility of the administrator to make sure that the self-signed certificate is not modified or replaced by someone before it is installed on the client machine.
  • It is the responsibility of the administrator to make sure that no one outside the trust relationship gets access to the self-signed certificate.

HART-IP Communication Server as a Windows Service
The setup of the HART-IP Communication Server software installs a windows service named "Hart-IP CommunicationServer" in the operating system. You can find the service in the MMC snap in for services ("services.msc"). The following figure shows the properties of such a service.
HART-IP Communication Server

Setup Instruction - One Domain Network

Field Information Manager 3.0 or later:

Instruction how to setup a connection where the Field Information Manager Server is part of the same domain as the HART-IP Communication Server computer. The instruction describes that the Field Information Manager Server is installed on a different computer as the HART-IP Communication Server computer, but using only one computer for the Field Information Manager Server and HART-IP Communication Server is supported as well.

Please ensure, that the Field Information Manager Server computer and the HART-IP Communication Server are using the same time zone.

  1. Please install the "HART-IP FDI CommServer Setup.msi" setup on an HART-IP Communication Server computer. The service is started automatically.
  2. Please find the certificate of HART-IP Communication Server at the following directory: "C:\ProgramData\Thorsis Technologies\HartIpFdiCommServer\CertificateStore\certs"
    Please copy the certificate to the FIM client computer, e.g. by using a temporary storage.
  3. Please copy the certificate to the Field Information Manager Client computer, e.g. by using a temporary storage.
  4. Start the Field Information Manager Client, navigate to Tools Menu - OPTIONS - CLIENT/SERVER SETTINGS - TRUSTED CERTIFICATES. Click the "Add certificate" button, specify a name (e.g. of the HART-IP Communication Server computer) and browse for the HART-IP Communication Server certificate. Click the ADD button and the HART-IP Communication Server certificate is listed as trusted.
  5. Navigate to OWN CERTIFICATE within the open options menu of Field Information Manager Client. Select the own tool certificate, click the "Export selected certificate" button and specify the file location on the exchange storage. This certificate is required on the HART-IP Communication Server computer.
  6. Please copy the certificate to the following directory on the HART-IP Communication Server computer:
    "C:\ProgramData\Thorsis Technologies\HartIpFdiCommServer\Trusted Certificates".
  7.  On the HART-IP Communication Server computer, please ensure that the local firewall allows to use the communication port 61669 for the HART-IP Communication Server application.
  8. Setup of HART-IP Communication Server is finished and the Communication Server can be added in Field Information Manager.
  9. Please delete the certificates from any temporary storages to avoid misusage by others.

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Field Information Manager 2.5 or older:

Instruction how to setup a connection where the FIM client is part of the same domain as the HART-IP Communication Server computer. The instruction describes that the FIM Client is installed on a different computer as the HART-IP Communication Server computer, but using only one computer for the FIM Client and HART-IP Communication Server is supported as well.

Please ensure, that the FIM Client computer and the HART-IP Communication Server are using the same time zone.

Please ensure, that the Field Information Manager is installed on the FIM Client and that the FIM has been started once. This is required for the generation of the certificates, which are used during one of the next steps.

  1. Please install the "HART-IP FDI CommServer Setup.msi" setup on an HART-IP Communication Server computer. The service is started automatically.
  2. Please find the certificate of HART-IP Communication Server at the following directory: "C:\ProgramData\Thorsis Technologies\HartIpFdiCommServer\CertificateStore\certs"
    Please copy the certificate to the FIM client computer, e.g. by using a temporary storage.
  3. Please install the HART-IP Communication Server certificate to the store "ABB.FIM.TrustedPeople" on the FIM client computer.
  4. Please find the certificate of Field Information Manager at the following directory: "C:\ProgramData\ABB\Field Information Manager\CertificateStores\certs" 
    Please copy the certificate to the HART-IP Communication Server computer, e.g. by using a temporary storage.
  5. Please copy the certificate to the following directory on the HART-IP Communication Server computer:
    "C:\ProgramData\Thorsis Technologies\HartIpFdiCommServer\Trusted Certificates".
  6.  On the HART-IP Communication Server computer, please ensure that the local firewall allows to use the communication port 61669 for the HART-IP Communication Server application.
  7. Setup of HART-IP Communication Server is finished and the Communication Server can be added in FIM.
  8. Please delete the certificates from any temporary storages to avoid misusage by others.

Setup Instruction - Different Domain Networks

Instruction how to setup a connection where the Field Information Manager (Server) is not in the same domain as the HART-IP Communication Server.

  1. Please ensure that the Field Information Manager (Server) computer and the HART-IP Communication Server computer are using the same time zone.
  2. Firewall:  Extend the configuration with a mapping from the Field Information Manager (Server) IP with port 61669 to the HART-IP Communication Server computer IP with port 61699.
  3. Ensure that the Field Information Manager (Server) computer network port has the Gateway assigned if required caused by your network configuration.
  4. Open the c:\windows\system32\driver\etc\hosts file on the Field Information Manager (Server) computer and add an entry for the HART-IP Communication Server computer, i.e. "Eng_client_name 10.1.182.56"
  5. Test: Open a Command Prompt on the Field Information Manager (Server) computer and use the ping command to ping the HART-IP Communication Server computer name, i.e. "ping Eng_client_name, which should succeed.
  6. Finally please run all the steps of the instruction Setup Instruction - One Domain Network. 

Add the HART-IP Communication Server

  1. Within Field Information Manager, please click the Add Server button from the top bar.
  2. Select Thorsis HART-IP FDI Communication Server from the list of available connectivities.
  3. If required, adjust the name with which it will appear in topology.
  4. Enter the IP address of the HART-IP Communication Server computer.
  5. If the port of the HART-IP Communication Server service has been changed, adjust the port in the dialog.
  6. Accept the dialog via Add Server.
Add HART-IP Communication Server

Configuration of HART-IP Servers

  1. Please access the HART-IP Communication Server object in the Topology and open Device Settings via the Context Menu of the tile.
  2. Please click "Add server ..." and configure required HART-IP server(s) with name, IP address and port number.
  3. Ensure that required HART-IP server(s) have "Activate the server..." checked.
  4. After configuration, please click SEND to save changes in the HART-IP Communication Server.
  5. Please access the HART-IP Communication Server object in the Topology and perform a Hardware Scan on all levels. Configured HART-IP servers are then displayed as individual channel nodes below the Thorsis HART-IP Communication Server in the Topology View. Connected devices are displayed below the corresponding channel node. Each HART-IP server can be scanned individually as well.

Add HART-IP Server

Connectivities

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