User Manual

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Siemens Industry, Inc.
InfoCenter Suite is built on the Microsoft SQL
Server relational database engine. The SQL Server
database provides an open, flexible platform
designed to meet all your data storage needs.
InfoCenter Suite's close integration with the SQL
Server provides an integrated, straightforward
installation procedure and increased performance
capabilities. Long-term security and performance
are enhanced by the integration of the Windows
Server and Microsoft SQL Server.
InfoCenter Server is designed to coexist with Insight
software in a shared server environment or on
stand-alone servers. InfoCenter Administrator and
InfoCenter Report Manager are client applications
residing on Microsoft Windows platforms.
InfoCenter Suite Advanced includes five client
applications licenses. InfoCenter licensing controls
concurrent access of client applications to the
InfoCenter Server. Client applications include:
InfoCenter Administrator, InfoCenter Report
Manager, InfoCenter Spreadsheet, Utility Cost
Manager, APOGEE GO for InfoCenter Suite,
APOGEE GO for Animal Facility Reports, and
InfoCenter Interactive, Only the licensed amount of
client software programs can be connected to
InfoCenter Server Advanced at any one time.
Additional client licenses are available in five user
packs.
InfoCenter Server Advanced
InfoCenter Server is the interface between client
applications and the SQL Server Database.
InfoCenter Server manages all application-specific
Windows services as well as communications
between the client applications and Microsoft SQL
Server.
Security in InfoCenter Server has been enhanced
for users to specify the SQL Server user account,
other than the default sa user, to install and use
InfoCenter Suite applications.
Also, for more control and compliance for your
organizations account and password policies, you
can now change the passwords for the default
InfoCenter SQL Server Accounts: IMAdministrator,
IMApplication, IMBackOfficeApp, IMEventLogClient,
IMInteractive, IMOpcClient, IMOperator, and
IMReport.
Integrated Windows Server security protocols
combined with InfoCenter Server features ensure
the integrity of the InfoCenter Suite controlled
information (see Figure 1). Integrated security
means that data written to the InfoCenter database
assists in meeting the audit standards of the
JCAHO, NFPA, ALAAC and the FDA’s 21 CFR Part
11 rule for electronic records and electronic
signatures.
Figure 1. Integrated Security.
Data records generated by the APOGEE
Automation System can be dynamically transferred
into InfoCenter Server over an Ethernet network
using the Insight/InfoCenter Data Server function
(see Figure 2). This provides a direct access to the
Insight workstation from within the InfoCenter Suite
application to configure and collect data. All data
records can be retained indefinitely with InfoCenter
Server Advanced using robust online and offline
archiving technologies.
Figure 2. Data Server Collection.
Information from third-party systems can be
integrated into InfoCenter Server, providing a
centralized data management system. InfoCenter
server supports five ASCII file format types for data
import and provides an optional OPC client
capability for data collection.
Dynamic access to offline archived data is a key
function of the InfoCenter Server. When requests
are made by client applications for data stored in
offline archive volumes, a librarian feature within the
InfoCenter Server provides a message with the data
volume (Disk) name where the requested data is
stored. Once you insert the disk media, the report