Microsoft Platforms

This section outlines the technical platforms supported by Incuity and the benefits that derive from this for our customers.

Incuity is unique in the EMI space in that it leverages the latest Microsoft Framework and Portal technologies to deliver an open solution fully supporting thin client and rich clients in a zero-touch deployment model. This relieves the customer from any client installation tasks and avoids the infamous dll hell problem. Incuity provides true security because our rich clients have full support for Partial Trust environments. This means that no modifications are needed to the browser or .Net framework security settings for clients with user credentials.

By embracing SharePoint technologies the Incuity portal provides rich content and easy customizability on the fastest growing portal platform. Our customers are not locked into the Incuity portal framework and can use dynamic Incuity content in existing portals such as SharePoint Services on Windows Server 2003.

The inclusion of SQL Server as the database for the Incuity Data Store and the Incuity Data Warehouse provides world class data security and scalability. Additionally the enormous popularity of SQL Server ensures accessibility of the data to a wide range of 3rd Party applications.

In addition to supporting the current state-of-the-art Microsoft platforms Incuity is also a leading-edge solution. We fully test on emerging platforms that will be released later this year (SQL Server 2005 and SharePoint 2005). Exciting new Incuity capabilities will be available on these platforms once they are released.

We test Incuity on a wide range of platform combinations. Incuity consists of three primary parts: the System Server, the Portal and the Client components. The supported platforms for each of the three parts are discussed separately.

Incuity System Server

The System Server requires the operating system, Internet Information Server, SQL Server and the .Net Framework.

Operating system

• Windows Server 2003 (Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter Editions)
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows 2000 Server

Internet Information Server

Internet Information Server (versions 5 and 6) .Net Framework Version 2.0

Database

• MS SQL Server 2000 (All Editions)
• MS SQL Server 2005 (Code Named Yukon) (All Editions)

Incuity Portal Server

The Portal Server requires the operating system, Internet Information Server and the .Net Framework. The portal server uses Web Part technologies extensively and is compatible with SharePoint Services and Portal Server (especially version 2005).

Operating system

• Windows Server 2003 (Standard, Enterprise, Web and Datacenter Editions)
• Windows XP Professional
• Windows 2000 Server

Internet Information Server

• Internet Information Server (versions 5 and 6) .Net Framework Version 2.0

Incuity Client Components

Most client activity requires only an HTML browser (we test FireFox and Internet Explorer). Incuity also provides a complete set of client components. One set supports the legacy ActiveX platform and the other supports the .Net Framework.

Operating system

• Windows Server 2003 (all editions)
• Windows XP (Professional and Home)
• Windows 2000 Server
• Windows 2000 Workstation
• Windows Millennium Edition (ActiveX only)
• Windows 98 (ActiveX only) .Net Framework Version 2.0 (not required for ActiveX)

Standards

In addition to leveraging leading Microsoft technologies, We also develop Incuity according to widely used, and highly regarded industry standards. Embracing standards allows faster development of robust, interoperable software, while ensuring ease of extension and deployment by those implementing Incuity solutions.

ISA S95

The purpose of S95 is to define a standard that will define the interface between control functions and other enterprise functions based upon the Purdue Reference Model for CIM (hierarchical form):

Define in detail an abstract model of the enterprise, including manufacturing control functions and business functions, and its information exchange.
Establish common terminology for the description and understanding of the enterprise, including manufacturing control functions and business process functions, and its information exchange.
Define electronic information exchange between the manufacturing control functions and other enterprise functions including data models and exchange definitions.
Incuity makes use of the S95 model to rapidly develop Incuity data structures to comply with the S95 standard. To learn more, visit www.isa.org.

OPC

OPC technology can eliminate expensive custom interfaces and drivers traditionally required for moving information easily around the enterprise. It promotes interoperability, including among different computing solutions and platforms both horizontally and vertically in the enterprise. It therefore cuts costs, speeds development and promotes increased operating efficiency. Heres how:

• It eliminates custom interfaces and drivers
• Only one software component is needed
• It creates re-usable modules
• It can communicate data locally over LAN or WAN
• It can communicate data remotely over the internet

OPC specifications are proven in hundreds of plants and thousands of applications. The OPC Foundation is dedicated to creating and maintaining the OPC specifications. Established in 1996 by just five companies the Foundation now has over 360 members who both use and promote the technology.

Incuity uses OPC DA (real-time data acquisition) and HDA (historical data access) technology to connect to many sources of manufacturing data. To learn more, visit www.opcfoundation.org.

Open Source

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to managing and promoting the Open Source Definition.

The basic idea behind open source is very simple: When programmers can read, redistribute, and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, people fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing.

Developers in the open source community have learned that this rapid evolutionary process produces better software than the traditional closed model, in which only a very few programmers
can see the source and everybody else must blindly use an opaque block of bits.

Incuity leverages the OSI knowledge community to shorten time to market for Incuity products. To learn more, visit www.opensource.org.