KEPServerEX 6.16 - API - Bulk Import - Keep KEPServerEX Application Running?

Question

Looking for a better way to do bulk import into KEPServerEX.

I currently have an Excel workbook with all the points in the system.

I use VBA to create a JSON KEPServerEX application file. This works well for the initial setup and testing.

The issue now is that when the customer makes a large number of changes or adds a new block of thousands points to an application we have to restart the KEPServerEX application when loading a new JSON application file. So all the existing points may miss some updates while KEPServerEX is restarting the app.

If the CSV import is not very helpful as you would still need to manually create all the channels and devices, then do a manual import on maybe hundreds of devices.

I've not tried using the KEPServerEX API yet but looking at a demo it mostly seemed to give you the same functionality as the normal KEPServerEX client.

sam_kepware · Answer

Hi Tanquen,

Thanks so much for the question and great details. This is Sam, the director of our Solutions Consulting team. You may very well be able to use the API to programmatically update Kepware instead of using your current strategy, but the fact of the matter is that only certain properties of objects - objects being channels and devices - will be editable WHILE the channel is active and brokering data. For example, if an OPC client or internal Plugin is using Kepware to collect data from a Modbus device using Channel1, for example, the "block size" settings of the device object under Channel1 are not editable. The IP address defined in the device object IS editable, though, so certainly a collection of properties can be edited during Kepware runtime.

What I'd say to move forward is: Please send an email to presales.support@kepware.com and my team and I (Solutions Consulting) will walk you through the properties of your customer's project that CAN be edited during runtime, and then confirm for you if those properties are of interest OR if you can only edit your desired properties during offline operation.

Thanks Again,
Sam

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