Proficloud - Using Device Management Service

Available from 2020.6 with AXC F 2152,
from 2021.0 LTS with most PLCnext Control devices (details see below)

In this topic, you read which information you can find for your devices to the Proficloud, how to interpret the health status and logs, and how to perform a remote firmware update via the Proficloud.

Scope of the Proficloud

Proficloud offers an easy way of managing and maintaining remote PLCnext devices, such as controllers in off-shore wind power plants. Main functions are:

Showing a device overview with exact geolocation of all connected devices
Showing a health status of all connected devices
Showing key information for all connected devices
Reporting logs from the connected devices
Checking for firmware updates and updating on connected devices via the cloud
Using time series data (TSD) from a connected PLCnext Control

Availability on devices

Device(s)	AXC F 2152	AXC F 1152, AXC F 3152, RFC 4072S, EPC 1502, EPC 1522	BPC 9102S	RFC 4072R
Firmware	≥ 2020.6	≥ 2021.0 LTS	≥ 2021.3	‒

Prerequisites

Have the Proficloud connection set up.
Have the Device Management Service set up.

Device Overview

In the Device Overview, each device appears as a card showing its data, next to a map showing its geolocation (if entered). The color of the card and of the map icon reflects the device's Health status.

Click on a card to unfold the service tabs for that device.

Health

The Health tab provides a rough information to the status of the device, depending on the LEDs on its housing.

E.g., for a PLCnext Control, the typical LEDs are utilize to reflect in a 3-step color code, that shows in the device's card:

If the device card is green then the device's LEDs are stating this:
- SF is off AND
- FAIL is off AND
- D is green AND
- E is off
If the device card is yellow then the device's LEDs are stating this:
- BF-C is on OR
- BF-D is on OR
- D is yellow OR
- E is yellow
If the device card is red then the device's LEDs are stating this:
- SF is on OR
- FAIL is on OR
- D is red OR
- E is red

The Device Status shows which of the OR states is triggering the color code.

In addition, this default tab shows a notification for the availability of a new firmware update, so you won't miss it.

Information

In the Information tab, you find the key information for each device. It contains the information you have entered in the registering process, and some that were provided by the device itself:

Comment
Location
Serial Number
Device Type
UUID
Hardware Version

Service

In the Service tab, additional services for the Device Management will be listed in future.

Logs

In the Logs tab, the logging information of the device is visible as it is sent from the device to the cloud. These entries are filtered out of the Output.log file on the PLCnext device.

Firmware Update

Note: In order to update to a current firmware release, a firmware version 2022.0 LTS or newer must be installed on the controller. Firmware versions 2021.9 and before will not accept the *.raucb firmware update file.

Coming from devices running on 2019.0 LTS up to 2021.9 firmware, first update to the 2022.0 LTS release.
After restarting under firmware 2022.0 LTS, update to the newer release.

In the Firmware Update tab, the update process is handled completely.

Update process

Note: A PLCnext Control will perform an update of the firmware only when the PLC is in the STOP state. If the update needs to be performed in the RUN state then this needs to be enabled in the settings file that is located in this directory on the device:
/opt/plcnext/projects/Default/Services/ProfiCloudV3/ProfiCloudV3.config

To prepare the device for updating the firmware out of the RUN state, log in to the device via WinSCP or similar software, navigate to the .config file and change the force parameter in the <FirmwareUpdate> tag to true:

<FirmwareUpdate enabled="true"
force="true"
artifactServer=""/>

To start the update process, go to the Firmware Selection dialog, select the version you want to install and click the UPDATE FIRMWARE NOW button:

The update process is reflected by status messages for every step:

This update was performed successfully, stating every step in the process: