OPC DataHub Now Offers System Monitoring

Georgetown, Ontario (April 2, 2008) The OPC DataHub from Cogent Real-Time Systems now contains a System Monitor that allows users to monitor system parameters such as CPU usage, free disk space, available memory and whether critical processes are still running. This information is integrated with all other data collected by the OPC DataHub, and can be shared across a network or the Internet in real-time.

"The OPC DataHub's System Monitor provides an easy way to access and distribute mission-critical information," said Andrew Thomas, President of Cogent Real-Time Systems. "For example, you can track CPU load and free memory of vital systems in your plant and send email or text messages when performance levels drop too low. Or you can monitor important programs and use a DataHub script to automatically restart them if they terminate unexpectedly."

The System Monitor uses the standard Windows performance data facility to monitor all system paramters. Users can choose which parameters they want to monitor. System data is stored in the DataHub as point data values, just like points from any other data source.

The benefits of the System Monitor are multiplied by the wide range of features in the OPC DataHub, such as data logging, a built-in web server, and secure networking capabilities. These allow users to log performance data to a company database for further analysis, or to collect system data from multiple networked computers and display it in a real-time web display.

OPC is the leading protocol for data communications between industrial hardware devices and Windows software. The OPC DataHub is a memory-resident real-time middleware application that collects data from OPC servers and other sources, and redistributes it to any number of clients, such as Excel, ODBC databases, and web browsers. Now, with a built-in System Monitor, the OPC DataHub can provide real-time monitoring services for the critical systems that it runs on.

Founded in 1995, Cogent Real-Time Systems is the leader in real-time cross-platform data integration between Windows, Linux and QNX. Customers include the Bank of Canada, Cadbury Chocolate and the European Space Agency. Cogent leverages its experience in real-time data communications to provide the next generation of OPC products.