- Product Information: version name, number, release date, etc.
- Product Notes: key release information, new features, and updates
- OS Compatibility: list of compatible Windows and Windows Server versions
- Database Compatibility: list of compatible SQL Server and other database product versions
- Virtualization Compatibility: list of compatible virtualization software products and versions
- Product Coexistence: list of products that can be installed on the same computer
- Product Compatibility and Interoperability: list of products that can operate together and communicate with each other through a common message protocol
New Features in System Platform 2020
Two important new features, the requirement for 64-bit operating systems and SQL Server versions (where needed) and the Flex licensing option, apply across all System Platform 2020 products.
Additional new product-specific features are outlined below.
64-bit Operating System and SQL Server Now Required
With the release of System Platform 2020, a 64-bit operating system and SQL Server version are now required for all System Platform core products: Application Server, InTouch OMI, InTouch HMI, and the Historian. Running in a 64-bit environment provides a common environment for all products, and ensure that you get the best performance from your System Platform installation. For information about moving from 32-bit to 64-bit SQL Server, refer to Issue 1249251 under Install/Uninstall and Galaxy Migration Issues.
Flex Licensing Option
You can now choose between a perpetual license model and the new Flex-licensing subscription option for Application Server. Flex licensing lets you easily acquire and assign licenses to platforms, much more easily and affordably than what was possible with legacy perpetual licensing. Flex licenses are based on AppEngine assignments, rather than having to calculate I/O counts and other system parameters to determine final licensing costs. Other benefits include better cash flow management and a simplified business process.
New Features in Application Server and InTouch OMI 2020
A number of enhancements to improve performance have been implemented for this release of System Platform.
- Propagation times for changes to templates and creating instances have been shortened, especially in large systems.
- Deployment times for InTouchViewApp instances have been reduced.
- The startup time for the aaGR process has been improved.
Credential Management for InTouch OMI ViewApps
InTouch OMI ViewApps can use security credentials created in Application Server to gain access to third-party data where Windows OS credentials are not recognized, and/or to provide a method to automatically load a particular data set for specified users. Credential Management is described under "Security" in both the Application Server User Guide and the System Platform 2020 Help.
Support for Additional .NET Controls InTouch OMI ViewApps
InTouch OMI now lets you import, configure, and use .NET WinForm controls in a ViewApp (.NET WPF controls were already supported). See "Importing ArchestrA Apps" in the System Platform 2020 Help for more information.
Responsive Layouts for InTouch OMI ViewApps
The Layout Editor has a new option for creating responsive layouts. This allows the ViewApp to dynamically move and resize content in response to the screen size on which it is being viewed. See "About Responsive Layouts" in the System Platform 2020 Help for more information.
Script Support for InTouch OMI Layouts
Using the same foundation as scripting for Industrial Graphics (formerly ArchestrA Graphics), layout scripting lets you customize run time behaviors for layout content as well as the layout container by adding scripts. As part of layout support, graphic custom properties can be overridden within the layout. A new namespace, "MyContent," is available for addressing content within a single ViewApp, in addition to the MyViewApp global namespace. See "Layout Scripts" in the System Platform 2020 Help for more information.
Event Scripting for InTouch OMI Layouts
You can add event-based scripts to InTouch OMI layouts when the layout include apps that expose public properties, for example "MouseDown." See "Add an Event Handler Script" in the System Platform 2020 Help for more information.
HideContent() Scripting Function and API Call
The HideContent() scripting function and API call can be used in conjunction with ShowContent(), which was introduced in System Platform 2017 Update 2. ShowContent() lets you place symbols or layouts into specific panes within an InTouch OMI layout, either through scripting or programmatically, and now HideContent() provides the additional functionality for more complete control of the content you wish to make available to users at run time. See the Application Server Scripting Guide for more information.
InTouch OMI App Enhancements
The MapApp and Content Presenter App have been enhanced with new features and improved functionality. These apps are described in the System Platform 2020 Help.
- MapApp: Credential management has been improved, with a built-in menu for selecting a named credential.
- ContentPresenterApp: The ContentPresenter app shows graphics from one or more selected nodes of a ViewApp navigation model. The pane in which the ContentPresenter app has been placed shows a set of graphic thumbnails that match the ContentPresenter app filter criteria. Graphics shown by the ContentPresenter app can be filtered by content type, name, and location within the ViewApp navigation model.
Browse Application Server Run-Time Data with OPC UA Clients
AVEVA Application Server now includes OPC UA server functionality. This lets you browse the namespace in a deployed galaxy, and connect to, subscribe to, and retrieve galaxy data, without the need for a gateway or other protocol translation mechanism. See "Configuring and Using the OPC UA Server" in the Application Server User Guide for more information.
AVEVA Connect for Sharing Graphics
AVEVA Connect is a cloud-based resource that lets you easily create and share graphics between locations, galaxies, and applications. See "AVEVA Connect" in the Application Server User Guide for more information.
AVEVA Telemetry Server Enhancements
The Telemetry Server now supports handling data that arrives out-of-sequence via multiple channels. See "Telemetry Server Data References" in the Application Server User Guide for more information.
Visualize Externally-Detected Alarms
Alarm conditions that have been detected within a PLC can now be visualized in, for example, the Historical Trend App or the Alarm App. To accomplish this, the ability to configure a Boolean attribute within the Object Editor as an alarm input for a State Alarm has been added. This allows the trend tools to properly visualize alarms that have been detected externally. See "Using the State Alarm Feature" in the Application Server User Guide for more information.
New Features in InTouch HMI 2020
InTouch HMI 2020 includes a number of new features, hot fixes, and provides support for the latest versions of Microsoft products. Refer to the GCS Technology Matrix for the list of supported Microsoft products. The following section summarizes the major features introduced in this release.
64-bit Operating System and SQL Server Now Required
With the release of System Platform 2020, a 64-bit operating system and SQL Server version are now required for all System Platform core products: Application Server, InTouch OMI, InTouch HMI, and the Historian. Running in a 64-bit environment provides a common environment for all products, and ensure that you get the best performance from your System Platform installation.
Flex Licensing Option
You can now choose between a perpetual license model and new subscription option for InTouch HMI. Subscription (Flex) licensing lets you easily acquire licenses, much more easily and affordably than what was possible with legacy perpetual licensing. For more information, see the Application Management and Extension Guide.
New and Improved InTouch HMI Application Manager
The new InTouch HMI Application Manager presents with a modern user interface with simplified workflow tasks and easier access to features.
Integration with AVEVA Connect
You can upload, download and manage Industrial Graphics in AVEVA Connect via the Graphic Toolbox.
In this release we have introduced the framework of using HTML5 widgets within InTouch HMI. The Carousel widget from the graphic toolbox will allow you to configure and view a HTML5 widget in WindowViewer and Web Client.
Standalone Applications with Support for Industrial Graphics
The new standalone application now supports Industrial Graphics.
- You can create application and frame windows, drag and drop graphics on the window and view them in WindowViewer.
- It does not have any dependency on a GR and can be used without the IDE installed.
- Standalone applications can be viewed on the Web Client. The application windows must be converted to Industrial Graphics before being viewed on the web client.
Other Major InTouch HMI Features
- ArchestrA symbols or ArchestrA graphics will now be referred to as Industrial Graphics.
- InTouch HMI tags can be configured to directly store tag information to AVEVA Historian via WindowMaker.
- The cross reference utility now displays tags used in Industrial Graphics present in the Graphic toolbox, but not placed on any window.
- InTouch tags will be displayed without having to type "InTouch:" for standalone InTouch applications in the Graphic Editor. The scripting engine will display the tags from the default namespace without requiring the user to type ":".
- Enhanced security and performance improvements to various components of InTouch HMI.
- The ChangePassword() function has been enhanced to support longer passwords allowing better security.
There are many improvements to the Web Client:
- Improvements to the security, availability and performance of the web server.
- Web Client now supports write operations. In this release, a new license that supports read/write operations has been introduced.
- You can now acknowledge alarms on the embedded alarm client from the Web Client
- Web Client now display Standalone applications with multiple symbols.
- Web client now supports Windows controls like checkbox, combobox, etc.
- New license that allows for unlimited sessions for reading and writing data from the web client.
- Web Client now supports user-specific InTouch System Tags on a per-user basis within a web browser session.
Web Client now available as a Mobile App
The Web Client interface is now available as a Mobile App. For more information see the Viewing Application Graphics in a Web Browser guide.
Using the Historical Trend Control for Viewing Historian Data
Using the Historical Trend Control from the Drawing toolbar you can configure the IndustrialSQL Server History Provider (Historian Server), to visualize historical trend data. This functionality requires the storage of database credentials in local files. To prevent unauthorized access to Historian and other SQL databases, we recommend using the ArchestrA Trend Client, with a Windows Integrated or Windows Account authentication mode.
New Features in Historian 2020
Multi-Tier Replication Support
The Historian supports multi-tier replication. Data originating at tier 1 can be replicated to tier 2, then again to tier 3, and so on. Replication from tier 1 to tier two can be simple or summary replication. Replication beyond tier 2 is simple replication.
Support for AVEVA Flex Licensing
Enhanced Excel add-in
Support for tag selection using search, tag metadata in headings, wide/narrow output formatting, flexible column selection, and native formats for numbers/dates.
AVEVA Historian Client Web (previously known as Historian Insight) supports white labeling for OEMs
New Features in Historian Client 2020
Trend automatically sets scale precision
Added auto precision option (enabled by default) to tag trend options. When enabled, the number of decimal places is set automatically based on the value range.
Trend XY plot "start/end" marker changes
Added options to show end markers only, show start markers only, not show any markers or time labels, and to change start/end marker sizes.
Dashboards can be accessed by URL, so they can be shared
Support for AVEVA Flex Licensing
Web Help Display and Video Playback
Web Help - Browser-based User Assistance
Web help components have been delivered in this release. Web help opens in the default browser on your local computer. Help displayed in a browser allows more dynamic and searchable user assistance including standard web browser navigation and tutorial videos.
Typically, help content is installed on your local machine as part of the documentation library, and displays in your browser without requiring an Internet connection. To open the help, use one of the following methods (depending on the editor/UI you are using):
- Press F1 from the ViewApp editor, Screen Profile editor, or Layout editor.
- From the System Platform IDE, select an object or symbol name and:
- press Ctrl+F1, or
- right-click, then select Help from the short-cut menu.
Browser Requirements and Recommendations
Internet Explorer is recommended. You can also view web help Firefox. If you use Firefox, you may need to install and use an IE rendering extension (for example, IE Tab) to ensure that video content is shown.
- Microsoft Edge will not load help content, unless you use the "Open with Internet Explorer" option in the Edge browser.
- Chrome and Chromium-based browsers, such as Vivaldi, will not load help content unless you install and use an IE-rendering extension (for example, IE Tab).
Browser Permissions for Displaying Web Help
Each browser and Windows operating system combination has its own security permissions. Using Internet Explorer (version 8, 10, or 11) as an example, you may see a dialog requesting you to "Allow blocked content" each time you invoke the web help. This dialog is triggered by the presence in the help system of JavaScript components that control internal navigation and topic display elements such as pop-up or in-place-expanding display blocks that contain text and graphical images. The text and image content is itself non-active.
You can accept each occurrence of this dialog, or you can set the following option in Internet Explorer, depending on your IT security requirements: In Internet Options, click the Advanced tab, then navigate to the Security section. Enable the "Allow active content to run in files on My Computer." Permissions and security settings will vary depending on your specific browser.
Playback of Tutorial Videos
The web help may contain a number of brief tutorial videos. To play these videos, you must have Microsoft Media Player installed on your local machine. In Windows Server operating systems, you must enable the "Desktop Experience" feature using Server Manager.
Internet Explorer (or IE-rendering in other browsers) may be required for viewing video content. If using a browser other than Internet Explorer without IE rendering enabled, videos may not be visible.
InTouch OMI SDK Web Help
When you install the Application Server IDE, the InTouch OMI SDK is automatically installed, and a link to the InTouch OMI SDK Web Help is added to the Windows start menu. The browser requirements and recommendations that apply to System Platform Web Help also apply to the SDK help.
- To open the SDK help from its installed location, go to: C:\Program Files (x86)\ArchestrA\Framework\Docs\1033\OMISDKHelp\index.html
- To open the SDK help from the start menu, go to: Start > AVEVA Documentation > InTouch OMI SDK Help
InTouch OMI SDK Web Help
When you install the Application Server IDE, the InTouch OMI SDK is automatically installed, and a link to the InTouch OMI SDK Web Help is added to the Windows start menu. The browser requirements and recommendations that apply to System Platform Web Help also apply to the SDK help.
- To open the SDK help from its installed location, go to: C:\Program Files (x86)\ArchestrA\Framework\Docs\1033\OMISDKHelp\index.html
- To open the SDK help from the start menu, go to: Start > AVEVA Documentation > InTouch OMI SDK Help
