Protect the System Key

During the installation of PME, a system key is generated and a copy of this key is exported as a .key file. This system key is the encryption key used by the software to encrypt user and system credentials. A PME server retains the original key in the registry. The exported copy is needed for the installation of Engineering clients and Secondary servers. It is also needed in case of a future side-by-side system upgrade or migration.

As long as the PME server has the original key stored in the registry, it is possible to use the installer to export a copy at any time. However, if the original key is deleted from the server, it cannot be recreated or exported. In that case, you can use the exported copy to restore the system key in the registry. Without the system key, PME user accounts can no longer be accessed.

NOTE: Protect the exported system key in a location accessible only to authorized users. An unauthorized user might be able to use the system key to gain access to your power monitoring software and devices.