Network connectivity

Network communication

The PME server, database server, and clients must be able to communicate with each other over the network using TCP/IP protocol. The licensing component of PME requires that PME clients and server can resolve each other’s address by name (not just fully qualified domain name or IP address). If a proxy server is used on the network, then a local address bypass must be configured on the PME server.

An Internet connection is not required for PME to function correctly.

Network shares

Engineering Clients require that the Power Monitoring Expert folder on the PME server is shared with full read and write permissions. File and Printer Sharing must be enabled.

Windows Domain compatibility

Domain membership is not required for PME to function.

  • PME can be installed on servers in a domain environment, however it cannot be installed on domain controllers. If PME is installed on a server that is subsequently changed to a domain controller, the software ceases to function correctly.
  • For Distributed Database installations of PME, the Database Manager tool can only be used if the database server and the PME application server are in the same domain. The Database Manager cannot be used, in a distributed database installation, if the database server and the PME application server are in workgroups.
  • A domain account is required for Side-by-Side upgrades of distributed systems using the Configuration Manager Tool. This domain account must be:
    • A member of the Administrators group on the PME server
    • Added as a Login in SQL Server with sysadmin role in the database instance.
  • PME supports Windows Active Directory services for user account sharing.

IPv6 compatibility

PME supports IPv6 (and IPv4) for communications with metering devices. The software components of PME require IPv4. That means PME can be used on computers with single stack IPv4 or dual stack IPv4/IPv6 network adapters.

IP Port Requirements

PME uses certain ports for the communication between its components and the connected devices. Which ports are required for a specific installation depends on the system configuration and the monitoring devices used. See IP Ports for a list of relevant ports.