Web Client versus Thick Client

The HTML5 Web client and Thick client both have unique graphics engines. Legacy graphics pages built using 'classic' graphics builder will only run in the Windows Thick client application. Conversely, Web client graphics with pan/zoom capabilities will only run using a web browser.

A single Power Operation Server can provide both a Windows runtime experience and an HTML5 web client operator experience. However, graphics cannot be reused between the Windows Thick client and HTML5 Web client.

Windows Thick client runtime options HTML5 Web client
Operator access via Windows application: Remote operator access via web browser:

  • The traditional way operators access the Power Operation system.

  • HTML5 web client functionality for remotely accessing graphics, alarms, and trending.

  • Legacy graphics are raster-based, without pan/zoom or decluttering capabilities.

  • Graphics package with pan/zoom and decluttering capabilities.

  • Basic alarming capabilities lack:

    • automatic Smart Alarms grouping
    • timeline visualization capabilities
    • natural language waveform analytics, etc.

  • Alarm interface with latest Power Events Analysis features (Smart Alarms, timeline analysis, natural language waveform analytics, etc).
 

  • The recommended option versus the Windows thick client.
Web Client versus Thick Client feature comparison
Feature Thick client capability HTML5 Web client capability
Graphics monitoring only Yes Yes (plus pan/zoom scalable graphics and decluttering)
Alarms Yes Yes (plus Smart Alarm grouping, timeline analysis, natural language waveform analysis, shelving, disabling)
Waveforms Yes Yes (plus waveform comparison)
Alarm banner annunciator with audible alarms Yes Yes (plus ability to navigate to alarm views and ability for end users to configure
Ability to navigate from graphic to associated alarms Yes Yes
Client side scripting Yes (using CiCode) Yes (using JavaScript)
Graphics monitoring and control Yes Yes
Trend viewer (real time and historical) Yes Yes
Runtime container customization Yes Partial (plus ability for end users to configure)
Ability for local teams to translate end user runtime Yes No (various languages available with EPO 2021)
Two-factor authentication support Yes No
Role-based access control of various web components Yes No
Client automatically switching to secondary server during failover Yes No
Configuration/tools: ENM configuration (functionality introduced in PSO 9.0) Yes No
(end users using web client as primary interface can use thick client runtime to use ENM configuration)
Configuration/tools: Tag Viewer and Tag Debugger (functionality typically used by engineers or tech support for diagnostics/troubleshooting) Yes Partial (end users using web client as primary interface can use thick client runtime to use Tag Viewer/Debugger)
Configuration/tools: Scheduler configuration Yes No (Note: End users using web client as primary interface could use thick client runtime to use the Scheduler configuration/application tool.)
HTML5 Web client browser support

 

 Google Chrome

Mozilla Firefox

 Apple Safari Microsoft Edge
Power Operation graphics pages including one-line diagram/engine using pan/zoom graphics Yes Yes Yes Yes
PO 2021 Alarms and Trends Yes Yes Yes Yes
PME reports and dashboards Yes Yes Yes Yes
Power Operation Basic Reports Yes Yes Yes Yes
LiveView (Power Operation Real Time Tables implementation) Yes Yes Yes Yes

NOTE: Graphics pages built using classic graphics builder will only run on Windows Desktop clients.