Running Edge project from main gateway

Ignition
1

I have a customer who has a brand new Ignition Edge gateway. For context, this is a very small operation where they even considered forgoing a PLC altogether to save cost, and just using standalone batching controllers and relay logic to run their plant. Fortunately, we talked them into a small PLC and an Ignition Edge SCADA system, which they're very happy with.

They've immediately seen the potential of Ignition and asked if it can run on a tablet. Since we've developed everything in Perspective, the answer is "of course!". So they purchased a tablet, loaded up the Perspective app, and realised that this whole mobile SCADA thing is incredibly useful.

Aaaaaaand now they want three tablets.

Ignition Edge, of course, limits us to two sessions (the main touchscreen and one tablet), and my distributor tells me that Ignition Edge licenses can't be upgraded or the cost put toward a full Ignition license. So I'm looking at three options:

  1. Buy another edge license, another PC, and duplicate the gateway configuration onto both PC's. Direct two tablets to one gateway and the other tablet and touchscreen to the other gateway. Cheap and (very, very) nasty
  2. Write off the money spent on the edge license and buy a four session standard Ignition license (no doubt, soon to be upgraded to unlimited). Most expensive but probably the best practice way of doing it
  3. Buy a two session standard Ignition license, another PC, and run two sessions on the Edge gateway and two on the standard gateway. Middle ground for cost, less ugly than option 1 but not as good as option 2

My questions relate to option 3. I know that with that architecture I could use the Edge gateway as a remote tag provider, but can I actually run the project from the edge gateway from the main gateway? Or do I have to duplicate the project to the main gateway as well, and edit it to use the remote tag provider? If I can run the project from the Edge gateway directly from the main gateway, I assume that session would count toward the main gateway session limit, not the Edge gateway session limit?

Appreciate any tips or advice!

2

Solution #2. Really.

Now they know that certain kinds of penny pinching are counterproductive.

They may also learn that full Ignition can run third party add-on modules.... / cough /.

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3

Thanks Phil, I'm aiming to push them that way.

Can you comment on my question relating to option 3? I want to give them at least two options so they have the illusion of choice :sweat_smile:

4

A project resides on a single gateway. You can restore a project from one edition to another, but there's no "as gateway A, run a project from gateway B" functionality. So you would have endless synchronization headaches if you went with #3.

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5

Thanks Paul, I suspected as much. Now to carefully word an email to encourage the client to spend the money on doing it properly and make them feel like it was their idea :grin:

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6

sounds like it was their idea :laughing:

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