ADLINK updates SEMA middleware, adds cloud platform support
San Jose, CA. ADLINK Technology Inc., a global provider of cloud-based services, intelligent gateways, and embedded building blocks for edge devices that enable the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced availability of the latest version of its remote management middleware tool, SEMA 3.0 (for Smart Embedded Management Agent), which is able to monitor and collect system performance and status information from distributed devices in a timely, flexible, and precise manner.
New functionality offered in SEMA 3.0 enhances the feature set of the existing SEMA solution. Improved reporting and monitoring functions show detailed information about the distributed device CPU, system memory, and network interface. New controlling functions make it possible to throttle or raise the CPU frequency and set ACPI (advanced configure and power interface) power management. In addition, enhanced maintenance functions now read out HDD (hard disk drive) S.M.A.R.T (self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology) information used for monitoring the HDD’s health status.
“One of the many enhancements in SEMA 3.0 has been to extend the customization capabilities of the API we offer,” explained Dirk Finstel, executive vice president of ADLINK’s Module Computing Product Segment. “This enables customers to develop tailored solutions and to integrate monitoring and control functions into their embedded systems.”
SEMA 3.0 is supported on a spectrum of hardware platforms. The majority of ADLINK´s computer-on-modules, single board computers, and embedded computer systems are SEMA-enabled. The intelligent middleware runs on the most widely used embedded operating systems and supports both x86 and ARM architectures.
SEMA 3.0 is provided to customers at no-cost for use in combination with SEMA-enabled ADLINK hardware. SEMA 3.0 helps customers to improve system reliability, reduce maintenance costs, and ease system integration of embedded systems. Hence, it improves TTM (time-to-market) and TCO (total cost-of-ownership), key requirements for producing competitive products.
In addition, ADLINK introduced its new platform as a service (PaaS) SEMA Cloud application enablement platform (AEP), which offers a comprehensive industrial IoT cloud solution from a single source.
“The IoT is all about data. When gathered, shared, and applied the right way, data creates a better end-user experience, reduces costs, builds revenue, enables new applications, and improves the overall value of technology,” said Dr. Boye Färber, ADLINK product manager for IoT solutions. “Automating and streamlining these benefits through the use of device data in business processes is an example of a practical application of IoT technology.”
SEMA Cloud is comprised of a cloud server architecture hosting the SEMA Cloud IoT Service, which can be managed and administered from the web-based SEMA Cloud Management Portal. The cloud solution includes gateway software with an IoT stack on top of intelligent SEMA middleware, enabling embedded devices to connect securely to the cloud using state-of-the-art encryption technologies without additional design requirements. SEMA Cloud is a flexible platform that is application-ready or open for further development of customer-specific applications.
By pushing data to the user’s cloud server via any kind of TCP/IP connection—such as 3G, 4G, LAN, or wireless LAN—system operators have easy access to data and analytics through web browsers or a web application programming interface (web API), using devices such as a desktop PC, tablet, or smartphone, or using data analytics systems. Operators can verify, monitor, and manage system performance from a single, central location, improving reliability and reducing management costs.
Intelligent SEMA middleware is built into ADLINK computer modules, boards and systems to enhance the end user’s embedded system’s reliability and offer support during initial system integration and customer carrier bring up. SEMA middleware provides a set of deeply embedded tools enabling remote device and system management using the SEMA Cloud platform and Management Portal. With SEMA Cloud, system operators can access board information, runtime statistics, CPU temperatures, fan speed, system voltages, power consumption, and other important system data. In addition, operational limits can be defined and proactive event notification alarms set in order to pro-actively prevent system failure. SEMA Cloud also allows users to control devices remotely, (for example to throttle CPUs), access I2C bus connected sensors, upload and download files, or perform remote firmware updates. By means of so-called “campaigns,” such actions can be performed remotely on many devices in parallel, significantly reducing maintenance costs.
ADLINK offers its customers SEMA Cloud Evaluation Packages, which include licenses to use the SEMA Cloud AEP for one year and cover connections of up to either 10 or 50 devices for test and development purposes.
