Standard MES topology

The following diagram shows an overview of the standard topology. For a description of what applications are run on the various servers, see MES solution component requirements.

This system includes MES with System Platform and Work Tasks. It uses the Standard Configuration as described in Standard Hardware.

The Application Server has the following connections:

• To the Controls Network, to communicate with the process equipment. This is typically done via Operation Integration (OI) Servers. It is very common to have a separate OI Server.

• To the Plant Production Network, to access other MES servers.

The Database Server has the following connections:

• To the Corporate WAN, to provide access to the ERP system.

• To the Plant Production Network, to access other MES‑related servers.

The Report Server and Web Server also include multiple logical connections, as office users and remote users need to connect to them and they need to connect to MES‑related servers.

Note: If you anticipate that the number of thin‑client Operator stations will be high and possibly impact network traffic on the Plant Production network, consider creating a separate network for the Operator stations and connecting them to the Plant Production network through a Terminal Server. For examples of network topologies that use Terminal Servers to support thin clients, see Tech Note 662: Remote Access Technologies for Industrial Applications, which is available in the Knowledge Base on the Global Customer Support web site.