Integrate Kepware KEPServerEX with Tiger Cloud

Kepware KEPServerEX is an industrial connectivity platform that logs OPC tag data from controllers and sensors to ODBC-compliant databases using Kepware DataLogger.

This page shows you how to configure Kepware DataLogger to stream OPC data into Tiger Cloud and store it in a hypertable.

In this integration guide, you:

• Create a target hypertable in your Tiger Cloud service.
• Configure a Kepware DataLogger log group and ODBC DSN.
• Verify data flows into the target hypertable.

Prerequisites for this integration guide

To follow these steps, you'll need:

• A Tiger Cloud service.

  These steps use Tiger Cloud, but the same approach applies to a self-hosted TimescaleDB instance.

• Your connection details.

• A running Kepware Server EX installation with the DataLogger add-on.
• The PostgreSQL ODBC driver installed on the Kepware host.

Prepare your service

Create the target table in Tiger Cloud before DataLogger begins writing. Convert that table to a hypertable so your OPC time-series data is partitioned and chunked correctly.

Note

If Kepware DataLogger creates the table for you, convert it to a hypertable before you enable the log group.

1. Connect to your Tiger Cloud service

   Use the Tiger Console or another SQL editor to connect to your Tiger Cloud service.

2. Create the target hypertable

   Create the table directly as a hypertable partitioned on the time column:

   CREATE TABLE kepware_telemetry (
       time      timestamptz NOT NULL,
       tag_name  varchar(128),
       value     varchar,
       quality   varchar(32)
   ) WITH (
       timescaledb.hypertable,
       timescaledb.chunk_interval = '7 days'
   );

   The chunk_interval setting controls how much data each hypertable chunk holds. A 7-day interval works well for most OPC ingestion workloads. If you have high-throughput tag updates, consider a shorter interval like 1 day. You can adjust this later with set_chunk_time_interval().

Configure Kepware DataLogger

Point DataLogger at your Tiger Cloud hypertable and choose a table write mode that preserves data.

1. Open the log group configuration

   In DataLogger, open your configuration, then add a new log group or edit an existing one.

2. Configure the ODBC DSN

   In the log group settings, click the browse button for DSN, then select Configure DSN… to open the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator.

   On the System DSN tab, click Add, choose the PostgreSQL ODBC driver for Tiger Data, and complete the driver wizard.

3. Select the Tiger Cloud DSN

   In the log group settings, choose the DSN you created for Tiger Cloud.

   If required, enter the DSN Username and Password for the Tiger Cloud service.

4. Point the log group at the hypertable

   Set TableSelection to Create a new table once and always append to this table and enter kepware_telemetry as the table name.

   Leave Create Table If Missing unchecked so DataLogger writes to the existing hypertable instead of creating a plain table.

5. Add OPC tags to the log group

   Add the server items or OPC tags you want to log. Use Narrow table format for the schema above, because the target hypertable stores one row per tag update with generic columns such as tag_name, value, and quality.

   In narrow mode, DataLogger uses a single column-mapping object for all log items. Map Timestamp to time, Name or NumericID to tag_name, Value to value, and Quality to quality.

6. Enable the log group

   Save the log group and set Enabled to Yes.

   DataLogger begins sending OPC updates to your Tiger Cloud hypertable when the log group is enabled.

Stream OPC data to your service

A configured log group will only move data after an OPC tag update occurs.

1. Generate a tag update

   Trigger a value change on the configured OPC tag or wait for the polling interval so DataLogger logs a row.

2. Confirm the data landed in Tiger Cloud

   Run the following query in Tiger Console or another SQL editor:

   SELECT time, tag_name, value, quality
   FROM kepware_telemetry
   ORDER BY time DESC
   LIMIT 10;

   You should see recent rows from Kepware, with time reflecting when the tag value was logged.

You have successfully integrated Kepware KEPServerEX with Tiger Cloud.

Troubleshooting

• The DSN driver is not listed: install the PostgreSQL ODBC driver and open the 32-bit ODBC Data Source Administrator on Windows.
• relation "kepware_telemetry" does not exist: verify the log group table name is kepware_telemetry and that the hypertable exists before enabling the group.
• DataLogger created a plain table: convert the table with SELECT create_hypertable('kepware_telemetry', 'time'); and keep Create Table If Missing unchecked.
• No rows appear after enabling the group: confirm the log group is Enabled and that the configured OPC tags are updating.