Published: 10-14-2021

ANNOUNCING THE RELEASE OF SECOMEA SOLUTION 9.6

We are pleased to announce the newest release of the Secomea Solution.  Version 9.6 is packed with fresh features enhancing connectivity and usability.

This release, rolled out on October 13th, contains updates for GateManager and all models of SiteManager. 9.6 is flush with enhancements, bug fixes and patches for security vulnerabilities, due to be published in public CVE data bases 2 weeks after the release.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS 

Multi-Port Layer 2 agent support for 15xx/35xx SiteManager models

One of the most audacious features of the Secomea solution is the ability to connect via Layer 2 protocols to remote devices. This provides the logic of (traditionally) local low-level MAC address communications between programming software, such as in the Siemens TIA portal and PLCs, with fully global connectivity via LinkManager. 

Until now, Layer 2 support was limited to devices on the DEV 1 port of a 15xx/35xx model SiteManager.  Release 9.6 is a dramatic improvement for separation mode control in the 15xx/35xx models. Now you can define Layer 2 agents for up to three unique networks when selecting separation modes for DEV ports 1 to 3. You can even connect multiple LinkManager users to the same Layer2 agent with isolation between each remote access session. In addition, LinkManager users now can connect multiple Layer 2 agents on SiteManager at the same time using the Group Agent feature.   

The default bridging mode capability has also been enhanced to support VLAN tag forwarding between bridged ports. This enables SiteManager to support communication between devices in a VLAN segmented network. 

Upgrade your Solution’s Firmware with a single click

Are you running your GateManager on your own private servers? It just got easier to upgrade your solution. Now GateManager automatically detects and fetches new firmware for connected SiteManagers, along with GateManager’s own firmware upgrades. This ensures you always have the latest bug fixes and security patches available. Now you can benefit from our latest features without searching Knowledge Base for the latest release. 

GateManager now shows an upgrade button for any Secomea product when it detects a software update. Click “upgrade” and your devices will install and run the latest releases.  

 GateManager does not automatically update with new firmware by design.  We understand you may have your own processes for managing upgrades. GateManager now contains the option to schedule bulk upgrades, which you can arrange to fit suitable timeslot. GateManager will detect and select  the correct firmware automatically, in case you include a variation of SiteManager models in your bulk upgrade. 

Optimized device status monitoring for SiteManager agents

Monitoring device status is a key feature of the SiteManager agent system. This is done traditionally by pinging the devices at regular intervals, but some devices may reject a ping for security purposes. For example, Windows 10 PCs are frequently configured to block ping requests.  

With release 9.6, the agent system intelligently determines device status by combining normal (ICMP) ping, and TCP based querying.  

Auto-renewal of DCC certs in SiteManager DCM

From the launch of 1.9 DCC, expected at the beginning of November, the DCC will control certificate expiration; automatically renewing the certificates and private keys of connected DCMs. 

With release 9.6, the corresponding logic has been implemented in the SiteManager. By upgrading to 9.6, your SiteManager will automatically and securely connect to DCC; regardless of the expiration dates on any installed certificates.