Remote Control Solution with TeamViewer and SYS TEC electronic
We bring the machines into the team
Snow cannons, transformer houses, irrigation systems - there are many examples of machines, devices and sensors distributed over a large area. In cooperation with TeamViewer, SYS TEC electronic now offers a fast, uncomplicated IoT solution to monitor the plants holistically and control them remotely.
TeamViewer makes it possible to gain access to any device or computer via the Internet. It doesn't matter where the two endpoints that are to be connected are stationed. The only requirement is that both are connected to the Internet and use the TeamViewer client.
This remote access enables support and maintenance of the device, for example, without the need for a person to be present on site. This means that in the event of maintenance, the device can be accessed directly in order to find and rectify faults. Costs incurred by a technician traveling to the site, or waiting or downtime can be effectively reduced as a result. For example, a developer who is given the appropriate authorization could access an edge controller in the field directly from his office.
The setup effort is minimal in this case. Using TeamViewer does not require any intervention or changes to the existing corporate infrastructure. No additional VPN needs to be set up or specific network ports need to be enabled. This relieves the corresponding IT department and reduces the overall risk to the network. All that needs to be done on the respective computer is to install and start the TeamViewer agent.
Classic remote access via TeamViewer can currently be used for a majority of operating systems, for example for Windows, macOS, iOS, but also for Linux and Android. Additionally, it is possible to use TeamViewer on embedded IoT devices - for example for the edge controller sysWORXX CTR-700 of SYS TEC electronic.
Connection establishment and security
As soon as the TeamViewer IoT Agent is started on the corresponding device, it establishes a connection with the TeamViewer server. This server then in turn only passes on access requests if they are authorized accordingly. Depending on the settings made, it is sufficient to use the individual device ID and password assigned by TeamViewer.
This provides triple security for connections:
- The client must be started manually on the corresponding device.
- Appropriate credentials must be used.
- The connection must be authorized via the TeamViewer server.
Furthermore, TeamViewer is certified by the Bundesverband der IT-Sachverständigen und Gutachter e.V. (BISG e.V.) with the quality seal and has been rated with five stars (maximum value). The extensive security information available on the TeamViewer website provides detailed information on the steps required to achieve maximum data security.
The IoT agent used on the sysWORXX CTR-700 provides additional external protection: Only connection requests made by a TeamViewer account stored on the device are accepted.
TeamViewer IoT agent on the sysWORXX CTR-700
The TeamViewer IoT agent tuned to the sysWORXX CTR-700 supports three functional modes:
- Remote access to the device (shell and web access).
- Monitoring via the TeamViewer IoT cloud
- Port forwarding for own services
Remote access to the sysWORXX CTR-700 allows to use the terminal of the Linux operating system. This allows developers, for example, to access the device to make updates or changes. In addition to this shell access, the TeamViewer IoT agent allows access via web access to a configurable web port. Via this port it is possible to access any web-based application running on the sysWORXX CTR-700. By default, the integrated Node-RED is addressed. Thus it is also possible to edit the flows of Node-RED from anywhere. The web port can be changed as required, so that another web service can also be addressed on the sysWORXX CTR-700.
Furthermore, the IoT agent can also be used to visualize monitoring data via the TeamViewer cloud."Out of the box", this includes individual device data, such as CPU utilization and free/used memory. It is also possible to connect the sensors and actuators connected via inputs and outputs of the sysWORXX CTR-700 and visualize their information via the TeamViewer IoT cloud as well. TeamViewer thus offers a simple way to implement a lightweight process control system.
Port forwarding makes it possible to specifically release additional ports in addition to those already used by default for shell and web access. This allows, for example, own applications or services running locally on the sysWORXX CTR-700 to be accessed and used remotely by TeamViewer.
