Service Store FAQs
Everything you every wanted to know about the Service Store and how to use it.
Of course, this is a pity in the first place and we would appreciate your feedback why you decided against Proficloud.io. Just use our contact form for that. We strive to improve!
The Smart Services enable customers to import data from different devices (production plants, measuring devices, etc.) and from different locations (worldwide) into the Smart Service, operated on Proficloud.io in order to link them with each other and make them remotely evaluable.
For this purpose, the Smart Service enables standardized analyses based on the imported data and e.g. visualizes them with dashboards.
With our User Guiding, we want to make it even easier to get started with the various Smart Services. The guides offer interactive tours through the Smart Services to explain individual functions or to get an overview of the areas of a Smart Service.
In the video you can see how you can use the User Guiding and start interactive guides.
The first time you visit a Smart Service, you will be greeted by a prompt. You can either get an introduction to the Smart Service you just have open in the welcome, or access the guides again later at any time by accessing the button labeled “Guides & FAQs” on the right side of the screen.
We use a service on Proficloud.io that allows to conveniently display all FAQs and guides relevant to the active smart service.
To access the FAQs, just click on the button on the right side of the screen labeled “Guides & FAQs”.
Metric is just another name for variable. One example could be a temperature, wind speed, voltage etc.
As of right now, Proficloud.io is running in AWS data centers, located in Frankfurt. Phoenix Contact does not operate their own data center for Proficloud. Because all Proficloud.io data is hosted in Frankfurt, German law applies
Vulnerability scanning
We are using an web-application vulnerability scanner (Automated security and asset monitoring) to monitor the web-apps for potential takeovers and remediate security bugs in staging and production as soon as they are known and we are using products for automatically prove our code quality & code security.
Hardening techniques
We apply different hardening practices (like i.e. use of service packs, automatic dependency checks, patches & patch-mgmt, etc.) for our service-containers
GDPR compliance
Proficloud.io is completely GDPR compliant, thereby conforming to the highest data privacy standards.
Operating system
All our virtual servers are based on Linux, increasing the resiliency of our cloud system.
Spectre/Meltdown & know CPU security vulnerabilities
Infrastructure has been updated with these new protections, and no customer action is required at the infrastructure level.
Permission / user management
We‘re looking on rolling out a sophisticated permission management system throughout 2021, allowing companies fine-grained controls over what users are capable of accessing.
Password policy
High security passwords are enforced by the platform. In general the password needs at least 10 characters, upper & lowercase letters, number(s) and special character(s).
Public key infrastructure
We are using EJBCA as PKI for all tenants in Proficloud.io, allowing us to revoke potentially compromised certificates whenever needed.
Secure bidirectional device communication
CA signed remote commands are used regarding the connected devices. All communication is encrypted using TLS 1.2 and client certificate authentication.
Secure firmware update process for devices
Hardened firmware update process for devices with IEC 62443 measures.
Encryption
All connections between users and devices to proficloud are encrypted using TLS 1.2.
Data centers
Phoenix Contact Smart Business uses dedicated aws data centers for running Proficloud.io guaranteeing an industry leading security level for customers.
Some Proficloud.io services, such as the Device Management Service can be used free of charge. Other services, including Time Series Data Service allow customers to test them free of charge, but require payment for actual production workloads.
Cloud pricing ist often complicated, but that’s not the case for Proficloud.io. We always make sure to offer payment models, which are easy to understand, enabling our customers to always understand their true costs. This means for you that in the Time Series Data Service, for example, you pay per metric that you send to the cloud. With this model, we naturally offer you suitable packages, so that you have maximum freedom in cost calculation and can rely on the exact costs incurred.
In other services (e.g. ImpulseAnalytics) you only pay per device for one year. This is based on the business model, which was developed especially for this service and offers the user an easy way to calculate the costs.
As soon as you book a service, you will receive a booking confirmation by e-mail, as well as a booking confirmation within Proficloud.io. You can use the booked service directly after the booking. You will receive a separate e-mail with the conditions (taxes, legal framework) from Phoenix Contact that apply to you.
The UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) is required for adding a device to Proficloud. It is printed externally on the device’s housing. After the installation and commissioning of the device, the UUID may not be visible anymore. Thus, it is mandatory to document the UUIDs during the device installation.
We recommend to additionally document the respective device designation within your system or a unique, descriptive name for the device. This enables you to identify the device again within your system locally.
If you cannot access Proficloud.io, please contact your company’s IT. Security restrictions of your company’s IT may result in access problems to Proficloud.io.
An unrestricted internet connection is required for the following addresses and sub-adresses in case of port 443 (HTTPS) and port 8883 (MQTT over TLS):
Proficloud.io, Proficloud-production.io
This needs to be guaranteed by the company’s IT.
- Click on the profile icon in the upper right corner of the browser
- Click on [Settings]
- Click on the pencil on the right side of the browser next to your current e-mail address
- Now enter your new e-mail address in the field for the e-mail address and click on [Save Profile Data]
- Click on [Confirm] to confirm the action. You will be logged out and will receive a confirmation e-mail at your new e-mail address
- Click on the link in the e-mail to verify the e-mail-address change
See at a glance which devices can use which services. The listed devices are Phoenix Contact devices with direct Proficloud.io integration. You can integrate a lot more device with a Gateway Solution and NodeRED. Sort the table according to your needs.
| Device Type | Article Number | Device Management Service | Time Series Data Service | Energy Management Service | ImpulseAnalytics Service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AXC F 1152 | 1151412 | Controller | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | - |
| AXC F 2152 | 2404267 | Controller | 2020.6.1 (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | - |
| AXC F 3152 | 1069208 | Controller | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | - |
| RFC 4072S | 1051328 | Safety controller | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | - |
| EPC 1502 | 1185416 | Edge device | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | |
| EPC 1522 | 1185423 | Edge device | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | |
| EEM-SB370-C | 1158951 | Measuring device | 2020.6 (or higher) | 2020.6 (or higher) | 2020.6 (or higher) | - |
| EEM-SB371-C | 1158947 | Measuring device | 2020.6 (or higher) | 2020.6 (or higher) | 2020.6 (or higher) | - |
| IPCH-4X-PCL-TCP-24DC-UT | 1045379 | Pulse measuring device | 3.0.1234.0 | - | - | 3.0.1234.0 |
| BPC 9102S | 1246285 | Safety controller | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | |
| CHARGE Repay Gateway | 9876543 | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | ||||
| CHARGE Repay Gateway | 9876542 | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) | ||||
| CRG 0001 | 9876544 | 2021.0.x LTS (or higher) |
We design our email to get through most email filters so that it gets into your inbox without any problems. If you still do not receive a registration email, it could have ended up in your spam folder.
Many companies filter and block incoming mail and might not forward our emails as intended.
If you don’t receive your registration email for example, please contact your IT support. If they can’t find a problem, please let us know by writing an email to inbox@phoenixcontact-sb.io
We built Proficloud.io from scratch, including identity management. Therefore your Proficloud.net credentials are not valid in Proficloud.io. Simply create a new account free of charge.
In general it makes sense to use Proficloud.io. The firmware of the PLCnext controllers can only connect to Proficloud.io with the latest version. In the future Proficloud.io will be the only supported version.
When you delete your Proficloud.io account, you will no longer receive any future invoices. Please note that if you have active subscriptions at the time of deletion, a credit note will not be issued. Your subscriptions will be terminated, and you will lose access to Proficloud.io and its paid Smart Services. To regain access, you will need to create a new Proficloud.io account.
Cancellation of the subscriptions is possible at the end of the contract period (usually 1 year).
Visit the Subscription Management, select the subscription you want to cancel and click on the three dots at the top right corner. With a click on [Cancel Subscription] you can cancel the subscription.
Some Smart Services (Time Series Data Service) can only be booked once. This means that in order to switch to the next larger package, the package must be upgraded.
If you want to upgrade your Time Series Data Service subscription, it is easy to do so by choosing a larger subscription. The upgrade takes effect immediately.
To change your billing information, log in to Proficloud.io and access your settings (top right, Profile icon, click on [Settings]).
You can now click on [Edit Billing Account] and edit your entries. With a click on [Update Billing Account] you will save your new settings.
Already written invoices will not be changed.
Immediately after booking a Smart Service, you have the opportunity to bind the requested units to the subscription. All you have to do is click on [Assign {Unit}] in the Order Confirmation.
Subscriptions can also be managed in the Subscription Management
Accessing the Subscription Management
You can access the Subscription Management after logging in on Proficloud.io and clicking on the Profile Icon at the top right corner. Click on [Settings] and scroll down to the Subscription Management.
Assign Metrics
In the Subscription Management, scroll to the Subscription you want to edit. Open the Subscription and click on [Assign Metrics]. In the upcoming pop up you can assign or remove the metrics of the devices you need or do not longer need.
Changes to the assignments take effect immediately after you save the edit.
Assign Devices
In the Subscription Management, scroll to the Subscription you want to edit. Open the Subscription and click on [Assign Devices]. In the upcoming pop up you can assign (or in some cases remove) the devices from the subscription.
Changes to the assignments take effect immediately after you save the edit.
A subscription is a contract for the use of a Smart Service on Proficloud.io, which is automatically renewed on an annual basis.
A subscription contains the information of an order and the assigned units of the Service Store on Proficloud.io.
The information available in Subscription Management generally includes the following entries:
- Smart Service Name
- Booked units (metrics/devices)
- Assigned units (metrics/devices)
- Available units (metrics/devices)
- Subscription ID
- Time of booking
- Smart Service Package
Subscriptions can be managed in the Subscription Management
Accessing the Subscription Management
You can access the Subscription Management after logging in on Proficloud.io and clicking on the Profile Icon at the top right corner. Click on [Settings] and scroll down to the Subscription Management.
A device-based subscription can be booked multiple times. A device-bound subscription can include multiple devices. An active subscription must be booked and selected for each device.
Metric-based subscriptions are device-independent. In a package with multiple metrics, it is possible to assign, for example, 5 metrics to one device and, if necessary, 10 metrics of the same subscription to another device.
Subscriptions do not need to be activated manually. Subscriptions are activated immediately after booking, therefore they can be used immediately after booking. For usage, an entity (e.g. metric or device) must be added to a subscription.
Currently active in the Service Store are the following countries:
| Country |
|---|
| Germany |
| Spain |
| Italy |
| Switzerland |
| Brazil |
| Argentina |
| Chile |
| Netherlands |
| South Africa |
| Canada |
| Australia |
| Romania |
| Sweden |
| Portugal |
| Mexico |
| Austria |
| United Kingdom |
| Luxembourg |
| France |
| Greece |
| Poland |
If your country is not listed, please contact us, we have manual processes for booking a Smart Service from a country not available in the list.
It is very easy and very effective to book a Smart Service on Proficloud.io. To do so, simply log in to Proficloud.io and visit the Service Store. If you don’t have an account yet, you can create one here.
Select the Smart Service you want to book. Currently, the bookable subscriptions are divided into subscriptions that function independently of the device (Time Series Data Service) and device-bound subscriptions (EMMA Service, ImpulseAnalytics Service).
The different features are displayed in the Service Store in such a way that you can clearly compare the individual packages. If you are booking a Smart Service in the Service Store for the first time, you will be informed when you click on [Book Package] that you must enter your billing information before you can continue.
Fill out billing information
Now fill in your billing information and then click on [Create Billing Account]. The Phoenix Contact Customer ID is an optional field. After this you will be directed to the checkout modal where you can check if all your entries are correct.
Book a Smart Service Package
In the checkout modal you see information like the Smart Service Package you are going to order, your contract partner and your Billing address. You also have the chance to fill out a reference, that will be visible on all documents you will receive in regards to this subscription/order. Before being able to order the desired Smart Service, you need to accept the Terms & Conditions and click on [Order License].
Your contract partner
The contract partner you are seeing in the checkout will always be the Phoenix Contact sales subsidiary of where your company is located.
Confirmation via Email
After you placed your order in the Service Store of Proficloud.io, you will see an order summary with the information of the package you booked and you will also get a Subscription ID. This Subscription ID will be visible on all documents you are receiving in regards to this order.
Use the Smart Service immediately after the booking process
Immediately after the booking process you will be able to use the Smart Service on Proficloud.io. The only thing you need to do is, to assign metrics (Time Series Data Service)