Question submitted by a VTScada Certified Solution Provider

While discussing some remote access solutions, a question arose about how VTSCADA handles version differences. The specific example we were discussing dealt with an integrator remotely logging into a network and then making changes to an application hosted on a remote machine using the integrator laptop, and then pushing those changes back to the remote machine.

If the integrator laptop version was higher than the remote system, would VTSCADA still import those changes, or if the remote system was a higher version would the integrator laptop even be able to make changes to that application?

Answer

Version differences may or may not cause issues in those situations. It depends upon what the level of intercompatability is between the two specific versions. It is recommended that you download and install the version of VTScada that is compatible with the specific application you are currently supporting. You can install as many different VTScada versions as you like on the same computer, just change the directory name that each is to installed into.

It should be noted that VTScada is written and tested to be backward compatible as versions advance. This is in the mindset of offering a continuous product evolution vs. discrete isolated versions that later rust with no upgrade path forward (like Windows XP). If backward compatibility for a feature is a problem, there is usually an advance note on a work-around and/or an automatic migration tool provided (like when the Alarm system was enhanced to include ISA 18.2 and bunch of other features. Upon restart the tool automatically migrated the alarm history so that users obtained new features with their existing application without added work or cost).