Although using security in ACM is optional, if security is required in the ROC device, security needs to be enabled in ACM. To determine if security is enabled, look in the ROCLINK 800 Client, select the “ROC” menu option and then select “Security”.
FIGURE 1: Below is an example of an older ROC (e.g. a 200 or 300 series) where security is enabled on the LOI port and the COM1 port. It is configured to accept the User Access Level as well when logging in.
In ACM, security is found on the “Security” tab. See FIGURE 2.
To work properly with the ROC312 in FIGURE 1, ACM must be configured to “Enable ROC Login” and the appropriate Operator Id, Password and Access Level must be saved as well. The Inactivity Timeout is set to the default 600 seconds because this value is not configurable in the older ROC devices and they are hard-wired to be 600 seconds.
The Inactivity Timeout and the “Timeout” column in FIGURE 1 are not the same. That timeout is the timeout for the front panel of the device.
Inactivity Timeouts
The Inactivity Timeout is the length of time after which the ROC device will “time out” and require a login. A few examples will help:
Example 1:
Inactivity timeout in the device=600 seconds
Inactivity timeout in ACM = 600 seconds
ACM polling schedule = once per minute
With these settings, ACM will log in once when it first polls but not again because it is not inactive long enough between polls to time out.
Example 2:
Inactivity timeout in the device=600 seconds
Inactivity timeout in ACM = 600 seconds
ACM polling schedule = once every 15 minutes (or 900 seconds)
With these settings, ACM will log in once when it first polls and will log in again before every poll every 15 minutes because it times out between each poll.
In the 800 series of ROC devices the Inactivity Timeout is configurable. In general it is recommended to have the same Inactivity Timeout value in ACM that is in the device.
ROC Enhanced Security
In late 2022, Emerson delivered firmware upgrades to their FlobossTM 107 series and for their ROC800 series. The new enhanced security supports long user IDs and password and encrypts the login information in-transit in the ROC protocol.
The new firmware that supports enhanced security is:
Version 2.0+ in the FlobossTM107 series
Version 1.7+ in the ROC800 series
ACM Security Settings will work with either the old ROC firmware or the new.