If you've been following along with our latest blog posts, you've probably heard Kepware Edge mentioned alongside the newly released version 7 of TOP Server. The question you may have now is: where does this fit, and how does it apply to me? The goal of this post is to answer this with a brief description and practical overview of Kepware Edge plus some case studies of when it makes sense to use it further below.
Our team is here to help you explore Kepware Edge. This article provides an overview, and you can contact us to talk about how it applies to you.
What is Kepware Edge?
At its core, Kepware Edge is industrial connectivity software designed to run on Linux and work in container-based deployments. It handles the same fundamental job you'd expect from any industrial connectivity platform connecting to PLCs and other OT equipment using native protocols, then making that data available to other systems.
What is unique about it is how it's deployed and what it's designed to integrate with. It speaks the protocol languages your equipment understands such as Siemens, Allen-Bradley, and Modbus, with other common industrial protocols to come. Kepware Edge exposes data using OPC UA and MQTT, which are increasingly what modern systems expect, all while doing this through containerized deployment.
Kepware Edge also uses a centralized license server model. Instead of managing licenses on each individual edge device, licenses are checked out from a central server. This approach fits well with distributed edge deployments, where instances may be added, removed, or replaced over time without requiring manual license reconfiguration.
Here are the key points summarized:
- Linux and container deployment: It's built to run on Linux systems and container-based architecture, which makes it suitable for edge nodes and standardized rollouts.
- OPC UA Server and MQTT Client (Publish) support: These are the two main ways it publishes data upstream, covering both traditional OT/IT integration (OPC UA) and newer broker-focused architectures (MQTT).
- Common industrial drivers: It includes drivers for some of the most common communication protocols, Siemens TCP/IP, Allen-Bradley ControlLogix Ethernet, Modbus TCP/IP, and others to come.
- 64-bit architecture: It's built for modern performance and can scale appropriately.
- Centralized licensing: Licenses are managed through a central license server, reducing operational overhead when deploying or redeploying edge instances.
That's the technical overview. But the more interesting question is: WHY IT MATTERS?
Why Kepware Edge is Important Now
A lot of industrial facilities still handle connectivity in the traditional way of a few Windows servers or VMs running OPC servers that feed HMI/SCADA systems and historians. And frankly, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with that approach if it meets your needs.
But at the same time, many organizations are dealing with a shift in how IT infrastructure is being standardized:
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More Linux across the stack, especially at the edge
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More emphasis on containers and orchestration for repeatable, consistent deployments
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More MQTT and Unified Namespace (UNS) architectures, where a message broker becomes the central data backbone instead of point-to-point connections
Kepware Edge is intended to serve this space. It's a way to get data out of PLCs using proven, reliable drivers, then present that data in formats that modern systems are designed to consume without requiring another Windows VM every time you add a new site or production line.
The centralized license server supports this by keeping licensing out of the edge layer. Edge nodes can be deployed, replaced, or scaled without treating licensing as a one-off task at each location.
How Kepware Edge compares to TOP Server or Kepware Server
Kepware Edge should not necessarily be viewed as a replacement for TOP Server. It should be viewed as an additional solution with a specific deployment model for a specific requirement.
TOP Server and Kepware Server are still excellent choices when your infrastructure is primarily Windows-based, and you want a straightforward, proven architecture. You install the server, configure your drivers, point your HMI/SCADA or historian at it, and you're done. It's reliable, well-supported, and if your organization is comfortable with Windows-based deployments, there's no overly compelling reason to change that.
Kepware Edge makes more sense when you're building infrastructure where the deployment model matters as much as the connectivity itself.
- A common architectural pattern can also be a hybrid model. TOP Server continues to serve centralized, Windows based HMI/SCADA and historian infrastructure, while Kepware Edge is placed at the edge near production assets, where it publishes data into MQTT for consumption by modern analytics and cloud-based systems.
When Kepware Edge is worth considering
If you're trying to figure out whether Kepware Edge belongs in your plans, here are the situations where it tends to be a strong fit:
- If you want to avoid the overhead that can come with managing individual Windows systems and your infrastructure is starting to lean toward Linux and containers, Kepware Edge tends to feel like a natural fit. If you are standardizing on Linux at the edge or experimenting with container-based deployments, it drops into that environment seamlessly.
- If you are building out MQTT and Unified Namespace style architectures, Kepware Edge aligns well with that direction. In broker centric models where data is published once and consumed by many systems, it handles publishing via MQTT directly.
- If you are deploying connectivity across a lot of machines, production lines, or sites, consistency and expediency start to matter a lot. Kepware Edge supports repeatable deployments that can be rolled out and managed without having to constantly babysit each individual instance.
If none of this sounds like your environment today, that is completely fine. It does not mean you are behind or doing anything wrong. It just means your current setup may still be best served by traditional Windows based connectivity, and Kepware Edge can be introduced later in the specific places where it delivers clear and immediate value to you and your enterprise.
How You Configure Kepware Edge
One practical detail worth mentioning is that you configure Kepware Edge projects using our OPC Server Remote Configuration Client. This provides a near identical configuration interface used with other Kepware products, which means if you're already familiar with configuring TOP Server or Kepware Server, the experience is consistent.
The configuration client connects remotely to your Kepware Edge instance, so you're not managing configurations directly through a command line or direct API calls. You handle driver setup, tag configuration, and all the usual connectivity settings through our remote configuration client. This keeps the management workflow familiar even though the runtime environment is different.
The Bigger Picture
Kepware Edge is a practical tool for organizations that are modernizing how and where connectivity gets deployed. It's not about replacing everything you've already built, but rather, it's about having an option that fits when your deployment standards and communication requirements are moving toward Linux, containers, and MQTT.
If you're already heading in that direction, or if you're starting to plan for it, Kepware Edge is worth understanding and exploring. If you're not, then it's something to keep in mind as your infrastructure evolves.
The key is knowing what it is, where it fits, and when it makes sense to use it. We feel it is part of our responsibility to help you to make informed decisions based on what your environment needs, not just what's new or trendy. Whether you are ready for this today, or still undergoing a digital transformation, our team is here to help when you’re ready.
To learn more about Kepware Edge and determine if it is a fit for you, please visit this page to speak to our Solutions team.
