Announcing the vCampus PI Products Kit (May 2009): All-in-One PI System Development Environment

The world of process data management is constantly evolving, and tools that support development and learning are indispensable for professionals and enthusiasts alike. The release of the vCampus PI Products Kit (May 2009) brings a comprehensive suite of OSIsoft PI System development software to your fingertips—all in a convenient DVD image (.ISO file).

What Is the vCampus PI Products Kit?

The vCampus PI Products Kit is designed as an all-in-one package, enabling you to set up your own personal PI System development environment. Whether you want to experiment on a single workstation or mimic an enterprise setup by distributing components across multiple machines, the kit delivers flexibility and ease of use.

What’s Included in This Release?

The May 2009 edition contains the following key OSIsoft PI System components:

• PI Server v3.4.375.91 (PR1 SP1b)
• AF Client/Server v2.0.4.2025
• PI SDK v1.3.6.363
• PI ProcessBook v3.1 (with 3.1.1.0 patch; timeout: June 2010)
• PI DataLink v4.0.0.0 (timeout: June 2010)
• PI DataLink for Excel Services v4.0.4.3
• AF Modeler for PB v1.2.0.1359
• AF 1.5 Compatibility Layer
• AF and PI Notifications Developer Tools

A 30-day temporary PI License is included for your convenience; permanent license management instructions are available in the kit. Detailed product installation and usage guides are provided in a ReadMe.html file at the root of the DVD image.

Understanding the AF Compatibility Layer Versioning

A common source of confusion with this kit has been the naming and versioning of the AF Compatibility Layer. Here’s the breakdown:

• AFCompatibilityLayer_2.0.4.2025.msi is included, which is the latest version at the time of release.
• The term “AF 1.5 Compatibility Layer” refers to assemblies that allow interoperability between AF 1.x and AF 2.x.
• While the public assemblies (DLLs) in the installation directory are versioned 2.0.4.2025 and 1.x, some entries registered in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) may show as v1.5 to bridge the version compatibility gap.

This design ensures that legacy applications dependent on AF 1.x can continue to function while leveraging the new features of AF 2.x.

Licensing and Timeouts

• The provided kit uses a 30-day temporary PI License. If you haven't yet activated your own license, be sure to visit the My License Activations (MLA) section on the Technical Support website.
• Note that PI ProcessBook and PI DataLink have a hardcoded expiration date (June 2010) separate from your PI System license. Updated versions will be provided as needed.

Getting Started

To get up and running:

1. Download the ISO file from the vCampus Download Center.
2. Mount or extract the ISO. If you’re new to DVD images, see the linked webinar and documentation.
3. Start with the ReadMe.html at the root of the image for step-by-step installation instructions.

Conclusion

The vCampus PI Products Kit streamlines learning, prototyping, and development for PI System users. By packaging the full PI System experience into one easily managed kit—which now includes robust compatibility layers and the latest supported components—OSIsoft continues to support the developer community in pushing the boundaries of process data management.

If you have questions about the kit or its components, join the ongoing discussions in the vCampus forums. Happy developing!