Connect to PI server using credentials

[gygabyte017]

Hi, I didn't get how to explicitly pass username and password when connecting to a specific PI server. In my environment I need to provide a technical user to connect to the server instead of using my own Windows credentials.

[Hugovdberg]

Currently this isn't supported in the python API, and I think I cannot test it locally. Would you be able to test it if I added it to the code?

[gygabyte017]

Sure, I can test it against several PI servers with different configurations / environments. Just tell me what to do. Thank you, Regards

[Hugovdberg]

Can you install the test version using pip install git+https://github.com/Hugovdberg/PIconnect@feature/511_connection_credentials?

You should then be able to connect to the PI Data Archive using something like the following:

import PIconnect as PI
from PIconnect.PIConsts import AuthenticationMode

with PI.PIServer(username='...', password='...', authentication_mode=AuthenticationMode.PI_USER_AUTHENTICATION) as server:
    points = server.search('*')
    print(len(points))

Note that it's required to provide both a username and password (no default username). If you need to provide a login domain you can use the argument domain. If you need Windows authentication instead of PI user authentication you should set the authentication_mode to AuthenticationMode.WINDOWS_AUTHENTICATION.

If you experience any issues please let me know!

[gygabyte017]

Thank you! Here's my results.

SecureString object seems not to be working: I get PIAuthenticationException.

Something seems wrong because if I print the SecurePassword.Length I get 0, so I guess no password is being passed to the server:

    def __enter__(self):
        if self._credentials:
            print(self.server_name)
            print(self._credentials[0].SecurePassword.Length)
            self.connection.Connect(*self._credentials)
            print(self.connection.CurrentUserName)

Instead, if I replace the SecureString with just a String:

cred = [username, password] + ([domain] if domain else [])

the connection is successful (I added some print to the __enter__ method to get sure that the correct server and the correct user is will logged in).

[gygabyte017]

This works with SecureString:

        if username:
            from System.Net import NetworkCredential
            from System.Security import SecureString
            
            secureString = SecureString()
            for c in password:
                secureString.AppendChar(c)

            cred = [username, secureString] + ([domain] if domain else [])
            self._credentials = (NetworkCredential(*cred), int(authentication_mode))

I guess a SecureString in .NET cannot be constructed from a string, but must be built char by char...

[Hugovdberg]

Thanks for testing! I will fix the SecureString construction, that has some more guarantees the text is removed from memory as soon as possible.

[Hugovdberg]

I pushed a new version that incorporates the correct construction of the SecureString, could you please update using the same command I previously sent?

[gygabyte017]

It works great! I tested with both AuthenticationModes and different domains/credentials, it works in every test.

I believe the issue is solved and can be committed to master, if you agree this can be closed.

Thank you again,
Regards

[Hugovdberg]

Great to hear that! I will include it in the development release for now, it will trickle into master in the next release.

[panshu77]

thanks for adding this new function. Just wonder when the new release with this function will come out. And if not soon, is the test version still available? thanks.

[fouadsel88]

Thank you for fixing that, is the new release coming soon? I am getting the same issue and I would like to use AuthenticationMode.WINDOWS_AUTHENTICATION to my script.

[Hugovdberg]

you can always install from the github development branch, but I'll try to make a new release soon.

To install the latest developments you can install using: pip install --upgrade git+https://github.com/Hugovdberg/PIconnect@develop

[mhernandez1005]

Hello, is it possible to connect to PI database over VPN? I receive PIAuthenticationException when trying to connect to pi database. The PIconnect version is 0.9.1, with the updated secure string. Thank you,

[Hugovdberg]

Can you connect using official PI software over that VPN? If the SDK supports it, it should be possible using PIconnect as well, but I don't have a VPN to test with, nor a PI server that requires manual authentication. What is the exact error message you get?