HOW TO VIRTUALISE SCADA AND CREATE ARCHITECTURES SUITABLE FOR INDUSTRY 4.0
Why is IT fast moving to virtualization solutions? Is it possible to apply these principles also to process architectures?
In a not too distant past, the use of PCs and architectures PC based for the control systems it did not meet with a favorable opinion from some of the insiders.
And still today there are some insiders at the process control who, somehow, maintain that position.
However, many companies have moved towards PC based computerization solutions, and the reliability, maintenance and ease of deployment of these systems have become points to deal with.
Numerous companies are therefore in the position of not being able to operate without SCADA systems, both from an operational point of view and due to the need to maintain a electronic log of your critical data, whether for legal or regulatory reasons, or production or process reporting requests.
First companies have engaged in various means to increase the uptime of their systems. The most used method was to put a Server & Hosting backup ready to be plugged in and ready to go if the Primary Server fails.
Over time, the cold backup it turned into hot backups, to form a redundant pair and eliminate the need for manual Backup Server startup.
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We must remember that Servers are not the only components of the SCADA architecture that can fail: there are also Clients that can have the same problem.
The time it takes to replace a Client can vary, but if a typical Thick Clients of iFIX (or another SCADA) must be re-installed starting from the operating system, the time necessary for the operation can also be around half a day. This time can be reduced by having a recovery image to carry to the replacement PC, or by having a replacement PC ready to connect.
So? How you do it?