Revolution in control system architecture

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 4, 2007

Advanced clustering technology allows users to create new architectures that will help safeguard plant reliability.

The launch of CitectScada V7.0 has created a revolution in control system architectures.

The advanced clustering technology now available in V7.0 allows users to create new architectures that will help safeguard plant reliability.

Users also benefit from rapid change deployment and many other enhancements to help increase security, reduce operating costs and maximise productivity.

According to Craig Resnick, Research Director, ARC Advisory Group: "In the past, manufacturers have been forced to choose between centralised and independent local systems for monitoring and controlling their operations".

"Now, with the latest HMI/Scada offerings such as CitectScada V7.0, manufacturers have the ability to put local systems and centralised servers into redundant pairs, providing the benefits of standardisation through the use of a single configuration across all displays, while at the same time locating alarms, reports, trends and I/O servers local to the process that they control".

V7.0 provides companies with many new control system design options.

The product now supports clustering across multiple sites and provides hybrid solutions of centralised and distributed control.

Hybrid solutions can be achieved by: pairing multiple local servers with a single central server to create 1-to-n redundancy, reducing the cost of computer hardware; segmenting an existing server to act as multiple servers, whereby each segment controls a different section of the plant, this ensures system changes in one area of the plant do not impact on the others CitectScada V7.0 allows the same project configuration to be used across an entire site, resulting in significant cost savings from a new dynamic-point licensing system, whereby customers need only pay for the tags that they use at each operator display.

This capability also helps to provide standardisation and a single point of change when CitectScada is used as the central control system and on local control panels.

"The new architecture elements are the next step in our continuing product improvement strategy", says Stephen Flannigan, Citect Global Director, CitectScada.

"The architectural enhancements continue to build on our existing reliable, high performance and flexible control system and open many new and exciting possibilities for our customers".

"Importantly, we are maintaining our upgrade path so our existing customers can take advantage of this architecture without having to reconfigure their control systems".

Some specific user benefits of the advanced clustering technology available in CitectScada V7.0 include: a seamless operator view across existing control systems; a combination of control, (including alarms, reports and trends), local to the process, paired with a central standby server; additional processing support for expansion requirements by the addition of a new server to the control system; control system segmentation to ensure changes in one business unit do not affect the others; multiple-control-system connectivity to analyse alarms and trend data directly from the Scada system; cluster swapping to re-use graphics screens between matching systems or for simulation or replay.

Rapid Change Deployment enables users to: roll out changes to graphics screens without restart; make changes to alarms, trends, reports without client restart; deploy the changes to all systems in a single step.

Other V7.0 enhancements include: increased network fault tolerance support; greater communication control with priority levels for standby communications paths; reduced code overhead by processing code only when tags change; simplified logging of users' actions; support for MS Windows XP-embedded; support for Virtual Machine environments; new dynamic-point licensing whereby customers only pay for the points they use.