Industrial Process Control Data Access Server Supporting Multiple Client Data Exchange Protocols

Abstract

A method and process control data server system architecture are disclosed for providing process data to a variety of client applications via a plurality of differing data sharing standards. The system architecture incorporates a ready platform for subsequently added client application data exchange protocols. In an exemplary embodiment, a set of standard interface definitions between client application data exchange protocol-specific plugins and a data access server engine supports incorporating new client application data exchange protocols by means of plugins designed to interface with the data access server engine according to the standard interface definitions.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims priority of Todorov et al. U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 232,731 filed on Sep. 15, 2000, entitled “Remote Multiple Client Protocol Support,” the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety including the contents and teachings of any references contained therein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to the field of computerized process control networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to data access server systems providing access by supervisory level client applications to process control information.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Significant advances in industrial process control technology have vastly improved all aspects of factory and plant operation. Before the introduction of today's modern industrial process control systems, industrial processes were operated / controlled by humans and rudimentary mechanical contr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach enables the data access server to support additional protocols over time, facilitating the reuse and optimization of process data access servers, allowing for seamless integration with new client applications and legacy protocols without redeployment or rewriting existing software.

Problems solved by technology

As a consequence, the complexity and degree of control over a process was limited by the speed with which one or more people could ascertain a present status of various process state variables, compare the current status to a desired operating level, calculate a corrective action (if needed), and implement a change to a control point to affect a change to a state variable.

This relatively static, limiting approach to client application implementation leads to duplication / replication of effort (a distinct version of client application for extracting device data is created for each communication standard that may be used to retrieve that data).

This approach also creates an inability of data access server developers to leverage prior server versions.

Users were slow in migrating from existing client applications to new client applications incorporating more effective protocols developed over the years due to incompatibilities with existing data provider communication protocols.

Images