Remote Deployment and Trial Operation of Workstations in a Distributed Control System

Abstract

To provide a process and system that allows a configuration engineer or the like to test run and configure one or more workstations (WSs) remotely from a configuration workstation (configuration WS).SOLUTION: The present invention facilitates remote trial operation of WSs to control, maintain and configure process control field devices within a process control plant. A user can specify a configuration of the WS by software using a configuration WS coupled to the WSs via a communication network; and when the user selects the WSs for test run, the user can execute the WS configuration remotely from the configuration WS according to the specified configuration. Executing the WS configuration may include installation / update of an OS, an application, process plant configuration, etc., operators, maintenance, and the like. When the configuration is complete, the WS can communicate with a process controller to operate to execute the control, the maintenance, and the configuration of the process control plant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of process control systems, and more particularly, to systems and methods that enable remote commissioning of one or more computer workstations within a distributed control system.

Background Art

[0002] Distributed control systems (DCSs) are used in a variety of process industries, including chemical, petrochemical, refining, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, power, cement, water and wastewater, oil and gas, pulp and paper, and steel, and are used to control batch, supply batch, and continuous processes operating at a single facility or remotely. A process plant typically includes one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to one or more field devices via an analog bus, a digital bus, or a combined analog / digital bus, or via a wireless communication link or network. Together, various devices perform monitoring, control, and data collection functions to control processes, safety shutdown systems, fire and gas detection systems, machine health monitoring systems, maintenance systems, decision support, and other systems.

[0003] Field devices, which may be valves, valve positioners, switches, and transmitters (e.g., temperature sensors, pressure sensors, level sensors, and flow rate sensors), are located within the process environment and generally control one or more processes running within a process plant or system by performing physical control functions or process control functions, such as opening or closing valves or measuring process parameters. Smart field devices, such as field devices conforming to the well-known Fieldbus protocol, may also perform control calculations, alarm functions, and other control functions commonly implemented within a controller. A process controller, which is also typically located within the plant environment, receives signals and / or other information about the field devices that instruct process measurements performed by the field devices, performs process control decisions, generates control signals based on the received information, and runs a controller application that executes different control modules, which work in conjunction with control modules or blocks executed in the field devices, such as HART®, WirelessHART®, and FOUNDATION® Fieldbus field devices. The control modules within the controller transmit control signals to the field devices via communication lines or links, thereby controlling the operation of at least a portion of the process plant or system.

[0004] Information from field devices and controllers is typically made available via a data highway to one or more other hardware devices, such as operator workstations, personal computers or computing devices, data historians, report generators, centralized databases, or other centralized computing devices, which are typically located in the control room or other locations away from the harsher plant environment. Each of these hardware devices is typically centralized across the process plant or over a portion of the process plant. These hardware devices run applications that may enable operators to perform functions related to process control and / or process plant operation, such as changing the settings of process control routines, modifying the operation of control modules in controllers or field devices, viewing the current state of the process, viewing alarms generated by field devices and controllers, simulating process operation for personnel training or testing process control software, and maintaining and updating configuration databases. The data highways, controllers, and field devices utilized by the hardware devices may include wired communication paths, wireless communication paths, or a combination of wired and wireless communication paths.

[0005] For example, the DeltaV™ control system sold by Emerson Process Management includes multiple applications stored and executed on different devices located in various locations within a process plant. A configuration application residing in one or more workstations or computing devices allows users to create or modify process control modules and download these process control modules to dedicated distributed controllers via a data highway. Typically, these control modules consist of communicatively interconnected functional blocks, which are objects in an object-oriented programming protocol that perform functions within a control scheme based on inputs to them and bring outputs to other functional blocks within the control scheme. The configuration application may also allow a configuration engineer to create or modify an operator interface used by an operator interface application to display data to operators and allow operators to change settings such as setpoints within process control routines. Each dedicated controller, and in some cases one or more field devices, stores and runs their respective controller applications that execute the control modules assigned to and downloaded to them in order to implement the actual process control functions. The operator interface application may run on one or more operator workstations (or one or more remote computing devices connected to the operator workstations and data highways in a communicative manner), which may receive data from the controller application via the data highway and display this data to process control system designers, operators, or users using a user interface, providing one of several different views, such as the operator's view, the engineer's view, or the technician's view. The operator workstation is typically located away from the harsh process plant environment.As a result, operator workstations may be remotely located in various areas of the process plant.

[0006] A data historian application is typically stored and executed on a data historian device that collects and stores some or all of the data provided across the data highway, while a configuration database application may run on a more remote computer attached to the data highway to store the current process control routine configuration and its associated data. Alternatively, the configuration database may reside on the same workstation as the configuration application.

[0007] A process plant can have multiple operator, maintenance, and process plant configuration workstations, each facilitating the control, maintenance, and commissioning of separate parts of the process plant, and accordingly, each is located remotely from the others and from the workstations themselves, with various configuration applications used to configure different types of workstations. Commissioning these remote workstations is a time-consuming task, both individually and system-wide. Commissioning remote workstations requires users, such as process configuration engineers, to physically visit each remote workstation and perform commissioning operations on-site. Because remote workstations may be located in various places within a large plant and may be geographically distant from each other, users may not have easy access to these remote workstations.

[0008] Figure 1 shows an example of a conventional DCS 100, illustrating a network of geographically dispersed and remotely located computer workstations 122, configuration workstations 120, and process controllers 134, all connected via a communication network 136. The remote workstations 122 are far apart from each other, located far from the configuration workstations 120, and may not be easily accessible. For these reasons, it is inconvenient, both in terms of time and effort, for a user 104 working at the configuration workstations 120 to have to physically visit each remote workstation 122. Nevertheless, in a conventional DCS configuration, this is precisely what is required to commission the remote workstations 122.

[0009] User 104 may be a process engineer or a process configuration engineer. Throughout this specification, the terms user, process engineer, and process configuration engineer are used interchangeably. Process configuration engineer 104 is generally responsible for, for example, developing a process plant configuration 128 on configuration workstation 120. Alternatively, the required process plant configuration 128 may already be developed, and user 104 only needs to retrieve this configuration from the digital storage of configuration workstation 120.

[0010] Generally, a process plant configuration 128 is configured to run by one or more controllers and by one or more workstations that work in cooperation with the controllers to control at least a portion of the process plant. Process plant configurations 128 run on remote workstations 122 typically run in a distributed control software environment, such as the DeltaV® process controller application software provided by Emerson. Of course, the distributed control software environment itself usually runs within the workstation's operating system. Therefore, configuring one of the workstations 122 may sometimes require installing and / or configuring the operating system, installing and / or configuring various system components required for the distributed control software environment, installing and / or configuring the distributed control software environment, and installing and / or configuring the process plant configuration necessary to perform control of the process plant. Configuring a workstation 122 may require configuring additional configuration workstations 120 and / or maintenance workstations.

[0011] The configuration workstation 120 is a computer workstation containing process development and process management software tools used by the process configuration engineer 104 to develop the process plant configuration 128 that the process configuration engineer 104 wants to deploy to the remote workstation 122, and to commission the remote workstation 122, i.e., to make the remote workstation 122 fully operational in the case of an operator workstation for the purpose of monitoring and controlling the DCS 100, in the case of an additional configuration workstation for the purpose of configuring the process plant, and / or in the case of a maintenance workstation for the purpose of performing maintenance work.

[0012] When configuring an operator workstation, for example, after user 104 develops the required process plant configuration 128 on configuration workstation 120, user 104 must transfer this process plant configuration 128 to mobile computer storage medium 130. It is possible that the required process plant configuration 128 has already been developed and exists within the computer of configuration workstation 120. In this case, the user must retrieve this process plant configuration 128 from the digital storage of configuration workstation 120 and place it on the mobile computer storage medium 130. The mobile computer storage medium 130 can be any known mobile computer storage medium 130, including but not limited to USB drives, CD and / or DVD-ROM media, Secure Digital (SD) cards, etc., but a wide variety of other mobile computer storage media can also be used for this purpose.

[0013] The process configuration engineer 104 may have developed different types of process plant configurations 128 for different areas of a process plant, for example, and may want to deploy different types or versions of process plant configurations 128 to different remote workstations 122. In this disclosure, the term process plant configuration 128 refers to all different types and different versions of process plant configurations 128 that the process configuration engineer 104 may have developed, may develop, or may be developing on the configuration workstation 120.

[0014] After user 104 copies the process plant configuration 128 to the mobile computer storage medium 130, user 104 leaves the configuration workstation 120 and transports the mobile computer storage medium 130 to a specific remote workstation 122 that the user intends to commission. User 104 can travel from the configuration workstation 120 to the remote workstation 122 (as indicated by the route 140) by walking, riding, driving, or other means. User 104 may also give the mobile computer storage medium 130 to another person for transport to the remote workstation 122. In any case, someone will transport or carry the mobile computer storage medium 130 from the configuration workstation 120 to the remote workstation 122 by some means.

[0015] When user 104 is at a remote workstation 122 equipped with a mobile computer storage medium 130, user 104 transfers the process plant configuration 128 from the mobile computer storage medium 130 to the remote workstation 122 and installs the process plant configuration 128 on the computer of the remote workstation 122. This process of downloading and installing the process plant configuration 128 on the remote workstation 122 takes a considerable amount of time (indicated by the clock or timer 138) on the remote workstation 122. Sometimes, in addition to installing the process plant configuration 128 on the remote workstation 122, it may also be necessary to install or configure an operating system, system components, and / or a distributed control software environment on which the process plant configuration 128 operates.

[0016] During this commissioning process (which may include the entire installation and configuration of the operating system, system components, distributed control software environment, and process plant configuration 128), user 104 must generally wait at the remote workstation 122 and allow the download and installation processes of the operating system, distributed control software environment, etc., to complete. This may require user 104 to be physically present at the remote workstation 122 and wait throughout the entire download and installation process, because user 104 may be required to take one or more actions throughout the entire download and installation process. For example, the remote workstation 122 may prompt user 104 to confirm multiple reboots during the operating system installation process or the distributed control software environment installation process. Therefore, not only must user 104 remain at a particular remote workstation 122 for a certain period of time, but user 104 must also remain focused on the installation process until at least all reboots have completed successfully.

[0017] If the commissioning process initially requires the installation of a distributed control software environment, that installation is merely a prerequisite step for the installation of the process plant configuration 128, provided from the configuration application or in the form of a configuration file created within the configuration application (e.g., ProPlus® configuration software provided by Emerson). During this phase of the remote workstation commissioning process, user 104 of the remote workstation 122 may be asked to return to the configuration workstation 120, open the configuration application, and then create and configure a workstation placeholder, which may be a virtual logical terminal. The user then exports the placeholder, copies it to the mobile computer storage medium 130, and returns the mobile computer storage medium 130 back to the remote workstation 122, at which point user 104 copies the workstation placeholder to the remote workstation 122, where the user is attempting to commission and import the placeholder using the installation program. Further waiting continues as user 104 remains physically present on the remote workstation 122, confirming further restarts and providing supplementary information when prompted by the installation program. Next, the user returns to configuration workstation 120, downloads the workstation, and connects it to the system.

[0018] While the commissioning of an exemplary operator workstation was described above, a similar set of procedures is required for commissioning a maintenance workstation or further configuration workstation. Although specific software components and programming may differ, the overall process is largely the same, and similarly, the operator must pay attention during the commissioning and installation process to transfer the configuration to a remote workstation and restart operations during commissioning by performing various tasks. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0019] As shown above with reference to Figure 1, in order to configure and commission the remote workstations 122, user 104 typically has to travel back and forth between the configuration workstation 120 and the remote workstations 122 several times, physically waiting at each remote workstation 122 while each workstation 122 is configured and commissioned. This installation process must be repeated sequentially for multiple remote workstations 122 located in multiple locations equipped with DCS 100. This method of commissioning multiple remote workstations is extremely time-consuming and inefficient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] A system for facilitating the remote commissioning of selected workstations in a process control plant includes multiple process control field devices that operate to process physical materials within the process plant to produce products. A process controller coupled to the multiple process control field devices is configured to receive a first signal from the process control field devices and transmit control signals to the process control field devices. The system includes a communication network and a configuration workstation coupled to the communication network, the configuration workstation including a processor and memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing machine-readable instructions executable by the processor. The machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor to create control modules and functional blocks for controlling the process control field devices and to bring a user-operable graphical configuration system to download the control modules and functional blocks to the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices. The machine-readable instructions are executable by the processor to receive a specified configuration of a workstation coupled to the communication network from the user, receive a selection of a workstation from multiple workstations coupled to the communication network, configure the selected workstation according to the specified configuration, and enable the workstation to communicate with the process controller to implement configuration, operation, and / or maintenance functions within the process control plant.

[0021] A method for remotely commissioning an operator workstation within a process control plant includes creating a process configuration for the process control plant, a process plant configuration specifying a process controller, multiple process control field devices, and control procedures for implementation by the process controller to control the multiple process control field devices, in a configuration editor of a graphical configuration system running on a configuration workstation. The method also includes specifying the configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned to control the process plant in the configuration editor, and searching for a communication network communicably coupled to the configuration workstation to identify one or more decommissioned operator workstations. Furthermore, the method includes receiving a selection of decommissioned operator workstations, identifying the selected decommissioned operator workstation as the operator workstation to be commissioned, and configuring the selected decommissioned operator workstation according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned, so that the operator workstation communicates with the process controller to perform control of process control field devices and receives operational data for the process control plant. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0022] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram of a distributed control system (DCS) that includes a configuration workstation and a network of multiple remote computer workstations. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram of an exemplary process plant as described in this explanation. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing some of the software elements present in the configured workstation. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a workflow for preparing a configuration for use in test-running a remote operator workstation according to the described embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration workstation and an exemplary remote station being test-run by the configuration workstation. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an exemplary method for test-running and configuring a remote workstation.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0023] The presently described embodiments provide a process and system that enable a configuration engineer or other user to test-run and configure workstations (e.g., operator workstations, maintenance workstations, additional configuration workstations) remotely from a configuration workstation. In contrast to prior art systems where the user had to physically move to each remote workstation, sometimes multiple times, and actively participate in responses to various prompts during the test-run process, the presently described embodiments enable the user to configure and test-run remote workstations without physically being present at the remote workstations, saving time and, in some cases, enabling one user to configure and test-run multiple remote workstations simultaneously or at least in parallel.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary process plant network 102 configured to facilitate remote commissioning and configuration of the remote workstations 122. As will be described in detail herein, the remote workstations 122 (which are referred to herein as they are typically away from each other and from the configuration workstations 120) can be configured from the configuration workstations 120 without the need for user intervention or presence at the remote workstations 122, thus saving both time and effort for the personnel responsible for commissioning the operator workstations 122. Although described herein primarily with respect to the configuration of the remote workstations 122 which are primarily operator workstations, the remote workstations 122 can also be additional configuration workstations and / or maintenance workstations, the main difference being the interface application software installed on each.

[0025] Regarding the operation of a process plant via an operator workstation, plant personnel generally utilize one or more operator interface applications 124 to monitor or control the operation of the process plant 102 and the distributed control system (DCS) 100 implemented within the process plant 102. The operator interface applications 124 generally include user interface applications which graphically illustrate the process graphics for each of the operator and maintenance technicians, and / or other users at the workstations, such as the workstations 122, using a variety of different displays.

[0026] The process plant environment in Figure 2 also includes a graphical configuration system 126 running on a configuration workstation 120. The graphical configuration system 126 generally facilitates the creation of control and monitoring schemes for process plant control, including graphical displays. The graphical configuration system 126 may include, for example, a configuration editor 132, which can be used to create control modules and control module templates, graphical displays and templates, and other embodiments of the control system stored in a library, and can later be used to create instances or uses actually implemented in process plant control by downloading instances of control modules to a controller, or by running instances of graphical displays of user displays presented to operators and maintenance personnel during plant 102 operation, for example. Naturally, each of the graphical configuration system 126, the configuration editor 132, and the various control modules, templates, and graphical displays (collectively referred to herein as “configuration software”) is stored in tangible computer-readable memory or media and runs on one or more processors to perform the functions described herein.

[0027] As is generally the case, the distributed control system 100 shown in Figure 2 has one or more controllers 134, each of which is connected to one or more field devices 144 and 146 (which may be smart devices) via an input / output (I / O) device or card 148, which may be, for example, a Fieldbus interface, Profibus interface, HART interface, or standard 4-20ma interface. The controllers 134 are also connected to one or more host or operator workstations 122 via a data highway or communication network 136, which may be, for example, an Ethernet link. A process data database 158 may be connected to the communication network 136 and operates to collect and store process variables, process parameters, status, and other data associated with the controllers 134, field devices 144, 146, and any other devices in the plant 102. During the operation of the process plant 102, the process database 158 can receive process data from the controllers 140 via the communication network 136, and indirectly from the field devices 144, 146.

[0028] The configuration database 160 stores the current configuration of the distributed control system 100 within the plant 102 when downloaded and stored in the controller 140 and field devices 144, 146. This configuration database 160 stores process control functions that define one or more control procedures of the distributed control system 100, configuration parameters of devices 144, 146, assignments of devices 144, 146 to process control functions, and other configuration data related to the process plant 102. The configuration database 160 may additionally store graphical objects or user displays, and configuration data associated with these objects or displays, to provide various graphical representations of elements within the process plant 102. Some of the stored graphical objects may correspond to process control functions (e.g., process graphics developed for a specific PID loop), while others may be device-specific (e.g., graphics corresponding to a pressure sensor).

[0029] The data historian 162 (another database) stores the sequence of events, alarms, comments, and actions taken by the operator. Events, alarms, and comments may relate to individual devices (e.g., valves, transmitters), communication links (e.g., wired Fieldbus segments, WirelessHART communication links), or process control functions (e.g., PI control loops for maintaining desired temperature setpoints). Furthermore, the software repository database 164 may store installation files and software files that may be required to commission one or more remote workstations 122, including installation files related to the operating system, installation files related to the operator interface application 124, and installation programs to facilitate the installation of multiple components, as described herein.

[0030] Each of the databases 158–164 may be any desired type of data storage or collection unit having any desired type of memory and any desired or known software, hardware, or firmware for storing data. Naturally, the databases 158–164 do not need to reside on separate physical devices. Therefore, in some embodiments, some of the databases 158–164 may be implemented in a shared data processor and memory. Generally, it is also possible to store the data collectively stored and managed by the databases 158–164 in the example system of Figure 2 using fewer or more databases.

[0031] The controller 134, I / O card 148, and field devices 144, 146 are typically located within a potentially harsh plant environment and are distributed throughout, while the operator workstations 120 and 122, and the databases 158–164 are typically located in a control room or other relatively less harsh environment that can be easily assessed by controllers, maintenance, and various other plant personnel.

[0032] As is well known, each of the controllers 134, which may be, for example, a DeltaV(trademark) controller sold by Emerson Process Management, stores and executes controller applications that implement control procedures using any number of different, independently running control modules or blocks 170. Each of the control modules 170 can generally consist of what are called function blocks, each function block being part of or a subroutine of an entire control routine, working together with other function blocks (via communication called links) to implement a process control loop within the process plant 102. As is well known, function blocks, which can be objects in object-oriented programming protocols, typically perform one of the following: input functions, such as those associated with transmitters, sensors, or other process parameter measuring devices; control functions, such as those associated with control routines that perform control such as PID, fuzzy logic, or output functions that perform some physical function within the process plant 102 by controlling the operation of some device, such as a valve. Naturally, there are hybrid and other types of complex function blocks, such as model predictive controllers (MPCs) and optimizers. The Fieldbus protocol and DeltaV system protocol use control modules and functional blocks designed and implemented with object-oriented programming protocols, although the control modules can be designed using any desired control programming scheme, including, for example, sequential functional blocks, ladder logic, etc., and are not limited to being designed and implemented using functional blocks or any other specific programming techniques. Each of the controllers 134 may also support the AMS® suite of applications sold by Emerson Process Management, which can use predictive intelligence to improve the availability and performance of production assets, including mechanical equipment, electrical systems, process equipment, fixtures, non-smart and smart field devices 144, 146, etc.

[0033] As described, the DCS100 includes one or more controllers 134 that are communicatively coupled to control room workstations 120, 122. The controllers 134 automate the control of field devices 144, 146 in the process area by executing process control procedures performed via the operator workstation 122. An exemplary process procedure is to measure pressure using a pressure sensor field device and automatically send commands to a valve positioner to open and close a flow valve based on the pressure measurement. The I / O card 148 converts information received from field devices 144, 146 into a format compatible with the controllers 134 and converts information from the controllers 134 into a format compatible with the field devices 144, 146.

[0034] Through the I / O card 148, the controller 134 can communicate with field devices 144 and 146 according to a control module 170 downloaded to the controller 134. The control module 170 is programmed using a configuration editor 132 run on the configuration workstation 120. In the configuration editor 132, a configuration engineer 104 can create the control module 170, for example, by instantiating one or more function blocks. For example, the configuration engineer 104 may instantiate an AI function block to receive an analog input from one of the field devices 144 or 146, and the AI ​​function block may receive various values ​​associated with the analog outputs of the field devices 144 or 146 (e.g., signal values, upper and lower alarm limits, signal status, etc.). The AI ​​function block can output the corresponding signal to another function block (e.g., a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control function block, a custom function block, a display module, etc.). Once an AI function block is instantiated, the function block is associated with a unique device tag associated with field devices 144 and 146, allowing the function block previously downloaded to the controller 134 to work in conjunction with the appropriate I / O card 148 to process information from the correct field devices 144 and 146.

[0035] In the plant network 102 shown in Figure 2, the field devices 144 and 146 connected to the controller 134 may be standard 4-20mA devices, smart field devices such as HART®, Profibus, or FOUNDATION® Fieldbus field devices including a processor and memory, or any other desired type of device. Some of these devices, for example, Fieldbus field devices (labeled reference numeral 146 in Figure 2), may be associated with control procedures implemented within the controller 134, or may store and execute modules or submodules such as functional blocks that perform other actions within the process plant, such as data acquisition, trending, alarming, and calibration. Functional blocks 172 shown in Figure 2, arranged on two different Fieldbus field devices 146, may, as is well known, be executed in conjunction with the execution of a control module 170 within the controller 134 to implement process control. Naturally, the field devices 144 and 146 may be any type of device, such as sensors, valves, transmitters, or positioners, and the I / O device 148 may be any type of I / O device that conforms to any desired communication or controller protocol, such as HART, Fieldbus, or Profibus.

[0036] Referring to Figure 2, workstations 120 and 122 may contain various applications used for various different functions performed by personnel within plant 102. Each of workstations 120 and 122 includes memory 180 for storing various applications, programs, data structures, etc., and a processor 182 which can be used to run any of the applications stored in memory 180. In the example shown in Figure 2, workstation 120 also includes, as part of a configuration editor 132, one or more process controller configuration applications in addition to the operator interface application 124, which may include, for example, a control module creation application, an operator interface application, and other data structures that any certified configuration engineer can access to create control routines or modules such as control modules 170 and function blocks 172, and download them to various controllers 134 and devices 146 in plant 102.

[0037] Broadly speaking, the operator interface application 124 allows the operator to provide specific information about the operation of a particular area of ​​the process plant 102 and to view a display module configured to control the operation of the process plant 102 according to the information on the display module. The display module is drawn on workstations 120, 122 and incorporates real-time process data received from the controller 134 and field devices 144, 146. As used herein, “real-time” communication of data refers to electronic communication of data over an electronic communication network with normal delays that occur in processing, routing, and transmission, without intentionally introducing additional significant delays. In some embodiments, a negligible delay of less than 5 seconds (preferably less than 2 seconds) may be introduced to reduce network congestion when communicating data in real time. The display module may be any type of interface that allows, for example, the operator or other use to manipulate the values ​​of the data (e.g., perform read or write operations) to monitor or modify the operation of field devices 144, 146, control module 170, and functional block 172, as well as the DCS 100 and the process plant 102 as a whole. The display module can be stored in the memory 180 of workstations 120 and 122, and can also be stored in the configuration database 160.

[0038] The control module 170, and in some embodiments, the display module, may be part of the configuration file 174 of the configuration database 160. That is, the control module 170 may be stored in the configuration file 174 together with the display module, or separately from the display module. In any case, the configuration file 174 generally stores the overall configuration of the DCS 100, including devices, device tags, friendly names, data format information (e.g., scaling information, unit type, etc.) where variables are associated with each control loop, and defined control procedures. As previously shown, the configuration file 174 may also be downloaded to the controller 134 to implement the control procedures defined in the configuration file 174.

[0039] As can be understood, the process plant 102 may include hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of signals, outputs from hundreds or thousands of field devices 144, 146 transmitters (i.e., sensors), and / or inputs to the field devices 144, 146 that cause the field devices 144, 146 to perform control functions according to control procedures programmed into the control module 170. The plant 102 may be divided into various areas, several of which may be controlled by a single controller 134, and each of these areas may be controlled by a single controller, multiple controllers 134, or some combination thereof. In any case, the field devices 144, 146 that make up the process plant 102 are likely to be replicated separately many times within the process plant 102 (for example, there may be many valves of any type, many pumps, many heaters, many tanks, etc.). The field devices 144 and 146 may also be combined into a functional group within a physical area ("process area"), where the field devices 144 and 146 within that process area perform a specific part of the overall process. For example, a particular process area may have equipment for generating steam for other parts of the process. Within a process area, there may be duplicated parts or groups of equipment ("process units") that share similar structure and function. For example, the process units of a steam-generating process area may include a boiler and a turbogenerator, and the process area may include multiple instances of this process unit.

[0040] Figures 3 and 4 are a block diagram 200 showing some of the software elements present in the configured workstation 120 according to this specification, and a flowchart 202 for preparing the configuration used to commission the remote operator workstation 122 according to the embodiment described here, respectively.

[0041] In addition to the process plant configuration 128, the configuration workstation 120 may also include a configuration environment 126 (e.g., ProPlus® configuration software provided by Emerson) which includes a configuration editor 132 on which a configuration engineer 104 can create the process plant configuration 128. Various other applications may also reside on the configuration workstation 120, including, for example, an installed copy 224 of the operator interface application 124, an installation file 225 for installing the operating system on other workstations, an installation file 226 for installing the operator interface application 124 on other workstations, and an installation file 228 for other applications and services that may be installed on other workstations. Alternatively, the various installation files 225, 226, and 228 may be stored outside the configuration workstation 120, for example, in a software repository database 164 or other digital storage (not shown) accessible via a communication network 136. The configuration workstation 120 may also include an installation application 230, as described below.

[0042] In the embodiment described, process configuration engineer 104 enters a remote workstation configuration workflow 202 within a graphical configuration system 126 and creates a virtual logical workstation 232 (block 204) within the graphical configuration system 126 that represents a specific remote workstation 122 to be commissioned. (Until the commissioning process is complete, a given remote workstation 122 may be considered “decommissioned.”) The virtual logical workstation 232 may be a programming structure or object within the graphical configuration system 126, which receives all the parameters necessary to commission and configure the target remote workstation 122, and at the time of instantiation of the installation process, has all the information necessary for the installation process to commission and configure the target remote workstation 122, including, for example, a specific operating system (e.g., Windows 10®, Windows 8®, Windows 7®, Windows NT®, Linux®, etc.), installation parameters of the operating system (e.g., how to allocate / reserve memory for various tasks and / or software components, storage partitioning, network configuration, security parameters, user accounts, etc.), operator interface application 124, installation parameters of operator interface application 124 (e.g., installation path, user accounts, display settings, I / O settings, etc.), other applications or services or files (e.g., maintenance applications, device drivers, special communication stacks, etc.), and process plant configuration 128.

[0043] The process configuration engineer 104 can configure the virtual logical workstation 232 (block 206) by selecting and implementing various applications and services that the remote workstation 122 will host. For example, the configuration engineer 104 can “install” a specific operating system, operator interface application 124, and any other desired or required applications or functions into the virtual logical workstation 232, and can “configure” each operating system, operator interface application 124, and other applications or functions as needed, including the setting of configuration options within each (e.g., user preferences, user accounts, etc.). The configuration engineer 104 can also configure the virtual logical workstation 232 using a process plant configuration 128. The “installed” software, such as the operating system, operator interface application 124, other applications, and / or process plant configuration 128, may include, for example, providing the virtual logical workstation 122 with a drive or network path pointing to the location of one or more files required for such installation or configuration. For example, a drive or network path could refer to the location of a memory device within the configuration workstation 122 where installation files or configuration files are stored, or it could refer to the location of a software repository database 164 where installation files or configuration files, or any combination thereof, are stored.

[0044] Once the virtual logical workstation 232 is fully configured, the configuration engineer 104 can deploy this virtual logical workstation 232 via the communication network 136 and export the virtual logical workstation to any remote workstation 122 connected to the communication network 136, for which the process engineer 104 is responsible for configuration and commissioning. For example, in one embodiment, the configuration engineer 104 can create a placeholder 234 in the graphical configuration system 126 for a remote workstation that he / she wants to commission (block 208), and can also link or assign the virtual logical workstation 232 to the placeholder 234 to indicate that the placeholder 234 should be configured according to the virtual logical workstation 232 (block 210). The configuration engineer 104 can then indicate which decommissioned remote workstation 122 present in the communication network 136 should be configured according to the placeholder 234 (block 212). In one embodiment, the configuration engineer 104 can "drag" a graphical representation (e.g., an icon) of the decommissioned remote workstation 122 onto the placeholder 234 to indicate that the decommissioned remote workstation 122 should be configured according to the placeholder 234. The configuration engineer 104 can then begin commissioning and configuring the remote workstation 122 (block 214).

[0045] Figure 5 shows in more detail some of the various elements that may be present in the configuration workstation 120 and the remote workstation 122. Of course, as can be understood, the configuration workstation 120 may have an installed operating system 236 residing in its memory subsystem 180 and running on its processor 182, and may be capable of communicating via the communication network 136 through the communication interface 184. The memory subsystem 180 may further store various other software elements, including a graphical configuration system 126, an installation file repository 238, and an installation application 230, as will be described in more detail below. In general, all software elements described herein include executable computer instructions that are run by the processor 182 and cause the processor 182 to perform the various functions described herein. When executing an instruction, the processor 182 is considered hardware configured to perform a specific function specified by the computer executable instruction, and as a result, the instruction stored in memory essentially transforms a general-purpose or multipurpose processor into a processor configured for a specific task or to perform a specific algorithm.

[0046] For many workstations operating with DCS100, the configuration workstation 224, particularly the memory subsystem 180, may include an installed copy 224 of the operator interface application. The installed copy 224 of the operator interface application may allow the configuration engineer 104 to monitor and / or control the process plant 102 from the configuration workstation 120 as if the configuration workstation 120 were one of the remote workstations 122 used by the plant operator, so as should be possible, that the operation of various control modules and functional blocks may be tested when they are created.

[0047] A graphical configuration subsystem 126, residing on the configuration workstation 120, is run by the processor 182 and can facilitate the configuration of the process plant, or various systems within the process plant, including, for example, a remote workstation 122, by a configuration engineer 104. The configuration editor 132 of the configuration subsystem 126 may include a canvas (not shown) on which a configuration engineer can create functional blocks, control modules, or other control elements and algorithms for use in controlling the process plant 102, as is generally understood by those skilled in the art, and can configure communication between the process controller 134 and field devices 144, 146 via I / O device 148, and similarly. As described herein, the configuration editor 132 can also facilitate the commissioning and configuration of the remote workstation 122.

[0048] As described above, the configuration engineer 104 can create one or more remote workstation placeholders 234 within the configuration editor 132. Each placeholder 234 can represent one or more operator workstations configured to control all or part of the process plant 102. Different process plants can be configured in different ways, and furthermore, large process plants may contain multiple areas, each of which may be different from or identical to other areas within the process plant. Therefore, different parts of the same process plant can be controlled by different workstations and thus must be configured accordingly. Thus, for each configuration of a different workstation, and for each corresponding different process plant or part of a process plant, a specific operator workstation 122 must be configured. In addition, each remote workstation 122, when configured and commissioned, must be "synchronized" with the rest of the process plant under its control, including the process controller 134 that controls the field devices 144, 146. Thus, a fully commissioned remote workstation 122 is programmed with the configuration of the relevant process plant (or part of a process plant), including the address of the relevant controller 134, the specific device tags of the field devices 144, 146, and the specific I / O configuration. Therefore, the configuration engineer 104 includes a placeholder 234 for the operator workstation 122 associated with a particular configuration in the configuration.

[0049] As described above, the configuration engineer 104 can create a virtual logical workstation 232. The virtual logical workstation 232 is a logical structure within the software environment that specifies the configuration of the intended remote workstation, including any one or more of the following aspects: operating system; operating system version; operating system configuration (e.g., memory allocation, user accounts, etc.); operator interface application; operator interface application version; operator interface application configuration; configuration of the process plant associated with the remote workstation; and other workstation configuration parameters (e.g., drive partitions). Thus, the virtual logical workstation 232 enables the configuration engineer 104 to specify the exact future configuration of the associated decommissioned workstation.

[0050] The graphical configuration system 126 can also store various configurations 240 for one or more process plants 102 and / or one or more regions of a single process plant 102.

[0051] The installation file repository 238 within the memory subsystem 180 of the configuration workstation 120 can store various software files necessary for configuring and commissioning the remote workstation 122. As described above, the installation file repository 238 can store installation files 225 for one or more operating systems and / or versions of operating systems, installation files 226 for one or more operator interface applications and / or versions of operator interface applications, installation files 228 for other applications (e.g., maintenance applications, asset management applications, etc.), and other files or components (e.g., software drivers for various devices). The installation file repository 238 may also include installation files 242 for a remote installation manager 242 that may be installed on the remote workstation 122 to manage the rest of the configuration and commissioning process. In some embodiments, some or all of the items stored in the installation file repository 238 may be stored in the software repository database 164 instead of the installation file repository 238.

[0052] The installation application 230 includes various subroutines to facilitate commissioning and configuration of the remote workstation 122. Among these subroutines is a progress monitoring subroutine 244 that monitors the configuration process, as described below, and reports to the configuration engineer 104 on the configuration workstation 120 via the user interface subroutine 248 to notify the configuration engineer 104 of the progress of the configuration and commissioning process. The node identification subroutine 246 may be capable of searching the communication network 136 for remote workstation 122 nodes present on the communication network 136, and in some embodiments, it may be capable of querying individual nodes to determine whether each is commissioned or decommissioned. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the node identification subroutine 246 may be capable of querying individual nodes to determine the current configuration of each node for commissioned nodes. Alternatively or additionally, the remote inspection subroutine 249 may query the identified nodes to determine whether each is commissioned or decommissioned, the software installed on each node and the software versions, etc.

[0053] The user interface subroutine 248 allows the configuration engineer 104 to initiate and control the commissioning of a remote workstation 122 by, for example, selecting a placeholder workstation 234 to commission and a specific remote workstation (i.e., a node) to commission in association with the placeholder workstation 234, and to select one or more configuration operations to perform on the remote workstation 122 (e.g., installing an operating system, installing an operator interface application, installing configuration files, etc.) and monitor the progress of the installation / configuration operations.

[0054] The Master Installation Manager subroutine 250 manages the entire installation process. The Installation Manager subroutine 250 can use the Download Manager subroutine 252 to download necessary files to the remote workstation 122. For example, the Download Manager subroutine 252 can download installation files and / or configuration files from the Installation File Repository 238 and / or the Software Repository Database 164 to the remote workstation 122. The Installation Manager subroutine 250 can also call subroutines 244, 246, 248, and 252, and manage the overall configuration and commissioning process for the remote workstation 122.

[0055] On the other hand, the remote workstation 122 may be omitted entirely or partially in various embodiments. That is, the remote workstation 122 may be in one of several states, namely, it may not have an operating system, it may have a minimal operating system, it may have an older version of an operating system, or it may have an operating system specified in the virtual logical workstation 232 that specifies the intended configuration. Similarly, the remote workstation 122 may already have an operator interface application installed, which may be an older version, a different version from or the same version as the one specified in the corresponding virtual logical workstation 232. The elements of the remote workstation 122 that may or may not be installed in the remote workstation 122 in various states are shown in Figure 5 using dotted lines. Whatever the state of the remote workstation 122, it includes a processor 254, a memory subsystem 256, and a communication interface 258 that facilitates communication over the communication network 136.

[0056] When instantiated by a configuration engineer (or other user) 104, the installation application 230 can instantiate a master installation manager 250, which can determine one or more placeholders 234 associated with a virtual logical workstation 232 (for example, by querying the graphical configuration system 126 or the configuration engineer 104), and if multiple placeholders 234 are associated with the virtual logical workstation 232, it can query the configuration engineer 104 to determine which placeholder workstation 234 should be configured. The master installation manager 250 can also call a node identifier subroutine 246 to identify nodes (e.g., remote workstations 122) that are communicably connected to the communication network 136 and available for configuration / commissioning. The master installation manager 250 can provide the configuration engineer 104 with one or more nodes for configuration via a user interface subroutine 248, and once selected, the master installation manager 250 can proceed with configuring the selected nodes according to the selected / determined placeholder workstations 234, in particular, the associated virtual logical workstations 232. Next, the master installation manager 250 can call the download manager subroutine 252 to transfer the necessary files from the installation file repository 238 and / or the software repository database 164 to the selected remote workstation 122, according to the associated virtual logical workstation 232.Furthermore, the master installation manager 250 can receive data on the current configuration of one or more nodes selected for configuration from the remote inspection subroutine 249, and can also call the download manager subroutine 252 to transfer only the files necessary to move the selected nodes from their current state, as identified by the node identifier subroutine 249 and / or the remote inspection subroutine 249, to the desired state specified by the placeholder workstation 234 and associated virtual logical workstation 232.

[0057] In some embodiments, the master installation manager 250 first transfers the remote installation manager's installation file 242 to the remote workstation 122. Once the remote installation manager's installation file 242 is transferred to the remote workstation 122, the master installation manager 240 can have the installation file 242 run on the remote workstation 122 to install the installation application 260 on the remote workstation 122. The installation application 260 may include a remote installation manager 262 that can operate to communicate with the master installation manager 240 throughout the configuration and commissioning of the remote workstation 122. In some embodiments, for example, the remote installation manager 262 checks the remote workstation 122 to determine its current configuration and communicates the current configuration of the remote workstation 122 to the master installation manager 240. Next, the master installation manager 240 can determine which processes must be completed (e.g., operating system installation, operating system update, operator interface application installation, operating interface application update, DCS configuration file installation, etc.) in order to configure and commission the remote workstation 122 according to the selected workstation placeholder 234 (and associated virtual logical workstation 232). Then, the master installation manager 250 can call the download manager subroutine 252 to transfer only the files necessary to complete the configuration and commissioning of the remote workstation 122 from the installation file repository 238 and / or the software repository database 164.

[0058] In any case, the master installation manager 250 can work with the download manager 252 and remote installation manager 262 installed on the remote workstation 122 to ensure that the necessary files are transferred to the remote workstation 122. As a result, the memory subsystem 256 may also have copies of the installation files 225 for the operating system, copies of the installation files 226 for the operator interface application, copies of the installation files 228 for other applications, copies 264 of other components (e.g., drivers), copies 266 of the DCS configuration files necessary to configure the remote workstation 122, and, in various embodiments, copies 268 of the workstation configuration files that specify the desired configuration of the remote workstation 122 to the installation application 260.

[0059] The remote installation manager 262 can install and configure the remote workstation 122 using the workstation configuration file 268 and / or in cooperation with the master installation manager 250. This may include installing or updating the operating system 236, installing or updating the operator interface application 224, installing the DCS configuration file 270, installing other applications 272, and installing any other components 274.

[0060] In collaboration with and by communicating with the remote installation manager 262, the master installation manager 250 may enable the configuration engineer 104 to monitor the progress of the installation via the progress monitoring routine 244 and participate in the process (for example, by making input to the process), such as by selecting nodes for configuration, selecting actions to perform on the selected nodes, confirming the installation of specific software elements, and confirming the restart of the node's system (if necessary).

[0061] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 300 for commissioning and configuring a remote workstation 122. A configuration engineer 104 can instantiate the installation application 230 in one of several ways. For example, in some embodiments, the configuration engineer instantiates the installation application 230 by selecting a placeholder workstation 234 and clicking an item or button in the "Commissioned Workstation" menu of the configuration editor 132. When the installation application 230 is instantiated on the configuration workstation 120, the node identifier subroutine 246 can search for remote workstation nodes on the communication network 136 (block 302). In some embodiments, the node identifier subroutine 246 may be able to operate to determine whether the remote workstation 122 is commissioned or decommissioned for each remote workstation node it identifies (block 304). In such embodiments, the user interface subroutine 248 of the installation application 230 may, in some embodiments, display only nodes identified as decommissioned nodes by the node identifier subroutine 246, while in other embodiments, the user interface subroutine 248 of the installation application 230 may display all nodes identified by the node identifier, but the presented user interface (e.g., that of Figure 8) may distinguish whether each identified remote workstation node is commissioned or decommissioned. In yet another embodiment, the node identifier subroutine 246 may not determine whether individual remote workstations 122 are commissioned or decommissioned, leaving that determination to the configuration engineer 104 when selecting one or more nodes to commission and configure.

[0062] The user interface subroutine 248 presents the configuration engineer 104 with a list of remote workstation nodes from which the configuration engineer 104 can select one or more nodes to commission and configure according to the selected placeholder workstation 234. The installation application 230 receives the selection of one or more nodes to commission via the user interface subroutine 248 (block 306). Upon receiving the selection of nodes to commission and configure, the installation application 230 can instantiate a remote check subroutine 249 configured to communicate with each of the selected remote workstation nodes via the communication network 136 to determine their current state and the current state of the software running on each. The remote check subroutine 249 checks each of the selected remote workstation nodes (block 308) and first determines whether the operating system 236 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 310).

[0063] The installation application 230, in particular the master installation manager subroutine 250, may determine that if the operating system is not installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 310), then the operator interface application 224, the DCS configuration 270, other components 274, and other applications 272 are also not installed. Therefore, the master installation manager subroutine 250 may proceed to have the download manager subroutine 252 copy the operating system 225, the operator interface application 226, and the configuration 240 from the installation file repository 238 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 312). On the other hand, if the remote inspection subroutine 249 determines that the operating system 236 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 310), the remote inspection subroutine 249 may determine whether the installed operating system 236 is the correct version (i.e., the version specified by the virtual logical workstation 232 associated with placeholder 234) (block 314). If the remote inspection subroutine 249 determines that the operating system 236 installed on the remote workstation 122 is not the correct version, the master installation manager subroutine 250 can cause the download manager subroutine 252 to copy the operating system 225 from the installation file repository 238 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 316).

[0064] If the remote inspection subroutine 249 determines that the operating system 236 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 310), the remote inspection subroutine 249 can proceed regardless of whether the operating system 236 is the correct version (block 314) and determine whether the operator interface application 224 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 318). The installation application 230, in particular the master installation manager subroutine 250, may determine that if the operator interface application 224 is not installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 318), then the DCS configuration 270 is also not installed. Therefore, the master installation manager subroutine 250 can proceed to have the download manager subroutine 252 copy the operator interface application 226 and the configuration 240 from the installation file repository 238 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 320). On the other hand, if the remote inspection subroutine 249 determines that the operator interface application 224 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 318), the remote inspection subroutine 249 can determine whether the installed operator interface application 224 is the correct version (i.e., the version specified by the virtual logical workstation 232 associated with placeholder 234) (block 322).If the remote inspection subroutine 249 determines that the operator interface application 224 installed on the remote workstation 122 is not the correct version, the master installation manager subroutine 250 can cause the download manager subroutine 252 to copy the operator interface application 226 from the installation file repository 238 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 324).

[0065] If the remote inspection subroutine 249 determines that the operator interface application 224 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 318), it can proceed regardless of whether the operator interface application 224 is the correct version (block 322) to determine whether the DCS configuration 270 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 326), and if so, whether the DCS configuration 270 is the correct version (i.e., the version specified by the virtual logical workstation 232 associated with placeholder 234) (block 328). If the DCS configuration 270 is not installed, or is installed but not the correct version, the installation application 230, in particular the master installation manager subroutine 250, can cause the download manager subroutine 252 to copy the DCS configuration 240 from the installation file repository 238 or the graphical configuration system 126 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 330).

[0066] The remote inspection subroutine 249 may perform similar queries to determine whether other applications 272, other components 274, and other configuration parameters are properly installed / configured on the remote workstation 122, and may be downloaded or queued for download as needed so that they should be understood. The master installation manager subroutine 250 can further cause the download manager subroutine 252 to download the remote installation manager subroutine 262 to the remote workstation 122, for locally managing the installation of various components to the remote workstation 122.

[0067] The master installation manager subroutine 250 of configuration workstation 120 can work with the remote installation manager subroutine 262 of remote workstation 122 to specify components and their configurations for installation / update to remote workstation 122. The remote installation manager subroutine 262 can then install and / or update the operating system 236, operator interface application 224, DCS configuration 270, and any other necessary applications 272 and components 274 (block 332). It should be clear that the remote installation manager 262 generally installs or updates the operating system 224 before installing or updating the operator interface application 224, and generally installs or updates the operator interface application 224 before installing or updating the DCS configuration file 270.

[0068] The remote installation manager subroutine 262 can communicate with the installation application 230, and in particular with the installation application 230's progress monitoring subroutine 244, so that the configuration engineer 104 can monitor the commissioning and configuration progress of the remote workstation 122.

[0069] Once the installation / update and configuration activities are complete (block 332), the master installation manager subroutine 250 may re-instantiate the remote inspection subroutine 249, otherwise it may inspect the remote workstation 122 to verify that the current configuration of the remote workstation 122 matches that specified in the virtual logical workstation 232 associated with the placeholder 234 of the remote workstation 122. If the remote workstation 122 is indeed properly configured, the master installation manager subroutine 250 may communicate to the configuration editor 132 that the physical remote workstation 122 is "synchronized" with the virtual logical workstation 232, and the physical remote workstation 122 becomes immediately available to control the process plant 102 according to the process plant configuration.

[0070] The method for remotely commissioning remote workstations presented in this disclosure provides a user, for example, who may be a process configuration engineer, with an efficient and convenient way to remotely configure multiple remote workstations without having to physically visit the remote workstations. The user can achieve the same objective of configuring remote workstations by working remotely from the configuration workstation and interfaceing with all of the multiple remote workstations through interaction with just one machine, which is the configuration workstation.

[0071] The following enumeration of embodiments reflects the various embodiments expressly intended by this application. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the embodiments disclosed herein, nor to encompass all embodiments conceivable from the foregoing disclosure, but rather to be essentially illustrative.

[0072] 1. A system for facilitating remote commissioning of selected workstations in a process control plant, comprising: a plurality of process control field devices operating to process physical materials in a process plant to manufacture products; a process controller coupled to the plurality of process control field devices, configured to receive a first signal from the process control field devices and to transmit control signals to the process control field devices; a communication network; a configuration workstation coupled to the communication network, comprising a processor and memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores machine-readable instructions, and the machine-readable instructions result in a graphical configuration system operable by a user to create control modules and functional blocks for controlling process control field devices, download the control modules and functional blocks to the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices; receiving a specified configuration of workstations coupled to the communication network from a user; receiving a selection of workstations from a plurality of workstations coupled to the communication network; configuring the selected workstations according to the specified configuration; and a configuration workstation capable of communicating with the process controller to enable the implementation of configuration, operation, and / or maintenance functions within the process control plant.

[0073] 2. The system according to aspect 1, wherein machine-readable instructions are executable by a processor to configure a selected workstation to become an operator workstation capable of controlling process control field devices and receiving operational data of a process control plant.

[0074] 3. The system according to aspect 1, wherein instructions executable by the processor to receive a specified configuration of selected workstations connected to a communication network from a user are executable to create a virtual logical workstation by selecting applications and services to install on the selected workstations.

[0075] 4. The system according to aspect 3, wherein instructions executable by the processor to receive a specified configuration of selected workstations coupled to a communication network from a user are further executable to associate a virtual logical workstation with a placeholder workstation in a graphical configuration system.

[0076] 5. The system according to aspect 4, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions that enable the processor to transfer one or more elements to the selected workstation via a communication network for installation on the selected workstation, to have the selected workstation install one or more elements, to complete the installation of one or more elements from the configuration workstation to the selected workstation remotely, and, upon completion, enable the selected workstation to communicate with a process controller to effectively control process control field devices.

[0077] 6. The system according to aspect 1, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions that enable the processor to transfer one or more elements to the selected workstation via a communication network for installation, to the selected workstation, to install one or more elements, to complete the installation of one or more elements from the configuration workstation to the selected workstation remotely, and, upon completion, enable the selected workstation to communicate with a process controller to effectively control process control field devices.

[0078] 7. A system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein a specific configuration for a selected workstation includes a specified operating system, a specified version of the operating system, a specified operator interface application, an operator interface application capable of facilitating control of a process plant via a process controller, a specified version of the operator interface application, and a specified process plant configuration.

[0079] 8. The system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor for identifying operator workstations that are communicably coupled to the configuration workstation by a communication network.

[0080] 9. The system according to aspect 8, wherein the memory of the configured workstation further stores machine-readable instructions that can be executed by the processor to examine the identified workstation and determine its current configuration.

[0081] 10. The system according to aspect 1, wherein instructions executable by the processor to configure a workstation according to a specific configuration include instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to install an operating system on a selected workstation, install an operator interface application on a selected workstation, enable the operator interface application to operate in a manner that facilitates control of the process plant via a process controller, and / or install a process plant configuration on a selected workstation.

[0082] 11. A method for remotely commissioning an operator workstation in a process control plant, comprising: creating a process configuration of the process control plant, a process plant configuration specifying a process controller, a plurality of process control field devices, and control procedures for implementation by the process controller to control the plurality of process control field devices in a configuration editor of a graphical configuration system running on a configuration workstation; specifying a configuration of an operator workstation to commission the control of the process plant in the configuration editor; searching a communication network communicably coupled to the configuration workstation to identify one or more decommissioned operator workstations; receiving a selection of one of the decommissioned operator workstations, identifying the selected decommissioned operator workstation as the operator workstation to be commissioned; the selected decommissioned operator workstation being configured according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned, and as a result the operator workstation communicating with the process controller to implement control of process control field devices and receiving operational data for the process control plant.

[0083] 12. The method according to aspect 11, wherein specifying the configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned includes creating a virtual logical workstation in the configuration editor.

[0084] 13. The method of aspect 12, wherein creating a virtual logical workstation includes specifying a particular configuration for a selected workstation, a specified operating system, a specified version of the operating system, a specified operator interface application, an operator interface application capable of facilitating control of a process plant via a process controller, a specified version of the operator interface application, and a specified process plant configuration.

[0085] 14. The method according to any one of embodiments 11 to 13, wherein creating a process configuration for a process control plant includes creating a placeholder workstation in the process configuration that represents an operator workstation to be commissioned to control the process plant.

[0086] 15. The method according to aspect 12 or aspect 13, wherein creating a process configuration for a process control plant includes creating a placeholder workstation in the process configuration that represents an operator workstation to be commissioned to control the process plant, and further includes associating a virtual logical workstation with the placeholder workstation.

[0087] 16. The method according to any one of embodiments 11 to 15, wherein configuring a selected decommissioned operator workstation in accordance with a specified configuration of an operator workstation to be commissioned includes inspecting the selected decommissioned operator workstation to determine at least one of the following: whether an operating system is installed on the decommissioned operator workstation, the version of the operating system installed on the decommissioned operator workstation, whether an operator interface application is installed on the decommissioned operator workstation, the version of the operator interface application installed on the decommissioned operator workstation, and whether a process configuration for a process control plant is installed on the decommissioned operator workstation.

[0088] 17. The method according to any one of embodiments 11 to 16, wherein configuring a selected decommissioned operator workstation according to a specified configuration of an operator workstation to be commissioned includes transferring to the decommissioned operator workstation at least one of the following: an operating system installation file to be installed on the decommissioned operator workstation, an operator interface application installation file to be installed on the decommissioned operator workstation, and an installation file of the process configuration for a process control plant to be installed on the decommissioned operator workstation.

[0089] 18. The method according to any one of embodiments 11 to 16, wherein configuring a selected decommissioned operator workstation according to a specified configuration of an operator workstation to be commissioned includes, via a communication network, transferring one or more elements to be installed on the decommissioned operator workstation to the decommissioned operator workstation, allowing the decommissioned operator workstation to install one or more elements, completing the installation of one or more elements from the configuration workstation to the decommissioned operator workstation remotely, and upon completion, enabling the operator workstation to be commissioned and communicate with a process controller to effectively control process control field devices.

Claims

1. 1. A system for facilitating remote commissioning of selected workstations in a process control plant, comprising: a plurality of process control field devices operative to process physical materials in the process plant to manufacture a product; a process controller coupled to the plurality of process control field devices, the process controller configured to receive a first signal from the process control field devices and to transmit a control signal to the process control field devices; communication networks, a configuration workstation coupled to the communications network, the configuration workstation including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing machine-readable instructions, the machine-readable instructions configured by the processor to: providing a graphical configuration system operable by a user to create control modules and function blocks for controlling the process control field devices and to download the control modules and function blocks to the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices; receiving from a user a specified configuration of a workstation coupled to said communications network; receiving a selection of the workstation from a plurality of workstations coupled to the communications network; a configuration workstation operable to configure the selected workstation according to the specified configuration and enable the workstation to communicate with the process controller to implement configuration, operation, and / or maintenance functions within the process control plant.

2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable instructions are executable by the processor to configure the selected workstation to be an operator workstation operable to control the process control field devices and to receive operational data for the process control plant.

3. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to receive from the user the specified configuration of the selected workstation coupled to the communications network are executable to create a virtual logical workstation by selecting applications and services to be installed on the selected workstation.

4. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to receive from the user the specified configuration of the selected workstation coupled to the communications network are further executable to associate the virtual logical workstation with a placeholder workstation of the graphical configuration system.

5. The memory of the configuration workstation is configured by the processor to: transmitting, via the communications network, one or more components for installation on the selected workstation to the selected workstation; causing said installation of said one or more components on said selected workstation; 5. The system of claim 4, further storing machine-readable instructions executable to complete the installation of the one or more elements to the selected workstation remotely from the configuration workstation, and, upon completion, enable the selected workstation to communicate with the process controller to effectively control the process control field device.

6. The memory of the configuration workstation is configured by the processor to: transmitting, via the communications network, one or more components for installation on the selected workstation to the selected workstation; causing said installation of said one or more components on said selected workstation; 10. The system of claim 1, further storing machine-readable instructions executable to complete the installation of the one or more elements to the selected workstation remotely from the configuration workstation, and, upon completion, enable the selected workstation to communicate with the process controller to effectively control the process control field device.

7. The particular configuration for the selected workstation is: The specified operating system, The specified operating system version, a designated operator interface application operable to facilitate control of the process plant via the process controller; The version of the specified operator interface application, The system of claim 1 including a specified process plant configuration.

8. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to identify operator workstations communicatively coupled to the configuration workstation by the communications network.

9. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to inspect identified workstations to determine their respective current configurations.

10. The instructions executable by the processor to configure the workstation according to the particular configuration include: Installing an operating system on the selected workstation; causing an operator interface application to be installed on the selected workstation, the operator interface application operable to facilitate control of the process plant via the process controller; and / or The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions executable to cause the process plant configuration to be installed on the selected workstation.

11. 1. A method for remotely commissioning an operator workstation in a process control plant, comprising: creating, in a configuration editor of a graphical configuration system operating on a configuration workstation, a process configuration of the process control plant, the configuration of the process plant specifying a process controller, a plurality of process control field devices, and a control procedure for implementation by the process controller to control the plurality of process control field devices; specifying in the configuration editor a configuration for an operator workstation that commissions control of the process plant; searching a communications network communicatively coupled to said configuration workstation to identify one or more obsolete operator workstations; receiving a selection of one of the decommissioned operator workstations identifying the selected decommissioned operator workstation as the operator workstation to be commissioned; the selected decommissioned operator workstation is configured according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned, such that the operator workstation communicates with the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices and receive operational data for the process control plant.

12. Specifying a configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned comprises: The method of claim 11 , further comprising creating a virtual logical workstation in the configuration editor.

13. Creating the virtual logical workstation comprises: The specified operating system, The specified operating system version, a designated operator interface application operable to facilitate control of the process plant via the process controller; The version of the specified operator interface application, The method of claim 12 , comprising specifying a specified process plant configuration.

14. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein creating a process configuration of a process control plant includes creating a placeholder workstation in the process configuration to represent the operator workstation that will be commissioned to control the process plant.

15. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein creating a process configuration for the process control plant comprises creating a placeholder workstation in the process configuration to represent the operator workstation that will be commissioned to control the process plant, and further comprising associating the virtual logical workstation with the placeholder workstation.

16. Configuring the selected decommissioned operator workstation according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned includes inspecting the selected decommissioned operator workstation and whether an operating system is installed on said decommissioned operator workstation; the version of the operating system installed on said decommissioned operator workstation; whether an operator interface application is installed on the decommissioned operator workstation; the version of the operator interface application installed on said decommissioned operator workstation; The method of claim 11 , comprising determining at least one of whether the process configuration of the process control plant is installed on the decommissioned operator workstation.

17. configuring the selected decommissioned operator workstation according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned; an operating system installation file to be installed on said decommissioned operator workstation; an operator interface application installation file for installation on the decommissioned operator workstation; and The method of claim 11 , further comprising transferring at least one installation file of the process configuration of the process control plant to the decommissioned operator workstation for installation on the decommissioned operator workstation.

18. configuring the selected decommissioned operator workstation according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned; transferring, via the communications network, one or more elements for installation on the decommissioned operator workstation to the decommissioned operator workstation; installing the one or more elements on the decommissioned operator workstation; 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising completing the installation of the one or more elements on the decommissioned operator workstation remotely from the configuration workstation, and upon completion, commissioning the operator workstation and enabling it to communicate with the process controller to effectively control the process control field device.

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