I/O Server Redundancy for Containerized Plant Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial process control systems are inflexible and hardware-centric, leading to increased costs for initial engineering and change management, as well as cost overruns and supply-chain delays due to dependence on purpose-built hardware.
Innovation Solution
A software-defined process control system (SDCS) that decouples software and hardware, implementing business logic as logical abstractions on top of computer resources, dynamically managing resources through a hyper-converged infrastructure to support dynamic demands, including a software-defined networking layer, application layer, and storage layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If purpose-built hardware is used for process control systems, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtualization to create virtual copies of hardware resources (CPU, memory, storage, networking) that can be replicated and distributed across multiple physical hosts. This allows the control system to maintain reliability through redundancy while avoiding the complexity of dedicated purpose-built hardware for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal hardware platform that can host multiple virtual machines and control functions simultaneously. This multi-functional approach replaces multiple specialized hardware devices with a single versatile infrastructure, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining system reliability through virtualized resource allocation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If purpose-built hardware is used for process control systems, then system stability is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic resource allocation through virtualization, where computing, storage, and networking resources can be dynamically assigned and reassigned based on changing process requirements. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to new control functions and processes while maintaining stability through consistent virtualized service delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments control functions into isolated virtual machines and containers that can be independently managed, updated, and scaled. This segmentation allows individual control modules to be modified or replaced without affecting the overall system stability, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining system integrity.
3Manufacturing precision
If dedicated hardware resources are allocated to each control function, then control precision is improved, but resource utilization efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple dedicated hardware resources into shared physical infrastructure that is virtualized and allocated to different control functions as needed. This consolidation maintains control precision through guaranteed resource allocation and quality of service policies while dramatically improving overall resource utilization efficiency by eliminating idle capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service resource allocation through automated orchestration that dynamically assigns virtualized hardware resources to control functions based on real-time demands. This automated resource management ensures each control function receives appropriate resources for precise operation while optimizing overall system resource utilization without manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
An I/O server service interacts with multiple containerized controller services each implementing the same control routine to control the same portion of the same plant. The I/O server service may provide the same controller inputs to each of the containerized controller services (e.g., representing measurements obtained by field devices and transmitted by the field devices to the I/O server service). Each containerized controller service executes the same control routine to generate a set of controller outputs. The I/O server service receives each set of controller outputs and forwards an “active” set to the appropriate field devices. The I/O server service and other services, such as an orchestrator service, may continuously evaluate performance and resource utilization in the control system, and may dynamically activate and deactivate controller services as appropriate. The I/O server service may interact with other containerized services, such as containerized historian services or workstation services, to facilitate control in the plant.