Operator Server Assignment for Lower Plant Image Update Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
In process control systems, the high cross-communication load between operator servers during the updating of system images leads to increased response times and reduced server emergency reserves, as local servers need to retrieve a large amount of process data from remote servers, causing unfavorable client-server connections.
Innovation Solution
Determining the distribution of process data between local and remote servers and advising the operator client to log on to the server with the most process data, reducing cross-communication load by establishing a more favorable client-server connection, which can be visualized and manually adjusted by the operator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the local operator server retrieves process data from remote servers to update plant images, then the operator client can display comprehensive process information, but the cross-communication load between servers increases and response times worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-determines the optimal server for each operator client based on process data distribution before the client actually connects. This preliminary analysis of data locations allows the system to establish connections proactively, avoiding the need for the local server to retrieve large amounts of data from remote servers during operation, thus reducing response time while maintaining information completeness
2Loss of information
If the local operator server retrieves process data from remote servers, then the operator client can access comprehensive process data, but the server's emergency reserve is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-determining the optimal server assignment based on where process data is stored, the system ensures that each client connects to the server that already holds the required data. This eliminates the need for the local server to maintain large amounts of process data locally or to continuously retrieve it from remote servers, thereby preserving the server's emergency reserve while ensuring data availability
3Ease of operation
If the operator client connects to the local operator server, then the connection is simple and direct, but the cross-communication load between servers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the operator client is notified about the determined optimal server connection. Based on this feedback information about process data distribution and communication load, the operator can make an informed decision about which server to connect to, balancing connection simplicity with minimization of cross-communication load between servers
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an arrangement with operator servers (1, 2) and operator clients (4, 5, 6), wherein: - process image blocks (12, 13, 15) belonging to process objects and having tags are stored in a process image (11, 14) in the operator servers (1, 2); - the operator server (2) to which one of the operator clients registers functions as a local server (2) and the other operator servers (1) function as remote servers (1); - the local server (2) receives the tags stored in the remote servers (1); - each of the operator clients (4, 5, 6) is configured to register with one of the operator servers (1, 2) to establish a client-server connection and is further configured to display a plant image (27) with block symbols (20, 21, 22) belonging to the process objects; - for updating the block symbols (20, 21,22) of the plant image (27) the local server (2) transmits the process data of the local (2) and the process data of the remote server (1) to the logged-in operator client (5) via the client-server connection. Measures are proposed by which an operator is alerted to the communication load between the operator servers during the update of a plant image.