Redundant Cloud Control for Real-Time Automation Plants
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Cloud-based automation systems face challenges due to poor reliability and lack of real-time capability in Cloud services, which restricts their application in automation plants.
Innovation Solution
A redundant Cloud-based control system is implemented, where multiple control applications are configured within a Cloud computing structure. A primary control application processes input values and generates output values, while backup control applications process the same program instructions with a time lag, ensuring continuous operation and improved real-time capability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Cloud-based control applications are used for automation plant control, then adaptability and resource flexibility are improved, but reliability and real-time capability deteriorate due to network transmission delays
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-synchronizing the backup control application with the primary control application before failures occur. The backup application is kept ready with synchronized program instructions and data, enabling immediate takeover when the primary application fails, thus maintaining system reliability while using Cloud-based infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements beforehand cushioning by establishing a redundant backup control application that is synchronized in advance with the primary application. This backup serves as a cushion against potential failures, ensuring continuous operation and reliability even when network transmission delays or Cloud service interruptions occur.
2Adaptability or versatility
If Cloud-based control applications are used, then computing resource flexibility is improved, but real-time capability deteriorates due to long transmission times
Solution Approach 1:
The backup control application is synchronized with the primary application in advance, preparing all necessary program instructions and data before they are needed. This preliminary synchronization reduces the time penalty of Cloud-based communication by having information ready beforehand.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses copying by maintaining a backup control application that replicates the primary application's functionality and data. This copy is kept synchronized and ready to take over, effectively mitigating the impact of network transmission delays by having a local replica available.
3Reliability
If redundant control applications are implemented in Cloud, then reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies segmentation by dividing the control system into a primary control application and a separate backup control application. Each segment operates independently but is synchronized through defined interfaces, making the complexity manageable through modular design while achieving improved reliability.
4Speed
If multiple control applications process data simultaneously, then real-time response is improved, but network load and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The backup control application performs preliminary processing and synchronization in advance, so when takeover is needed, the transition is rapid. This preliminary preparation improves response time without requiring continuous simultaneous processing that would increase network load and complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The real time capability is to be improved in a Cloud-based control system for an automation plant. To this end, a redundantly embodied, Cloud-based control system with a plurality of computing resources distributed over a network with control applications running thereon is proposed, which, embodied as a primary and backups, execute a control program almost simultaneously and send corresponding program instructions to the automation plant. Long transmission times of individual computing resources therefore do not have a negative effect on the control of the automation plant.