Virtual Machine Image Registry for Remote Industrial Engineering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in development cycles due to complexity and custom nature, leading to project delays and cost overruns, as well as difficulties in managing proprietary intellectual property and protecting against cyber-attacks, especially with the lack of current virtualization and simulation capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based Industrial Development Hub (IDH) provides a repository system with enhanced storage and design tools for managing control project code, device configurations, and digital aspects, facilitating easy discovery, backup, restore, code conversion, and version management, along with simulation and remote access capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If virtual machine images are stored and instantiated on a cloud platform, then accessibility and collaboration are improved, but network dependency and potential access issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring virtual machine images with all necessary industrial engineering applications, dependencies, and settings before they are needed. These pre-configured images are stored in a registry and can be rapidly instantiated when required, eliminating the need for on-demand configuration and reducing network dependency during critical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and manages copies of virtual machine images that can be stored locally or in the cloud. These image copies contain complete application environments that can be instantiated independently, reducing real-time network dependency while maintaining accessibility through distributed storage and replication mechanisms.
2Productivity
If multiple users access the system simultaneously, then collaboration and productivity are improved, but system resource demands and complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal image registry that serves multiple functions: storing virtual machine images, managing user access rights, handling image versioning, and providing rapid instantiation capabilities. This multi-functional registry reduces overall system complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require separate management systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring each user to have their own complete application environment, the system creates lightweight copies of standardized virtual machine images for each user session. These copies reference a central image definition, allowing simultaneous user access while sharing common resources and reducing overall system complexity.
3Loss of time
If virtual machine images are pre-configured with applications, then deployment time is reduced, but image management complexity and storage requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs all necessary configuration actions in advance by pre-building virtual machine images with complete application stacks, dependencies, and settings. These pre-configured images are validated and tested before being stored in the registry, ensuring rapid deployment without requiring complex on-demand configuration processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The image registry serves as a universal management system that handles diverse image types and configurations through standardized interfaces. It provides unified operations for image creation, storage, versioning, and instantiation, reducing management complexity despite handling multiple application environments and configurations.
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial development hub (IHDH) supports industrial development and testing capabilities that are offered as a cloud-based service. The IDH comprises an enhanced storage platform and associated design tools that serve as a repository on which customers can store control project code, device configurations, and other digital aspects of an industrial automation project. The IDH system can facilitate discovery and management of digital content associated with control systems, and can be used for system backup and restore, code conversion, and version management. The IDH also supports storage and instantiation of virtual machine images preconfigured with digital engineering applications that can be instantiated and executed remotely as part of a digital engineering services framework.