Redundant PC system
First Claim
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1. A redundant process control system comprising:
- a plurality of redundant personal computers (PCs) configured to be connected through first and second control networks,wherein each of the redundant PCs includes;
hardware on which a first interface for connection to the first control network, a second interface for connection to the second control network, and a third interface for connection to equalizing bus are mounted, anda host operating system (OS) configured to operate on the hardware,wherein each host OS includes;
a virtualization unit configured to operate a guest operating system (OS) and application software,a redundant unit configured to transmit equalization information including a snapshot of a memory of a virtual device of the virtualization unit to another redundant PC of the plurality of redundant PCs via the equalizing bus, detect an abnormality in the redundant PC during operation, and, with the redundant unit of the another redundant PC, switch a control right from the redundant PC to the another redundant PC during which the guest OS and the application software of the another redundant PC is started using the equalization information already transmitted to the another redundant PC, based on the detected abnormality, anda real-time communication unit configured to perform real-time communication which guarantees that a certain processing is performed within a defined time period required in the process control system, transmit or receive communication packets in the first control network or the second control network and switch from the first control network to the second control network when an abnormality is detected in the first control network, andwherein in each of the redundant PCs, the redundant unit, the virtualization unit, and the real-time communication unit are configured to operate as separate processes independent of one another.
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Abstract
A redundant PC system includes a plurality of redundant PCs which is to be connected through a network. Each of the redundant PCs includes hardware on which an interface for connection to the network is mounted and a host OS configured to operate on the hardware. The host OS is provided with a virtualization unit, and a redundant unit and a real-time communication unit, the redundant unit and the real-time communication unit being configured to operate as separate processes independent of the virtualization unit. The redundant unit is configured to perform a control monitoring for making a PC redundant via a universal interface.
14 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A redundant process control system comprising:
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a plurality of redundant personal computers (PCs) configured to be connected through first and second control networks, wherein each of the redundant PCs includes; hardware on which a first interface for connection to the first control network, a second interface for connection to the second control network, and a third interface for connection to equalizing bus are mounted, and a host operating system (OS) configured to operate on the hardware, wherein each host OS includes; a virtualization unit configured to operate a guest operating system (OS) and application software, a redundant unit configured to transmit equalization information including a snapshot of a memory of a virtual device of the virtualization unit to another redundant PC of the plurality of redundant PCs via the equalizing bus, detect an abnormality in the redundant PC during operation, and, with the redundant unit of the another redundant PC, switch a control right from the redundant PC to the another redundant PC during which the guest OS and the application software of the another redundant PC is started using the equalization information already transmitted to the another redundant PC, based on the detected abnormality, and a real-time communication unit configured to perform real-time communication which guarantees that a certain processing is performed within a defined time period required in the process control system, transmit or receive communication packets in the first control network or the second control network and switch from the first control network to the second control network when an abnormality is detected in the first control network, and wherein in each of the redundant PCs, the redundant unit, the virtualization unit, and the real-time communication unit are configured to operate as separate processes independent of one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A communication device including a host operation system (OS) operated on a hardware on which a first network interface, a second network interface, and a third network interface are implemented,
wherein the communication device is connected to a first control network via the first network interface and a second control network via the second network interface, and is connected to an equalization bus via the third network interface, in order to perform redundancy with another communication device, wherein the host OS includes: -
a virtualization unit configured to operate a guest operating system (OS) and application software, a real-time communication unit configured to perform real-time communication which guarantees a certain processing is performed within a defined time period required in a process control system, transmit or receive communication packets in the first control network or the second control network and switch from the first control network to the second control network when an abnormality is detected in the first network, and a redundant unit configured to; transmit equalization information including a snapshot of a memory of a virtual device of the virtualization unit to the another communication device via the equalizing bus, detect an abnormality in the communication device during operation, and with a redundant unit of the another control device, switch a control right from the communication device to the another communication device during which a guest OS and application software of a host OS of the another communication device is started using the equalization information already transmitted to the another communication device, based on the detected abnormality, and wherein the virtualization unit, the real-time communication unit and the redundant unit are configured to operate as separate processes independent of one another. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification