Realtime process history server

• US 8,266,273 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Technology AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Hanking, Heino
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/979,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20080133733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/224, 700/108, 700/112
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31288 Archive collected data into history file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32126 Hyperlink, access to program modules and to hardware modules in www, web server, browser
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32407 Real time processing of data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a realtime process history server for use in a process control system comprising a process information management system (PIMS) and one or more distributed processing systems (distributed control systems DCS, 14.1 to 14.n). The realtime process history server features a combined PIMS/DCS server and a report server and is set up such that, by means of the report server, both clients and operator workstations of the DCS systems (14.1 to 14.n) have concurrent access under realtime conditions to the PIMS/DCS server and process history data which is stored therein.

Claims

1. Realtime process history server for use in a process control system for operating and monitoring a technical process or a technical installation, the realtime process history server comprising:

a distributed control system (DCS) history server having realtime capability; and

a report server;

wherein the DCS history server is configured to receive and process data which is captured from the technical installation or the technical process, or which is input at operator workstations of the process control system and to store the received process data in a data storage under a realtime condition;

wherein the report server is configured to accept queries from both clients of a process information management system (PIMS) and from the operator workstations of the process control system, to hold said queries in a report queue and to service said queries consecutively by accessing said data stored in the DCS history server.

2. Realtime process history server according to claim 1, wherein the clients are at least one of office PCs of an area of the PIMS and Internet users.

3. Realtime process history server according to claim 2, wherein the clients are connected to the realtime process history server via a first data transmission entity and a firewall.

4. Realtime process history server according to claim 1, wherein the clients are connected to the realtime process history server via a first data transmission entity and a firewall.

5. Realtime process history server according to claim 4, wherein the DCS are connected to the realtime process history server via a second data transmission entity.

6. Realtime process history server according to claim 1, wherein the DCS are connected to the realtime process history server via a second data transmission entity.

7. Realtime process history server according to claim 6, wherein the DCS server is configured to include a plurality of dedicated folders respectively constituting individual sub-databases which respectively receive signals as individual sub-databases from the plurality of DCS.

8. Realtime process history server according to claim 1, wherein the DCS server is configured to include a plurality of dedicated folders respectively constituting individual sub-databases which respectively receive signals from the plurality of DCS.

9. Realtime process history server according to claim 5, wherein the DCS server comprises a random-access memory (RAM) configured to include short-term read/write caches that are set up for each of the signals, the size of said caches being dynamically variable.

10. Realtime process history server according to claim 9, wherein an SQL engine is configured to have access to a cache which is set up in the DCS server.

11. Realtime process history server according to claim 10, wherein the DCS server is configured to control an emptying of the cache using a flush process, and to control dynamic adaptation of size of the cache depending on a speed of the signals.

12. Realtime process history server according to claim 10, wherein the report server is configured to accept queries from at least one of the clients and operator workstations at all times, to hold said queries in a queue and to service the queued queries consecutively.

13. Realtime process history server according to claim 9, wherein the DCS server is configured to control an emptying of the short-term read/write caches using a flush process, and to control dynamic adaptation of the size of the short-term read/write caches depending on a speed of the signals.

14. Realtime process history server according to claim 9, wherein the report server is configured to accept queries from at least one of the clients and the operator workstations at all times, to hold said queries in a queue and to service the queued queries consecutively.

15. Realtime process history server according to claim 14, wherein a time stamp for each stored measured value of a signal received from the plurality of DCS is also stored in a database of the DCS server.

16. Realtime process history server according to claim 1, wherein a time stamp for each stored measured value of a signal received from the plurality of DCS is also stored in a database of the DCS server.

17. Realtime process history server according to claim 16, wherein the realtime process history server is configured to use an upward or downward deviation from a difference value between a current measured value of the signal and a previously stored measured value as a criterion for the storage of a new measured value of the signal.

18. Realtime process history server for use in a process control system for operating and monitoring a technical process or a technical installation, the realtime process history server comprising:

a distributed control systems (DCS) server for a process information management system and a plurality of different and distributed processing systems having realtime capability; and

a report server;

wherein the DCS server is configured to receive process data from the plurality of DCS and store the received process data in a data storage under a realtime condition;

wherein the report server is configured to enable clients and respective operator workstations of the plurality of DCS to have concurrent access under realtime conditions to the DCS server and process history data which is stored therein; and

wherein the report server receives queries from the clients and respective operator workstations, holds the queries in a report queue and services the queries consecutively.