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by Anonymous
MILWAUKEE July 17, 2003 — At the RSTechED technical conference last month, Rockwell Software president Rich Ryan profiled Rockwell Automation information integration capabilities, focusing on the manufacturing industry’s need for the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of component-based systems with the integration of distributed control systems.
“Companies are recognizing the need to get beyond just moving information throughout the automation and business systems. That model simply transfers information from one layer to another, maintaining disparate silos of information and duplication of data and functionality,” Ryan said. “The solutions that we are building for customers today use a whole new concept – based on shared services and federated data – that allow enterprise components to share and access information and resources throughout the system, eliminating integration hassles, information silos and functionality overlaps.”
Previously, customers had two ways to connect plant information with business systems and integrate disparate data: component-based systems or distributed control solutions. Components often seem like a low-cost option, but integration, customization, and testing can drive costs up substantially.
Because each component is independent, services like alarm detectors and tag databases are duplicated in each component, creating silos of information. Distributed control offers a high level of initial integration, but is less flexible because of its dedication to specific processes. And acquisition and maintenance costs are high due to the slowdown in the development and support of these systems.
With the federated data model on the automation layer, information is created once and made accessible throughout the system. A common address book of information allows data to exist in native locations, such as within controllers, graphics servers, and other types of servers in the system, but be referenced from anywhere. For example, components that need to access a tag database “look up” the database location and form a link to that information.
The federated data model has no single point of failure and maintains information integrity because data is shared – not duplicated – across applications.
Similarly, shared services across automation and information layers also improve on simple data transfer. Services are shared across all components so there is only one instance of each service (i.e. diagnostic log, tag database, security configuration, plant data model, etc.).
This provides traditional shop-floor-to-top-floor connectivity, but because components can share common services and functionality, integration hassles, information silos and functionality overlaps are virtually eliminated.
“Our FactoryTalk® platform is the only solution available today that uses both federated data and shared services,” Ryan said. “This way, customers can leverage existing systems for a low cost of entry, decrease setup and maintenance costs through shared information, and realize a high level of integration and flexibility.”
Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) is a world-leading provider of industrial automation power, control and information solutions that help customers meet their manufacturing productivity objectives.
The company brings together leading brands in industrial automation for Complete Automation® solutions, including Allen-Bradley® controls and engineered services and Rockwell Software® factory management software, Dodge® mechanical power transmission products, and Reliance Electric® motors and drives.
The company also is a leading provider of contact management technologies and applications that help companies more efficiently manage interaction with their own customers.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, the company employs about 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.
Rockwell Software is the leading brand of manufacturing systems software, providing applications for factory automation, data acquisition and integration, manufacturing operations performance improvement and analysis, and shop floor scheduling.
For more specific information about Rockwell Automation and its Rockwell Software products and services, go to http://www.software.rockwell.com.
To order products at our online store, visit www.rockwellautomation.com/rsstore.
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