Architecture

Industrial Application Server

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Industrial Application Server

Architecture

Real-Time Peer-to-Peer Application Services for a Solid Platform


The Wonderware® Industrial Application Server is built on the ArchestrA® industrial software architecture. As a result of this powerful underlying architecture, the Industrial Application Server provides an extensive set of core software services designed to meet the needs of industrial information and automation applications across all industries.

The ArchestrA software architecture provides:

  • A component-based development model for easy assembly of applications;
  • Event-based data processing and calculation capabilities;
  • Deterministic script and function processing to control execution order;
  • A distributed peer-to-peer computing architecture for optimized communications;
  • Alarm and event management and historization;
  • Data- and device-level security definitions;
  • Support for the OPC protocol, SQL, XML and other communications standards;
  • Centralized system diagnostics from any workstation; and
  • Online maintenance and expansion.

In addition, the Industrial Application Server:

  • Enables the development of centralized or distributed applications;
  • Includes each workstation or application server in a global, networked namespace; and
  • Simplifies application and system maintenance.

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Save Time with the Automatic Integration of Workstations and Data Points


The Industrial Application Server automatically integrates workstations, servers and data points into a single plant application model. Its common distributed peer-to-peer namespace enables information sharing between the nodes without the user having to perform any additional engineering or configuration.

Plus, because the Industrial Application Server uses a single namespace, any attribute in the system can be addressed by name, even if the user doesn’t know where it resides or what software application is providing it.

Create a Robust, Service-Rich Distributed System with Minimal Hardware Investments


Assembling a network of low-cost, off-the-shelf PCs is easy because of the robustness provided by Wonderware software. Because of its distributed nature and common services, the Industrial Application Server does not require expensive server-class or fault-tolerant computers to enable a robust industrial application.

Change the Computing Topology at Any Time During the System Lifetime


The Industrial Application Server offers a field-proven platform for building information and automation applications. It provides a range of architectural choices, both during the initial system design phase and throughout the lifetime of an installed system.

Too often, an application's architectural structure locks engineers into a single topology. Such inflexible architectures hinder a user's ability to improve poor system performance or respond to changing automation system requirements in a timely manner. The Industrial Application Server resolves the problems associated with scaling automation applications because there are no limitations on system size, and performance issues are easily addressed through the introduction of new nodes or re-distribution of application components across existing nodes.

Leverage Continuous Availability with Built-In Redundancy


The Industrial Application Server is designed with a Store and Forward capability that stores historical data locally if a node within a distributed system loses connection with the IndustrialSQL Server historian. Once the server comes back online or the network is restored, the missing historical data is automatically forwarded to the IndustrialSQL Server historian.

In addition, on a periodic basis, an Industrial Application Server engine can checkpoint all configuration data to the local computer node’s hard drive. Furthermore, in the event of a node failure, when the node re-boots, the platform and all of its objects will start up and immediately go to the previous safe scan state.

Create Large, Highly Distributed Systems with Scalability Up to One-Million I/O


Applications like those used in food processing and distributed SCADA systems require an infrastructure that can monitor and report on large amounts of real-time data. The Industrial Application Server provides a scalable and integrated architecture to meet the needs of small, simple applications all the way up to highly challenging information management systems — from a few-hundred to one-million I/O. The Industrial Application Server provides the capability to quickly and easily deploy new nodes and functions, providing exceptional scalability. Furthermore, the Industrial Application Server’s open and flexible framework empowers engineers to extend application components as well as communications and device integration.