Invensys Expands Virtualization Support

Invensys Operations Management has expanded its certification for virtualization technology, claiming to be the first industrial automation provider to be certified for high availability, disaster recovery and fault tolerance in supervisory control applications leveraging both the VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization platforms. The company’s ArchestrA System Platform 2012 and Wonderware InTouch 2012 software are now certified for the latest VMware solutions, including VMware vSphere version 5.0 and ESXi version 5.0 for mission-critical applications.

“Historically, high-availability and disaster-recovery solutions in supervisory control systems were expensive to implement, not only because of hardware and software costs, but also because of additional administrative burdens,” said Maryanne Steidinger, director of product marketing.

Virtualization software transforms or “virtualizes” a computer’s hardware, e.g., the CPU, hard drive and network controller, to create a virtual computer that can run its own operating system and applications just like a “real” computer. By sharing hardware resources with each other, multiple operating systems can run simultaneously on a single physical computer. And because it has the CPU, memory and network devices of the “host,” a virtual machine is completely compatible with all standard operating systems, applications and drivers. With virtualization, users can safely run several operating systems and applications at the same time on a single computer, with each having access to the resources it needs when it needs them.

PAS Releases Operating Limit Awareness App

PAS announced the release of inBound, an application that makes plant operators continually aware of safe operating limits. Safe operating limit information is maintained by various groups within the plant and is not readily available to operators. Thus operators are generally unaware of the design and safety limitations of the processes they operate.

inBound is a layered application for PAS’ PlantState Suite alarm management software. It aggregates, validates, and displays physical constraints such as a vessel’s Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP), design constraints such as relief valve settings, and safe operating limits. These constraints may be manually entered, calculated, or imported into inBound from engineering applications and databases.

inBound enables engineers to develop a boundary hierarchy and automatically detects and reports deviations from that hierarchy, such as an alarm setting that is higher than a pressure-relief valve setting. This capability provides assurance that configuration parameter changes such as alarm limits and instrument ranges remain within the safe operating envelope of the plant.

Yokogawa DTSX200 Distributed Temperature Sensor

Calling it the first Distributed Temperature Sensor for Oil/Gas and Industrial Production
Operations Developed by a Production Control System Manufacturer, the Yokogawa DTSX200 distributed temperature sensor (DTS) is used to monitor temperature, leaks, and flow in oil/gas downhole, pipeline, LNG/refinery tank/reactor vessel, fire detection, and other industrial thermal applications. Released in October 2011, the DTSX200 is the first distributed temperature sensor with a STARDOM field controller option, which improves production efficiency by working together with production control systems. The DTSX200 is being field tested for oil/gas in-well applications by some major oil companies. Yokogawa developed the sensor using optical measurement technologies that it acquired over the years in the measurement field, and has combined it with the STARDOM field controller for additional measurement, control, and data communication capabilities.

Apprion Introduces Collaboration and Mustering Apps

Apprion unveiled ION Collaboration and ION Mustering, both integrated into the ION System and presented in ION's unified dashboard interface. ION Collaboration is a real-time communication system that allows work teams to communicate collaboratively with message streams filtered according to topic, avoiding unnecessary distractions. Similar to consumer-oriented social networking systems, plant, field, or control room personnel can post critical messages on a topic-specific “stream,” so that all members of a team are up to date on events and activities related to a particular process.

A part of the ION Location family, the ION Mustering Application provides wireless technology and the integrated ION dashboard to verify the location and status of all personnel during an emergency. The solution leverages real-time personnel tracking via WiFi, GPS, or RFID Tags and visual confirmation of the safety of every individual within a facility, providing a much faster, accurate and more efficient system than traditional manual processes. When an alarm is activated, all safety wardens can immediately identify which personnel are already in the mustering area and who might be missing. Personnel icons on regional maps show specific location as well as a visible trail of recent movement.

FDI Cooperation

FDT Group, Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation, PROFIBUS & PROFINET International and OPC Foundation found FDI Cooperation LLC to establish a common technology for device information management in the process industries.

These foundations have combined their efforts to form a joint company named FDI Cooperation, LLC (a limited liability company under US law). FDI Cooperation, LLC is headed by a “Board of Managers”, which is composed of the representatives of the involved organizations, as well as managers of global automation suppliers including ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, Invensys, Siemens, and Yokogawa. “FDI LLC marks an unprecedented level of cooperation among suppliers and foundations to achieve a single integration technology for the benefit of end users”, says Achim Laubenstein, managing director of the FDI Cooperation.

The key word of the conversation was "execute"--not as in people, but as in making the strategy that was put in place when he was CEO of Invensys Process Systems six years ago work. Sudipta Bhattacharya assembled a good team to ressurect the company from the depths of the prior administration. Now it is Caliel's charter to execute the plan.

He told me he was excited to be back. He was able to to do some meaningful work when he left Invensys, but now he is energized with the return to his process control roots.

My take is that Caliel can take this team and move it to new success. It remains a smaller player amongst the majors, but it has been growing and he has a chance to accelerate the growth. He is a sales oriented leader and perhaps the right person to assume leadership at this time.

There has been too much turnover at the position, though, and we hope that he can stay for a while in order to provide some stability.

He said he didn't move production to China because of low wages, but because of regulatory burden. Of course, the example he cited was not all that convincing.

But let's do a root cause analysis of the "regulatory burden." I just picked up a copy of Gary Hamel's latest book, "What Matters Now." He organizes this book around some core ideas--the first of which is Values. He states, "As trust [of people in business leaders] has waned, the regulatory burden on business has grown. Reversing these trends will require nothing less than a moral renaissance in business."

Some business people are immoral. No doubt. I've met some, bet you have, too. Some are amoral--they just don't care. Most are expedient--they do whatever is easy. I've been in too many meetings in my career and heard too many of these attitudes expressed. "It's too hard to figure out how to dispose of this waste. Let's just dump it." Or many other examples.

An Apple executive thought it was fantastic of the Chinese that Jobs could make a last-second change in a component of the iPhone and that Foxconn could wake up 8,000 people in the middle of the night, give them a biscuit and a cup of tea, and send them to the shop for a 12-hour shift. What did that old poster say, "Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine." That attitude reeks of arrogance and a totally uncaring feeling toward fellow human beings. Sounds like slave labor. With those attitudes, no wonder there is so much distrust and even hatred toward business managers.

My friend Walt has a "PR Wall of Shame." Sometimes every editor feels the same. Press releases often try too hard to convince us that something is important. I write another blog on spiritual living where I've been discussing simplicity. A good press release could practice some of that. Instead of saying "fastest," stating the actual speed is much a more powerful message to engineers.

Try these words lifted from a recent press release:

They must have fallen in love with the word "unprecedented." I don't see that one often. But I love the marketing hype that is now in titles--vice president of best-in-class products. I don't think I could give out that business card with a straight face.

None of those modifiers add any value to the statements other than to try to get the reader to think that this is really great stuff. This might work if you are writing to the readers of Seventeen magazine. Or E. But not to professionals.

A famous man once said, "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." I learned this 30 years ago--how to write about technical ideas with simplicity and (hopefully) power. Turned into a career. I bet it could for marketing people, too. ;-)

You have to read Bill's analysis of the legislative circus, er, hearing. I can't do it justice. But the short version is they are a bunch of idiots. But when someone said it wouldn't cost money, they said, OK.

You may get the same reaction from your "pointy-haired bosses" when you propose Lean thinking. Persevere. They may eventually get a clue that Lean means eliminating waste--even if the waste is "pointy-haired bosses."

Oh, if you don't get the reference, read "Dilbert."

Looks like a lot of information and many people to network with. Found out I won't be participating on a panel after all, so I'm free to see several other sessions on Thursday.

If you can't make this forum and you'd like a place to discuss automation, consider a trip to Chicago in May to The Automation Conference. I promise a good time and some excellent information.

Modicon, pre-Schneider, had some impressive rep companies. Right about the time I became an editor was the purchase and merger of distribution with Square D distributors--who were by and large not automation houses. I really don't know what happened to most of the old Modicon houses.

After the Schneider acquisition of APC (power quality and UPSs mainly for large IT infrastructure) and the overall marketing effort moving to the APC group, I've heard only a little about automation.

If Schneider is showing renewed zeal in the automation space and if ABB truly puts together its discrete automation portfolio, then things could get interesting in North America. But Schneider's news release touts energy management, not manufacturing. So, we'll see. But it's interesting.

When I was in Nuremberg at SPS, Siemens spent considerable time discussing Ethernet with us. I am not surprised with the acquisition. But with Belden buying Hirschmann some time ago, I wonder if this market is suddenly ripe for consolidation. In that case, who is next? Not Cisco, obviously. But there are a number of smaller Ethernet component companies that are doing well.

I've missed on some of my technology calls. Looking for paths to take Automation World in sub-specialities, I tried safety then wireless. Neither had advertising support enough to thrive. But when I started the Industrial Ethernet Review finding applications was difficult and surprising. Now, Ethernet is mainstream within manufacturing. It's a real growth area.

What do you think? Will Belden pick on someone else with RuggedCom gone? Who? Rockwell has a long standing relationship with Cisco, but would it forsake the relationship to acquire someone?

One thing is for sure--this is already shaping up to be the year for acquisitions. Stay tuned.

I don't know where that saying came from. I remember we talked about it in a political science class I took a long time ago. It does seem to convey a reality that goes back several thousand years, though.

I have not followed the contest for the Republican nomination for U.S. President very closely--just some snippets of news and headlines. And recently there was a flurry of news when President Obama gave his State of the Union address. And the news headlines from that debate juxtaposed with news headlines about the economy started me thinking--always a bad thing.

Staring at reality

The headlines and first paragraphs of the politicians talking did not match the economic news the paper was reporting the same day.

First, Dr. Henry Cloud in his book "Necessary Endings" identifies three types of people--the wise, the fool, the evil. Let's forget the evil one right now and look at his definition of wise and fool. The wise person sees reality and adjusts to it. In other words, if reality says I'm either wrong or going the wrong direction, I change. The fool sees reality and bends it to fit him. In other words, if reality says I'm wrong, then I'm not reading reality right and must change it to fit my perception of it. For example, in our fitness center there is a scale. It does not give a consistent reading of your weight. People will get on several times looking for it to give the weight they want. I've even seen people adjust the balance part to set the scale differently.

As I was just reading in David Allen's (Getting Things Done guy) book "Ready for Anything," J. Krishnamurti said, "Discipline does not mean suppression and control, nor is it adjustment to a pattern or ideology. It means the mind sees 'what is' and learns from 'what is'."

Root Cause Analysis

Then it dawned on me--they all are discussing symptoms, not causes. The topic of the day is cutting the budget in order to balance it. But everyone seems to revert back to that political science maxim that I quoted above. They all seem to think they can achieve the objective by cutting other people's federal benefits.

First off, I saw this equation from an economic analysis:

(cost of fighting the wars) + (cost of Bush tax cuts) = (amount of the deficit)

No one really acknowledges this. Those of you who are around my age will remember the economic problems of the late sixties that bled into the seventies with Lydon Johnson's refusal to ask for American people to sacrifice to fund the war in Viet Nam. The program was called "Guns and Butter"--that is, we could do both. Well we couldn't.

Same thing in Afghanistan and Iraq. Bush and Obama did not ask the American people to sacrifice to fund the wars. We tried to fund the wars along in addition to other programs without raising taxes. Hmm, don't think that worked, either.

But more to the point, it just seemed that everyone was talking symptoms. What if they applied root cause analysis to the system. I bet that there is so much overlap in offices and regulations that huge cost reductions could be achieved. I understand how huge and complex Washington has gotten. But we just keep papering over problems or try to solve with grandiose schemes.

We know what happens when we do that in business--it suffers or fails.

It's not about cutting abstract dollars that you can use to score debate points with your constitutency. It's about digging into the foundations. But, that is hard work. Probably won't get you votes next year.

Oh, well, back to the campaign.