That takes intelligent data from devices and sends it to any point within an enterprise where the
information is needed, says John Keever, executive vice president and chief technology officer. This communication is enabled by native drivers, message-queuing systems, mail and maintenance systems, and generic database interfaces, he adds.  A pure Java or Microsoft Windows .Net workbench running on a personal computer (PC) or desktop system comprises the platformâs main software components. And at the softwareâs core are a run-time component, which handles real-time data, and an enterprise-transaction component, which handles moving information from the enterprise.  Those core elements permit bi-directional data flow. âOnce a device becomes initiated, it can literally go into a database, pull information and store it in memory,â Keever explains. At the appropriate time, data go out to a message queue, then into a programmable logic controller (PLC). From the enterprise, requests may also originate through a series of Web-oriented application programming interfaces, or APIs. Having a component-based flexible architecture, the technology uses native interface protocols that vendors provide. âIf an Oracle database is being used, deviceWise utilizes the official Oracle-released connection link to that database. Likewise for IBM, and the like,â Keever says. What allows interoperability with those information technology paths is deviseWiseâs Common Operations Run-time Environment, or CORE, Keever observes. âIt enables us to transport data simultaneously to Microsoft SQL (structured query language) Server, IBM DB2, Oracle or other systems,â he says. âIt also allows us to transport data downstream to a Mitsubishi controller, a Rockwell controller, a Siemens controller or some other type of device.â Keever notes that the platform also supports legacy interfaces for non-Web-based systems.  Failsafe  The platform is designed to offer end-users constant, reliable data access. To establish primary and failover channels, the technology can operate on at least two channels over Ethernet connections, Keever indicates. âIf there is a [main channel] failure, the user would still have a secondary link active to access information and data.â Thereâs also a âstore-and-forwardâ subsystem that activates if a link is lost. The technology automatically goes into failover mode then, and stores all dataâeven several daysâ worthâin a controller until the link recovers, he says.  Since security is always a concern, data flow is encrypted from the workbench to the deviceWise-enabled product. âWe also have some ports for Secure Socket Layer that allow encrypted links up into the enterprise,â Keever adds. The platformâs rules-based policy-management system allows end-users âto exercise very granular control over access to the data or processes,â he says.  What he calls the platformâs âsplit-brain behaviorâ facilitates its drag-and-drop functionality. That allows end-users to create a logical name for either the physical device or enterprise domain. âI could call a database âproduction data,â for example,â he suggests. Using the technologyâs workbench, a user could configure the drag-and-drop tool to take data from the device domain and drop it into a database element. âThat is a very easy, connect-the-dots behavior between the two domains,â he explains. A video display terminal anywhere on the network could show that connectivity. âIt can be created on a laptop that a factory engineer carries,â Keever says. âOr it can be running on a desktop back at the corporate technology center.â  It appears deviceWISE 2.0âs first commercial deployment will be through vendor Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. (www.meau.com), Vernon Hills, Ill. âWe anticipate limited availability in January â08 and general availability in May â08,â forecasts Trayton Jay, director of special projects, about its Q Series PLCs embedded with this ILS technology.
information is needed, says John Keever, executive vice president and chief technology officer. This communication is enabled by native drivers, message-queuing systems, mail and maintenance systems, and generic database interfaces, he adds.  A pure Java or Microsoft Windows .Net workbench running on a personal computer (PC) or desktop system comprises the platformâs main software components. And at the softwareâs core are a run-time component, which handles real-time data, and an enterprise-transaction component, which handles moving information from the enterprise.  Those core elements permit bi-directional data flow. âOnce a device becomes initiated, it can literally go into a database, pull information and store it in memory,â Keever explains. At the appropriate time, data go out to a message queue, then into a programmable logic controller (PLC). From the enterprise, requests may also originate through a series of Web-oriented application programming interfaces, or APIs. Having a component-based flexible architecture, the technology uses native interface protocols that vendors provide. âIf an Oracle database is being used, deviceWise utilizes the official Oracle-released connection link to that database. Likewise for IBM, and the like,â Keever says. What allows interoperability with those information technology paths is deviseWiseâs Common Operations Run-time Environment, or CORE, Keever observes. âIt enables us to transport data simultaneously to Microsoft SQL (structured query language) Server, IBM DB2, Oracle or other systems,â he says. âIt also allows us to transport data downstream to a Mitsubishi controller, a Rockwell controller, a Siemens controller or some other type of device.â Keever notes that the platform also supports legacy interfaces for non-Web-based systems.  Failsafe  The platform is designed to offer end-users constant, reliable data access. To establish primary and failover channels, the technology can operate on at least two channels over Ethernet connections, Keever indicates. âIf there is a [main channel] failure, the user would still have a secondary link active to access information and data.â Thereâs also a âstore-and-forwardâ subsystem that activates if a link is lost. The technology automatically goes into failover mode then, and stores all dataâeven several daysâ worthâin a controller until the link recovers, he says.  Since security is always a concern, data flow is encrypted from the workbench to the deviceWise-enabled product. âWe also have some ports for Secure Socket Layer that allow encrypted links up into the enterprise,â Keever adds. The platformâs rules-based policy-management system allows end-users âto exercise very granular control over access to the data or processes,â he says.  What he calls the platformâs âsplit-brain behaviorâ facilitates its drag-and-drop functionality. That allows end-users to create a logical name for either the physical device or enterprise domain. âI could call a database âproduction data,â for example,â he suggests. Using the technologyâs workbench, a user could configure the drag-and-drop tool to take data from the device domain and drop it into a database element. âThat is a very easy, connect-the-dots behavior between the two domains,â he explains. A video display terminal anywhere on the network could show that connectivity. âIt can be created on a laptop that a factory engineer carries,â Keever says. âOr it can be running on a desktop back at the corporate technology center.â  It appears deviceWISE 2.0âs first commercial deployment will be through vendor Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. (www.meau.com), Vernon Hills, Ill. âWe anticipate limited availability in January â08 and general availability in May â08,â forecasts Trayton Jay, director of special projects, about its Q Series PLCs embedded with this ILS technology.
About the Author
C. Kenna Amos
Contributing Editor
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