Versiondog Octoplant
OCTOPLANT – HMI – SCADA – LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT
versiondog OCTOPLANT Introduction
versiondog octoplant from Auvesy GmbH is a backup and versioning solution that allows businesses to apply good governance practices to all automation software and project files. Versiondog octoplant users are able to pro-actively reduce risks associated to automation solutions (PLC, HMI) that control the mining or manufacturing process. The business risks resulting from software changes are clearly understood by engineering staff. Without a formal solution it is almost impossible to effectively manage changes to online automation programs and the risks your business faces are;
Compromised personnel SAFETY
- Expensive Assets can be damaged
- Extended production losses due to slow disaster recovery after automation failure
- Process disruptions that can lead to poor quality product or rejects
Versiondog octoplant provides automation engineers the tools they need to apply the automation governance needed to insure;
- The current program version is always secure and available to authorised users. Version control allows recovery from previous documented archives.
- All changes are documented and recorded with the users details.
- Process Control engineers are able to quickly determine the changes between online and offline programs and previous program versions
- Versiondog octoplant allows IT departments to apply the governance required to manage the many different automation programs and configuration files typical excluded
- Using advanced features such as “Automatic upload and Compare” the current device software running in programmable logic controllers can be compared to the current version to detect tampering or save improvements made directly on the process control device.
- The risk of knowledge loss due to employee changes is removed and Versiondog octoplant provides a life cycle management tool for all the site process control software at a price that we result in rapid payback.
Backup and Version Control
With process control applications only one master version of the software can exist, if two users make changes to an application at the same time the changes made by one of the users will be lost. The impact of this is lost engineering effort and an unknown application state.
In many cases even during a pilot of Versiondog octoplant we find PLC changes exist on the online controller that site automation engineers are not aware of. The result is that this modifications made intentionally to improve process control which will at some stage be lost to the business.
These typical problems that often happen without the knowledge of site personnel that do not have the tools to be able to prevent or detect this from happening. Using versiondog octoplant, once a program is copied from the server to a programming station (“Checked Out”) the software application is “locked” and other users are notified about whom and why someone is working on the application. This is illustrated in Figure 1 where the second users can get a copy of and view the software but is notified that he cannot make changes as the software application is locked.
Once a user has completed the changes required (using the device editor supplied by the device manufacturer) the application is updated on the server “Checked In” and unlocked for others to work on. The modified application can then be downloaded to the automation device using the existing device editor software. A audit trial of each of these activities is recorded against the named user.
During the “Check In” process users are presented with a dialog that allows them to record the change request number and details of the changes made to the application for audit trail purposes. Changes are always logged against a named user. Versiondog octoplant can also provide a repository for safety procedures, standard operating procedures and project documentation to ensure that automation staff and contractors always have access to the most current revisions.
- Visibility of who is working on which software application (internal personnel and external service providers)
- Removes the risk of unknown combinations of changes being download to a controller
- Provides an audit trail and of who and what changes were made.
- Support Occupational Health and Safety processes that minimise the possibility of injury or loss of life.
Versiondog octoplant has functionality that applies across all usage types; however, particular functions will be more beneficial to particular scenarios. Thus the use and benefit of Versiondog octoplant by end-users will be mainly across the board, whereas for system integrators and machine builder’s particular features will be specifically more important to their requirements.
Automation Risks
| Risk | Chance | Consequence | versiondog octoplant function |
|---|---|---|---|
| A contractor makes code changes for new product. Later in day the machine will not run an existing product. | Medium | High | Versiondog octoplant allows you to roll back to previous versions and allows you to compare codes and see where changes have been made |
| A Maintenance Engineer makes changes to code in order to complete the batch, but the change is not documented. | High | Low | With Versiondog octoplant any changes will be spotted during a scheduled backup and the appropriate person will be notified. |
| Drive fails, a replacement is fitted but the default parameters do not work. | High | High | Versiondog octoplant scheduled backup takes a copy of the drive parameters and stores them in its central repository. This can be retrieved and downloaded to a new drive so the system can be running again with minimum downtime. |
| At a time of redundancies, an unhappy employee decides to make malevolent changes | Low | High | Versiondog octoplant constantly monitors your system, and will alert you if an unauthorised change has been made from the master version. |
| A PLC fails and each of the PLC programming devices on site has a slightly different version of code on it. | High | Medium | Versiondog octoplant automatically performs scheduled backups from your device. The most up to date copy is always on the server. |
| A Maintenance Engineer makes a temporary change to get over a sensor fault in the middle of the night. The person then goes off shift but does not inform anyone of the change. | High | Medium | The next scheduled backup will alert you to changes in the code and the smart compare feature will highlight what the change is. If Versiondog octoplant had been used the change could have documented there and then as well as the system having a record of who made the change. |
| A regular contractor comes in to make makes changes to the system for a new piece of plant, then leaves site without a backup or communicating what has been changed and where. | Medium | Medium | Scheduled backups will automatically spot changes in PLC code and keep the backed up versions. The contractor could then be called back to check in the new code and document all changes made, from the automatic audit. |
| Latest version of code in PLC but the only commented code on site does not match the PLC version. | High | Medium | The automatic backup from Versiondog octoplant has the latest version. This can then be merged with the comments from the earlier version to give an up to date commented copy – maintaining the value of the comments. |
| Contractor has been working on code but meanwhile a number of changes have been made to the site copy. | High | Medium/High | Before the contractor downloads the modified version of the code he creates a report in Versiondog octoplant which lists all the changes that had been made to the code since it was release to the contractor. These changes can then be made back into the new version to ensure it’s up to date. |
| SI receives a warranty claim from an end user that software they had created for the customer has a fault. | Medium | High | SI checks out the latest copy of the software to go to site. On site they then back up the software from the device and compare it to the checked out version. On finding a difference the SI can then point out where a change had been made and legitimately charge the customer for the visit. |
| SI Engineers commissioning on site are updating software and documentation. | Medium | Low/Medium | The Versiondog octoplant remote server they have on site takes frequent backups of all the devices and periodically synchronises with the server back at the main office, automatically undertaking the administration. |
| A manufacturer starts producing a product which was last produced two years ago. Because of the changes made since the last time this product was made, production of the product is very slow resulting in low OEE and high downtime. | Low | Medium | Because a complete set of versions spanning many years are stored on the Versiondog octoplant server this can be checked out and rolled back to the code for the last time this product was made. The parameters in the code are set up for this product resulting in much improved production performance, and comments can be added for subsequent use. |
| In the development of the PLC code multiple engineers are involved – this risks changes being made simultaneously | High | High | Versiondog octoplant avoids ad hoc sharing violations by properly administering the logging out and return of programs, streamlining the administration of the project. |
| The PLC code is highly developed and tested for various machine configurations – a little used special variant machine is being manufactured – what was the code for that type, and where is it? | Medium | Medium | Versiondog octoplant, supported by program comments, will have that version in back-up and allow you to both easily find it and utilise it on that machine type. |
versiondog octoplant Supported Devices
Versiondog octoplant supports most major process control devices and software applications.
Versiondog octoplant smart compare functionality presents detailed comparisons of HMI or PLC project changes detailing for example tag or script changes in a manner that reflects the atual software editor (for example InTouch, CiTect, Step 7, etc..)
Benefits include;
No extra editor software (Step 7, InTouch, etc.) required avoiding increased costs
Rapid and responsive compare functionality (no need to wait for external applications to load)
Simplifies installation as only versiondog octoplant is required
Image showing panes of component tree, archived versions and differences on highlighted item.
(Wonderware InTouch 10 Example)
Note the support for many devices is build directly into versiondog octoplant and does not require special software to be installed in order to provide detailed tree browsing of the application and version differences.
This reduces the investment cost as users do not have to purchase extra third party development licenses.
Below is a list of smart compares currently available. New devices are supported with each new release of versiondog octoplant.
PLC’s
- Siemens S5
- Siemens S7 (Multi-project support)
- Siemens TIA Portal
Siemens PCS 7 - IBH S5 for Windows
- Rockwell RSLogix 5, RSLogix 500 and RSLogix 5000
- Schneider Modsoft, Concept
- Schneider Unity
- 3S CoDeSys (SoftSPS)
- ABB Freelance 800F
- AEG A250, A500
- Allen Bradley ACD
- AMT NT, XP
- Atlas Copco
- Beckhoff TwinCat
Bosch CPS 21 - B&R Automation Studio
- Copadata Zenon
- GE Proficy Machine Edition
- INAT
- Indramat CLM
- Mitsubishi MELSOFT GX Works2
- Omron PLC systems *
- Pilz Safety, PSS032, PSSPG, WinPro
- Phoenix Contact PC Worx
- Sick PLS
HMI / SCADA
- Siemens Protool, WinCC, WinCC Flexible
- Siemens TIA Portal for STEP 7
- Copa-Data zenon
- Wonderware InTouch
- Wonderware System Platform (ArchestrA, Backup Only)*
- GE iFix
- Copa-Data zenon
- Schneider Citect
- Adroit **
- Open Automation Software
Universal Support
- ASCII, Binary
- XML
Network Switches
- Siemens Scalance switches (X-2xx and X3xx)
- Hirschmann
DRIVES
- Danfoss
- Indramat DDS, Drivetop (Ecodrive)
- SEW Moviedrive
- Siemens Simatic Simodrive
* Components currently in development Roadmap
** No smart compare
ROBOTS & CNC
- ABB
- KUKA
- GE Fanuc
- Adept
- Cognex DataMan *
- Kistler maXYmos
- Lenze 8400 protec SL-HL
- Mitsubishi MELFA robots
- Motoman
- SEW Movitools
- SICK scanners*
- Siemens SINUMERIK 840D
- ACSII
- Visual Basic
- Windows.ini
- C++ / Pascal
Office Tools
- MS Word
- MS Excel 2007, 2010
- Adobe PDF
- HTML, XML files
General and Other Devices
- Siemens Bus Configuration COM Profibus, CP143, ET200
- Simatics S7 Library
- Simatics S7 Multiproject
- Universal (User customisable)
