High Availability for the Price of a Spare
In modern PLC/PACs and edge controllers, implementing high availability and redundancy is now fast, easy and affordable, at a cost little more than a spare part. This white paper explains how.
At one time, failure in a PLC-based system might take a single machine offline for a day, but that is no longer true. PLC/PAC and edge controller systems today play an increasingly critical role in most industrial applications, including key functions in data analysis and communications. PLC problems can significantly impact uptime and efficiency, so the need for redundancy and high availability has become essential. Traditionally, however, redundancy has not been implemented in PLC-based systems due to complexity and cost.
Now, all of that has changed as modern PLC and edge controller technology makes it possible to implement high availability in these systems easily, rapidly, and at a cost little greater than a spare part. It is simple and cost-effective to assure that edge control technology is available without interruption. The democratisation of redundancy has arrived due to new patented technology. Advanced PLC/PACs and edge controllers, such as the Emerson PACSystems RX3i controller, provide a solution so two controllers can support the same system, running in parallel, fully synchronised, and locked together in real time with access to the same I/O.
In this white paper, you will learn:
- The traditional barriers to PLC redundancy.
- How two controllers can be made to run in parallel, fully synchronised.
- The requirements for high availability.
- Choosing the most economical approach for your application.
- Why hot standby is the hot choice.