DCS server
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In many factories, the DCS system consists of only 1 server and four or five operation stations; if this server fails, can production continue? Just using the operation station shouldn’t be enough, right? Is the server the engineer station?
DCS systems generally have controller redundancy, and the operation stations are also redundant to each other without any problem. A server is not the traditional concept of a database and a server. In some DCS manufacturers, the engineer station and the operator station can switch roles via account permissions.
Whether it is an engineer or an operator depends on the permissions of the account; it has nothing to do with whether it is a server or an engineer’s station or an operator’s station. The servers are redundant, with at least two of them. As for the computers below, it depends on the account settings. Generally, one computer is used as the engineer’s station, and that computer is not meant to be used easily
Generally, there are two servers. To save costs, many companies combine the server with the engineer’s station, reducing the number of operator stations and allowing operations to be carried out directly via the server. I’ve never seen a setup with only one server; it’s not possible to achieve such significant cost savings, and manufacturers wouldn’t do that either
We currently have 2 servers; they’ve been in use for 8 years now. We plan to upgrade, and the technicians have replaced those 2 servers with 1 server, a Foxboro model
This is related to the design concept of the server; servers generally affect normal operations. Typically, servers are used only for configuration, data storage, and development, while operation stations are used for carrying out actual operations
This is related to the network topology of DCS; if the operation stations are connected directly to the controllers, then the servers serve only as recording or engineer stations. One server is okay too.
The Foxboro IA DCS does not use a C/S client/server architecture; are the servers you are referring to the historical station servers and OPC servers? These servers are broken, but it doesn’t affect operations.
The answer on floor 7 is quite thorough; it depends on the network topology you use. Nowadays, most DCS systems use a bus topology, where servers and workstations are equivalent in status at the nodes, with only different roles assigned to each.
Whether it is a server or an operator station, neither affects the operation of the DCS; if they break down, they are repaired – this only impacts manual operations. The DCS controllers are located in the cabinets.