Thin Client Visualization for Virtualized Systems Technical White Paper

PROCESS AUTOMATION THIN CLIENT VISUALIZATION FOR VIRTUALIZED SYSTEMS TECHNICAL WHITE PAPER irtualization and thin client visualization represent two powerful technologies that are complementary and even Vmore effective when implemented together. For industrial applications, these two trends intersect when thin clients are connected to virtualized systems to provide visualization and operator interface. Brian Alvarado Product Portfolio Manager Louis Szabo Business Development Manager Technical White Paper – Thin Client Visualization for Virtualized Systems Table of Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Why Virtualize? 3 3 Longer Life Cycles 4 4 Virtualization Challenges 5 5 Thin Client Advantages 5 6 Industrial Strength Visualization 5 7 Implementation Details 6 8 Conclusions 8 9 References 9 2 www.pepperl-fuchs.com Technical White Paper – Thin Client Visualization for Virtualized Systems THIN CLIENT VISUALIZATION FOR VIRTUALIZED SYSTEMS Thin clients are performance heavyweights in industrial visualization applications, cutting upfront and life cycle costs while improving reliability and security. 1. Introduction 2. Why Virtualize? Virtualization and thin clients are two of the leading trends Virtualization has established itself in the information in computing, both in the commercial and industrial technology (IT) world, and has especially gained traction sectors. They represent two powerful technologies that over the past few years as the technology moves from are complementary and are even more effective when traditional data centers to a wide variety of applications in implemented together. For industrial applications, these the commercial and industrial sectors. two trends intersect when thin clients are connected to virtualized systems to provide visualization and operator Virtualization enables multiple PC operating systems interface. (OSes) to run concurrently, but segregated from each other, on one computer (Image 1). This consolidation is what fuels Industrial virtualized systems are typically part of a manufacturing execution system (MES) or an automation system. In either case, the virtualized host systems are usually located in a protected environment so that commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware can be used as COTS hardware is much less expensive than the industrially-hardened hardware required in a harsh environment. Manufacturing personnel require extensive interface to these virtualized systems. These personnel include but aren’t limited to executives, engineers, operators, and technicians—each of whom typically interface to virtualized systems to accomplish tasks such as monitoring plant operations, analyzing manufacturing data, and responding to process upsets and alarms. Image 1. Virtualization software allows applications that previously ran on separate computers to run on one server machine. Caption courtesy of InTech and ISA. Interface in a protected environment such as an office or a control room can be accomplished via a number of the migration to virtualization as it requires less hardware at established technologies. However, interfacing to these a lower cost. virtualized systems in plant floor or process areas presents These improvements are achieved by running virtualization a challenge for many industrial manufacturing facilities, as software on the host server computer hardware. This the interface hardware must be industrially hardened to software, often called hypervisor, intercepts all operations cope with harsh environments. between one or many guest OSes. Each guest instance is called a virtual machine (VM), and the VM operates in a Traditional visualization and operator interface solutions pure software environment with no indication that it is not that work in protected environments, such as connecting a natively installed on its own hardware. COTS PC to the virtualized system, are either expensive or unwieldy to implement in a harsh environment. For A hypervisor therefore provides an abstraction layer that example, an industrially-hardened PC is a viable solution— insulates the VMs from the host hardware and from each but it’s costly to implement, maintain, and refresh. other. In fact, a key feature is that VMs are completely isolated from each other for operational purposes, In many plant floor and process area local visualization although they can communicate with each other via normal and operator interface applications, the best solution is a networking and data storage channels. thin client connected to one or more virtualized systems. A thin client is much more cost effective than a PC, both up Various industries implementing virtualization will realize front and over the entire life cycle, particularly when the thin different benefits. Table 1 lists a number of advantages that client is located in a harsh environment. come into play whenever virtualization is adopted. www.pepperl-fuchs.com 3 Technical White Paper – Thin Client Visualization for Virtualized Systems For industrial users, uptime reigns supreme. Process template and deployed repeatedly to achieve development and factory equipment must run reliably not just for cost efficiencies. ISA.org endorses virtualization as a strategy of reasons, but to protect against equipment damage or “build once, deploy many,” where “The time taken to deploy even personnel injury. Virtualization meets this demand by a new node is measured in minutes rather than weeks for a increasing system robustness at many levels. traditional deployment” (Reference 2). Security is a key concern for most users, especially in Benefits of Virtualization a world with never ending reports of hacker exploits. Commercial users are often worried about personal or 1. Increased uptime financial information being stolen, while industrial users 2. Ease of hardware upgrades fear that plant operations could be compromised resulting 3. Ability to move existing applications among in product loss, equipment damage, or personnel injury. A PCs with no downtime side benefit of virtualization is that fewer PCs to manage 4. Increased application longevity results in a smaller target for attack, with the hypervisor offering another level of protection between a guest OS and 5. Ability to create new instances based on the host system. existing instances 6. Fewer PCs required 3. Longer Life Cycles 7. Smaller footprint Many industries struggle with the lifecycle of their PC 8. Lower energy consumption hardware and software. PC technology is dynamic with new 9. Better security developments every few years, while operating systems are somewhat less fluid. User applications can change Table 1. Virtualization advantages often, or may be fixed for many years. Eventually, users are faced with performing costly hardware and operating system upgrades and revisions, or running the risk of The server hardware is very reliable and takes advantage sticking with unsupported and obsolete components and of redundant power supplies, a redundant array of systems. independent hard drive storage, and multiple networking paths. Multiple servers may be configured into a pool of However, virtualization systems are constantly updated to resources, with VMs deployed throughout the pool. A server run on the latest hardware, and to support a wide variety failure can be handled by having the hypervisor start VM of guest OS modules. Savings can be substantial as instances on other servers. virtualization enables users to reliably keep their legacy software running for many more years, even though it is High availability ensures that the VMs automatically restart virtually deployed on newer hardware. Existing hardware on alternate hardware if there is a failure. An even higher with sufficient computing power can also continue to be level of reliability, called fault tolerance, can be achieved harnessed for new application deployments. System by running VMs in synchronized pairs on different servers, lifecycles formerly in the 5 to 7 year range can be extended allowing almost bumpless switchover if any server fails. to 10 or 15 years, or further. In fact, other hardware components can be teamed in In most applications, PC processors, memory, storage, similar primary/secondary pairs. The many redundancy and networking capabilities have developed to a point options truly set virtualization apart from traditional where they are often underutilized. Much of the rise in PC dedicated multi-PC systems. As ElectronicDesign.com power is due to the use of increasingly dense multi-core points out, “In the hands of a system architect, virtualization processors, a technology that fits well with virtualization. provides myriad redundancy and failover options that can This has led ControlEng.com to state that “a single meet almost any criteria” (Reference 1). virtualized server can replace tens of non-virtualized servers,” and “With so much computing power available in Commercial and industrial users alike can benefit from the a single server, the old IT concept of one server per main flexibility to move VMs among the pool of available servers. application does not make sense” (Reference 3). Administrators can balance server loads in this manner, either locally or remotely. Equipment can be freed up for Reducing the quantity of PCs leads to obvious gains from repair, and hardware can be easily added. All of this can be lower energy costs, lower up-front procurement costs, accomplished with minimal or zero downtime. lower maintenance expenses, and a reduction of required space. The footprint reduction benefit is often overlooked,

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