Abstract: A system manages machine images on a plurality of distributed servers over a network. A service processor generates installation instructions for building a machine image on a remote server, the machine image comprising a component, the installation instructions including instructions for the remote server to access the component from a source of the component. A reactive management processor is coupled to the service processor, accesses the source of the component, to detect whether an update of the component exists, and to notify the service processor of existence of the detected update. The service processor generates revised installation instructions for rebuilding a revised machine image on the remote server in response to the notification of the update from the reactive management processor. The service processor transmits a global rebuild command and the revised installation instructions for rebuilding the revised machine image.

Abstract: Consolidating events to execute objects to extract, transform, and load data from source systems to a structured data store. An event manager process executing on a server runtime utilizes one or more event properties to determine which events can be consolidated to reduce unnecessary processor utilization.

Abstract: Automated recovery of execution roles in a distributed historian system in accordance with actions and rules customized to each execution role. A monitoring service monitors the health status of execution roles and automatically performs a corrective action in response to the health state of an execution role triggering a predetermined rule.

Abstract: A method and system provides for asynchronous two-way binding between a user interface and a data model which are implemented on different frameworks. The system includes data, data model, and bridge controllers. The data controller provides a front-end binding framework that interacts with a user interface of a user device to manage a bindable property or method for a view on the user device. The data model controller provides a back-end binding framework that manages a data model, the front-end binding framework and the back-end binding framework being different types of frameworks. The bridge controller implements asynchronous two-way binding for the bindable property or method between the front-end binding framework and the back-end binding framework to update the bindable property or method in the data model when data changes at the user interface and to update the view on the user device when data changes at the data model.

Abstract: Associating comments with tags in a managed historian system in accordance with a flexible, platform-independent data structure. A worker role instance automatically associates received comments with a process tag at a particular time in response to receiving the comments. The worker role instance stores the comments in the flexible, platform-independent data structure such that the comment is provided in association with the tag at the particular time in response to a display or search request for the tag.

Abstract: Controlling and optimizing industrial processes by integrating MPC-based approaches and expert system approaches. At least two different control variables with identical models are used. An expert system adjusts at least one of the control variables to change a setpoint or range or the like while standard MPC techniques change another control variable to address appropriate classes of control problems.

Abstract: A system simulates a process entity. Software instructions stored on a memory device and executable by a processor creates an entity type object that generically represents a type of process entity. Instructions create a simulation representing a process and instantiate an entity type instance in the simulation based on the entity type object. The entity type instance represents a specific process entity in the process. Additionally, instructions simulate the functionality of the specific process entity by the entity type instance in the simulation.

Abstract: Automated detection of anomalous operation of equipment in an industrial process. A reporting architecture utilizes scaled entropy calculations that enable comparing signal entropies across a plurality of time periods without prior knowledge of the scale of the signal. The reporting architecture combines the scaled entropy values with statistical analyses to detect anomalous time periods that represent anomalous operation of equipment in an industrial process. The reporting architecture generates reports of the anomalous operation for transmission to particular user devices via a communications network.

Abstract: Providing double-buffered record locking in a database architecture. Double-buffered database records enable multiple parallel read locks substantially simultaneously with one write lock to eliminate lock collisions between the read locks and the write lock.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system involve providing a script-driven framework to monitor performance of operations on two or more sets of objects to be executed on a target system in parallel on separate threads according to a test scenario with user-defined language stipulations from a script file, and executing the script file through the framework to implement the test scenario on the target system. The language stipulations include an operation hierarchy for each of the two or more sets of objects and at least one synchronization point corresponding to a point in time at which operations on the separate threads are to be synchronized. The framework can be XML-compliant.

Abstract: A system for developing a simulation of a process. In one aspect, a system creates a first model within the simulation. The first model represents a part of the process and comprises a first port to which other models may be connected. The system also creates a second model within the simulation. The second model represents another part of the process and comprises a second port to which other models may be connected. The system then connects the first port and the second port together. Upon connection, the system allocates a memory location as a connection variable that represents a type of information transfer between the first and second ports. A first port variable, which represents a value transferable through the first port, is set to reference the value at the allocated memory location. Similarly, a second port variable, which represents a value transferable through the second port, is also set to reference the value at the allocated memory location.

Abstract: Real-time dynamic optimization of a process model in an online model-based process control computing environment. A mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) solver utilizes grouping of first-principle model units to implement constraints of the underlying process. A group identifier parameter and a group complement parameter enable the grouping behavior through association with the first-principles model units.

Abstract: Providing visualizations of relationships among multi-dimensional data models for manufacturing intelligence systems. Storing configuration data in an intelligence data store under a configuration schema enables a multi-dimensional model visualization. The multi-dimensional data model visualization depicts all of the many-to-many, dynamic relationships between objects in a single display.

Abstract: Configuration utilities, such as object wizards, enable automatic configuration of domain-specific assets from object templates based on domain specific options. In an aspect, an application object template library stores a set of previously defined application object templates. The templates each include a superset of options common to a set of related domain objects. A configuration utility is configured for specifying at least one domain-specific option of the superset and creating an application object instance to be included in an application. The application object instance comprising at least one of the application object templates having the specified domain-specific option.

Abstract: Systems and methods for securing configuration information for cloud-based services. A system comprises a data store and data sets including plant process information and configuration information. A memory device stores computer-executable instructions. When executed by a processor coupled to the cloud service, the instructions receive configuration information, store it in a data file, apply a generated certificate to the file, and deploy the resulting protected configuration data file to the cloud-based service. In addition, the protected configuration data file is made available by obtaining the file from the cloud-based service.

Abstract: A historian interface system provides a graphical representation of tags that represent attributes of a continuous process. A historian system stores the tags and metadata values describing the tags. A display device coupled to the historian system via a communication network displays graphical representations of the tags via display panels and receives selections of the tags. The historian system contextualizes selected tags based on the metadata values describing the selected tag and determines an optimal visualization scheme for the selected tags. The display device displays graphical representations of values of the tags and dynamically determines optimal grouping of the tags based on properties of the display device.

Abstract: Real-time dynamic process modeling in an online model-based process control computing environment. A solver system utilizes an oracle to implement adaptive algorithms for a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) solver and a nonlinear programming (NLP) solver.

Abstract: A system manages human machine interface (HMI) applications for industrial control and automation. Software instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory media and executable by a processor receive data indicative of a manufacturing/process control system being monitored and display a user interface indicative of a status of the manufacturing/process control system being monitored wherein the status is based on the received data.

Abstract: Coordinating scheduled events and aperiodic events to execute objects to extract, transform, and load data from source systems to a structured data store. An event manager process executing on a server runtime utilizes event suspension, consolidation, and sequencing techniques to ensure that only one event process is executed for a particular time range.

Abstract: Automated detection of pipeline ruptures using machine learning techniques. A plurality of independent rupture detection techniques each generate a status determination indicative of whether the pipeline is ruptured. A combiner utilizing a neural network algorithm analyzes the status determinations to generate a single, high-confidence status determination indicative of whether the pipeline is ruptured.