Products
DAServer
Communication software for Wonderware products
Concept of DAServer
DAServer is designed based on the "ArchestrA" architecture from the next generation industrial software Wonderware. ArchestrA architecture was developed to extend the longevity of existing systems, and to both operate existing plants more efficiently while also finding the best construction method for new plants.
In the past, man software packages for factories featured a complex taskbar with many applications, due to the varied operating systems of applications such as the I/O server, InTouch, InSQL, and WWLOGGER, and the scarcity of shared GUI operations between each software component. Furthermore, there was no concept of shared tag information between products, which forced tags for each product to be registered seperately. The introduction of FactorySuite ArchestrA in 2003 solved all those problems, and it would be fair to say it ushered in the "next generation" of industrial software.
In FactorySuite ArchestrA, various functional components such as DAServer, WWLOGGER, and InSQL are able to operate on a unified platform known as a System Management Control (SMC). By using Windows MMC, SMC is able to provide unified GUI operability, even without the knowledge of the communication driver.
What is DAServer?
DAServer corresponds to OPC, a standard protocol for communication between applications in the industrial world, in addition to the DDE/SuiteLink protocol supported in the past by the I/O server. These protocols are mounted in the form of plug-in, and executed dynamically. The server settings and communication diagnosis information, etc. are built into ArchestrA by using a DAServer, which helps to achieve seamless system construction.
Architecture of DAServer
DAServer operates as an application without GUI. GUI services such as settings and diagnosis screens are offered through SMC, and can monitor the browsing of tag and communication status information etc. in real time. Moreover, definition information, setup information, etc. are processed in XML format, so access to the server installed in another node and remote computing through the firewall are enabled.