CC-02-152 IMPLEMENTATION OF WEB SERVICES FOR INTEGRATION

Description:

High ROI applications require information and interaction between people and systems distributed around the plant and around the world. New software technology for distributed computing called Web services will have a revolutionary impact on software and greatly simplify the interaction process required for high RIO applications. It will help solve the integration need of business more efficiently and more effectively. The history of computing in the manufacturing industry is replete with examples where systems developed at enormous costs either became extinct because they were not based on standard tools or their design did not address the real business needs. When the general-purpose computer was introduced in the 50’s, the refining industry immediately recognized the potential of large-scale computation and analysis when applied to direct control. In the 60’s, IBM and Exxon (then Esso) jointly developed the IBM ACS. A single ACS could manage the offsites of a large refinery. Operators could batch blend, in line blend, manage oil movements, fill a tanker or more at the flick of a switch. A second ACS in the refinery could manage the operations of the units; holding them to targets to create the optimal components for the blenders. Emanual Savas, editor and principal author of Computer Control of Industrial Processes (McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York 1965) wrote in his book the vision of controlling and managing entire facilities with the computer. He eloquently described the confluence process, energy and information flows in a plant. However, these systems were replaced by simpler dedicated equipment with far less functionality and ROI. So what happened? These systems eventually died for two reasons. First, the technology of computing and communications was changing at a rapid pace providing standard tools and products that would allow programmers to design, install, upgrade and maintain distributed systems more efficiently. It was economically more attractive to invest in these new systems than to maintain older technology. The ACS required significant, high level support and interacted with only one group – the operator.