What now for Industrial Infrastructure after XP Professionals Demise?
Reports of the impending End of Life of Windows XP Professional from the System Builder and OEM channels are creating fear, uncertainty and doubt in the industrial control environment. These emotions are quite redundant. Industrial control developers (and other embedded systems designers) can continue to get not only Windows XP Professional licenses, but also technical support and patches, through Microsoft’s embedded channel.
PC technology has been adopted widely across the industrial automation marketplace for its lower cost and ease of use, and Microsoft’s Operating Systems have inevitably formed a part of that. Functions such as data analysis and system visualisation for GUIs have become easier using standard Microsoft tools and operating systems. However, 5-10 year ROI and support plans for industrial technology, where systems are built for a set purpose don’t sit well with the drive to increase performance and the support of new technologies prevalent in the desktop PC marketplace.
Why Microsoft?
Standard PC technology when connected to an Enterprise system or to the Internet suddenly becomes more prone to the desktop security risks. The reality of viruses or DNS attacks effectively shutting down manufacturing is very real and this has resulted in Firewall and switching technologies now becoming an essential part of manufacturing infrastructure. Enterprise IT departments have addressed these issues, and the technology that they use such as Storage Servers, Domain Servers and Firewalls often incorporate Microsoft Operating Systems and software. Often, the same technologies have been adopted by industrial control designers, making Microsoft even more prevalent on the factory floor.
The continuity challenge
Microsoft has recognised the opportunity that this market presents, and has moved to address its different needs. From the introduction of Microsoft Windows NT Embedded and its younger sibling Windows XP Embedded, Microsoft made it possible for companies small and large (sometimes called OEM’s) to effectively develop, deploy and support their own version of NT and XP Professional. These so called ‘componentised’ implementations allow developers to assemble an operating system image that meets their footprint requirements whilst ensuring that the operating system’s dependencies and functionality are maintained. By removing parts of the OS that they don’t need, they also eliminate the need to maintain these features, as well as the risk of their being used by the malevolent as an entry point for hacking. Specific features such as Booting from CD or DVD further protect the Operating System making secure recovery of a corrupted PC easier.
For developers with no need or desire to create their own image, Microsoft introduced Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems. This offers developers the full Windows XP Professional code, with licensing features that better meet the requirements of the embedded environment. In addition to support beyond the end of the software’s desktop life, these include the ability to add a custom boot logo, for branding purposes and to mask the Operating System from the user. Other features of Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems include the ability to create multi-lingual platforms, its’ hardware independence, the ability to pre-activate before shipping and continued availability. The embedded license also allows a third party company, such as a systems integrator or subcontract manufacturer to install the operating system on behalf of the license holder. Both these products are available through the Microsoft Embedded Channel – and Microsoft has already guaranteed to continue to support this channel through to 2016. Other Microsoft ‘Classic’ operating systems for ‘embedded’ devices are still supported and available through the embedded channel, from DOS 6.22 through to NT and Windows 2000. Driver updates allowing support of new technologies are available to a point and driver development for unsupported technologies is possible using well documented driver development models. Often driver updates are superfluous as the OS as built by the OEM has all the technology support that will ever be needed built into it. In fact, as long as the license fee is paid to Microsoft via a license or COA purchase the OS can continue to be shipped indefinitely. Support is offered for a much longer period than for desktop customers, but is subject to termination after this period. This addresses the requirement of a large proportion of the ‘machine builder’ marketplace. The HMI on a single machine typically has a single defined function and lends itself perfectly to NT or XP Embedded. The requirement for longevity of supply of Industrial Server, Firewall and higher level HMI/ monitoring systems are not entirely resolved by NT and XP Embedded.
Long Live XP Professional For further information call our XP Pro Hotline : 0845 2011078
PLC’s are still very much the building blocks of control systems, however the monitoring, visualisation and control of the overall system has become more readily available with use of Microsoft tools and software with PC based HMI (Human Machine Interface) technology. Often today the easiest way to create an operator interface to a machine is by embedding PC technology within the machine itself. This in turn can be part of a greater system monitored using more PC technology. SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) has become a standard across all industries often being based upon a Microsoft/ PC platform. Figure 1 shows a typical SCADA system diagram incorporating PC and database technology.
How to continue support of existing infrastructure?
Industrial PC hardware is a mature market with manufacturers, systems integrators and resellers populating most parts of the globe. Major players such as Siemens, Rockwell, Advantech and Kontron will guarantee supply for five years or more. There are also many suppliers of Industrial Interface systems, small I/O boxes or ISA or PCI cards that can facilitate communication with legacy systems that have not fulfilled their ROI requirements.
Dedicated Server Technology
Microsoft Server Technologies are also available through the Embedded channel allowing long-term support of dedicated devices with pricing and engagement models adapted for specific markets. Microsoft has invested heavily in identifying and training a channel that has the experience and knowledge to support a marketplace that is not clamouring for ever increasing processor speeds and newer faster technologies.
Currently, dates varying from Q1 2008 to Q1 2009 have been given for the desktop end of life for Windows XP Professional, as Microsoft moves its resources and support to Windows Vista, its new flagship Operating System. However, Microsoft is very far from neglecting the needs of the industrial machine builder, with a 5-10 year ROI to fulfil. The Embedded Channel is established as a long term solution for not only licensing, but also support on older Microsoft Operating System technologies.
Posted: 15 Sep 2008
Author: Abacus Embedded
