Simple, Flexible, and Interoperable SCADA System Based on Agent Technology
Affiliation(s)
1 Department of Electrical Engineering, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. 2 Department of Computer Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
1 Department of Electrical Engineering, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. 2 Department of Computer Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
ABSTRACT
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is concerned with gathering process information from industrial control processes found in utilities such as power grids, water networks, transportation, manufacturing, etc., to provide the human operators with the required real-time access to industrial processes to be monitored and controlled either locally (on-site)or remotely (i.e., through Internet). Conventional solutions such as custom SCADA packages, custom communication protocols, and centralized architectures are no longer appropriate for engineering this type of systems because of their highly distribution and their uncertain continuously changing working environments. Multi-agent systems (MAS) appeared as a new architectural for engineering complex and highly dynamic applications such as SCADA systems. In this paper, we propose an approach for simply developing flexible and interoperable SCADA systems based on the integration of MAS and OPC process protocol. The proposed SCADA system has the following advantages: 1) simple (easier to be implemented); 2) flexible (able to adapt to its environment dynamic changes); and 3) interoperable (relative to the underlying control systems, which belongs to diverse of vendors). The applicability of the proposed approach is demonstrated by a real case study example carried out in a paper mill.
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is concerned with gathering process information from industrial control processes found in utilities such as power grids, water networks, transportation, manufacturing, etc., to provide the human operators with the required real-time access to industrial processes to be monitored and controlled either locally (on-site)or remotely (i.e., through Internet). Conventional solutions such as custom SCADA packages, custom communication protocols, and centralized architectures are no longer appropriate for engineering this type of systems because of their highly distribution and their uncertain continuously changing working environments. Multi-agent systems (MAS) appeared as a new architectural for engineering complex and highly dynamic applications such as SCADA systems. In this paper, we propose an approach for simply developing flexible and interoperable SCADA systems based on the integration of MAS and OPC process protocol. The proposed SCADA system has the following advantages: 1) simple (easier to be implemented); 2) flexible (able to adapt to its environment dynamic changes); and 3) interoperable (relative to the underlying control systems, which belongs to diverse of vendors). The applicability of the proposed approach is demonstrated by a real case study example carried out in a paper mill.
KEYWORDS
SCADA, Real-Time Monitoring, Process Control, Agent Technology, Multi-Agent Systems, Open Process Control (OPC)
SCADA, Real-Time Monitoring, Process Control, Agent Technology, Multi-Agent Systems, Open Process Control (OPC)
Cite this paper
Abbas, H. , Shaheen, S. and Amin, M. (2015) Simple, Flexible, and Interoperable SCADA System Based on Agent Technology. Intelligent Control and Automation, 6, 184-199. doi: 10.4236/ica.2015.63018.
Abbas, H. , Shaheen, S. and Amin, M. (2015) Simple, Flexible, and Interoperable SCADA System Based on Agent Technology. Intelligent Control and Automation, 6, 184-199. doi: 10.4236/ica.2015.63018.
References
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[1] Chakrabarti, S., Kyriakides, E., Bi, T., Cai, D. and Terzija, V. (2009) Measurements Get Together. IEEE Power and Energy Magazine, 7, 41-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/mpe.2008.930657 [2] Buse, D.P. and Wu, Q.H. (2007) IP Network-Based Multi-Agent Systems for Industrial Automation: Information Management, Condition Monitoring and Control of Power Systems. Springer, New York. [3] Kota, R., Gibbins, N. and Jennings, N.R. (2009) Decentralised Structural Adaptation in Agent Organisations. In: Vouros, G., Artikis, A., Stathis, K. and Pitt, J., Eds., Organized Adaption in Multi-Agent Systems, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 54-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02377-4_4 [4] Luck, M. (1999) From Definition to Deployment: What Next for Agent-Based Systems? The Knowledge Engineering Review, 14, 119-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0269888999142048 [5] Oliveira, E., Fischer, K. and Stepankova, O. (1999). Multi-Agent Systems: Which Research for Which Applications. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 27, 91-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8890(98)00085-2 [6] Woolbridge, M. and Jennings, N.R. (1995) Agent Theories, Architectures, and Languages: A Survey. In: Woolbridge, M. and Jennings, N.R., Eds., Intelligent Agents, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1-39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/3-540-58855-8_1 [7] Di Marzo Serugendo, G., Gleizes, M.-P. and Karageorgos, A. (2011) Self-Organizing Software, from Natural to Artificial Adaptation. Springer, New York. [8] Weyns, D., et al. (2006) Multi-Agent Systems and Software Architecture. AAMAS’06, Hakodate, May 2006, 8-12. [9] Sargent, P. (1992) Back to School for a Brand New ABC. The Guardian Newspaper, 12 March 1992, 28. [10] Guilfoyle, C. and Warner, E. (1994) Intelligent Agents: The New Revolution in Software. Ovum Report. [11] Jennings, N.R. and Wooldridge, M. (1998) Applications of Intelligent Agents. Springer, Berlin. [12] Madejski, J. (2007) Survey of the Agent-Based Approach to Intelligent Manufacturing. Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, 21, 67-70. [13] McArthur, S.D.J., Catterson, V.M. and Hatziargyriou, N.D. (2007) Multi-Agent Systems for Power Engineering Applications—Part I: Concepts, Approaches, and Technical Challenges. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 22, 1743-1752. [14] Shehory, O. (1998) Architectural Properties of Multi-Agent Systems, Technical Report CMU-RI-TR-98-28. The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. [15] Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents (FIPA) (2000) FIPA Agent Management Specification. http://www.fipa.org/specs/fipa00023/ [16] Abbas, H.A. (2014) Future SCADA Challenges and the Promising Solution: The Agent—Based SCADA. International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, 10, 307-333. http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJCIS.2014.066354 [17] Abbas, H.A. and Mohamed, A.M. (2011) Review in the Design of Web Based SCADA Systems Based on OPC DA Protocol. International Journal of Computer Networks, 2, 266-277. [18] Mohamed, A.M. and Abbas, H.A. (2011) Efficient Web Based Monitoring and Control System. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Autonomic and Autonomous Systems, Venice, 22-27 May 2011, 18-23. [19] Karnouskos, S. and Colombo, A.W. (2011) Architecting the Next Generation of Service-Based SCADA/DCS System of Systems. Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference on IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, Melbourne, 7-10 November 2011, 359-364. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/iecon.2011.6119279 [20] Vale, Z.A., Morais, H., Silva, M. and Ramos, C. (2009) Towards a Future SCADA. Proceedings of the Power & Energy Society General Meeting, Calgary, 26-30 July 2009, 1-7. [21] Jennings, N.R. (2001) An Agent-Based Approach for Building Complex Software Systems. Communications of the ACM, 44, 35-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/367211.367250 [22] Metzger, M. and Polakow, G. (2011) A Survey on Applications of Agent Technology in Industrial Process Control. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 7, 570-581. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TII.2011.2166781 [23] OPC Foundation (2010) OPC DA 3.0 Specification [DB/OL]. [24] Russell, J.P. (2001) Java Programming for Absolute Beginner. Prima Publishing, Roseville. [25] (2015) http://sourceforge.net/projects/jeasyopc/ [26] Diaconescu, E. and Spirleanu, C. (2012) Communication Solution for Industrial Control Applications with Multi-Agents Using OPC Servers. Proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Applied and Theoretical Electricity (ICATE), Craiova, 25-27 October 2012, 1-6. [27] (2015) https://www.eclipse.org/ [28] Bellifemine, F., Poggi, A. and Rimassi, G. (1999) JADE: A FIPA-Compliant Agent Framework. Proceedings of the Practical Applications of Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agents, April 1999, 97-108.