Customer Success Stories with Zero-Touch Edge Computing
Digital transformation is imperative for all businesses today. Edge computing can play an important part in this evolution by facilitating predictable, peak performance with minimal risk, even in remote locations. This emergent technology is helping turn data into actionable insights where it matters most—at the edge.
Stratus fault tolerant computing platforms from Penguin Solutions® are designed from 40 years of industry experience. With zero-touch edge computing platforms that are simple to deploy and maintain, secure against interruptions and threats, and able to operate autonomously, Penguin Solutions ensures continuous availability for our customers’ business-critical applications.
The following 11 customer success stories span industries ranging from Oil & Gas to Water & Wastewater. Each showcases what organizations can do when they choose the right edge computing solution provider.
• Up to 5,000 input/outputs (I/Os)
• Up to four virtual machines (VMs)
• High availability or fault tolerant
• UL Class I Div 2 certified
• 100,000+ input/outputs (I/Os)
• 30+ virtual machines (VMs)
• Intelligent uptime layer
• Fault tolerant
Breton
Italy-based Breton is a leading manufacturer of equipment, machines, and facilities that produce and process engineered stone, natural stone (marble, granite, and ornamental), and metals. The company needed to ready its machines for Industry 4.0 manufacturing environments, where unplanned downtime is not an option and OT useability is critical to unburden IT.
Breton incorporated Stratus ztC Edge into their machines to address evolving customer requirements, add redundancy to machine operations, and simplify engineering and setup time.
Penguin Solutions’ unique box of available technology— virtualization, redundancy, protection, security, customizable availability, and industrial interoperability—is a leap forward over traditional IPCs and server configuration.
Michele Vario Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and Business Development Director Wonderware Italia
Challenges
Eliminate unplanned machine downtime to enable business continuity for customers Reduce engineering and setup time to speed delivery to customers
Empower OT with a simple compute infrastructure on the production floor
Solution
Stratus ztC Edge
AVEVA TM System Platform
System integration by Wonderware Italia
Consolidated four AVEVA applications onto a single Stratus ztC Edge compute platform via virtualization Improved customer experience by reducing installation and preparation times by eight hours
Load to add virtual machine (VM) images and system upgrades in 20 minutes
Bradbury
The Bradbury Group of manufacturing companies is dedicated to producing high-quality, productivity-enhancing metal processing equipment for customers around the world. They needed a solution that readied their customers as well as their own operations for digitalization and efficiency.
By adopting the Stratus ztC Edge platform for their rolling machines, Bradbury Group reduced costs, resolved downtime issues, and discovered a new profit driver for their business: providing customer support services.
Stratus ztC Edge is designed to provide remote application management, more rapid and efficient multi-site deployment, improved security, and high availability of critical business operations and applications.
Craig Resnick Vice President, ARC Advisory Group
Challenges
Increase machine efficiency and flexibility by adding compute capability Reduce development, deployment, and revision update times
Increase customer uptime with quick replacement hardware, redundancy, and automated system backup
Solution
Stratus ztC Edge
Rockwell Automation
ThinManager TM
Rockwell Automation
FactoryTalk® View Site Edition
Eliminated unplanned downtime
Used virtualization to consolidate workloads on a single Stratus ztC Edge computing platform
Enabled support services as a new customer offering
Reduced engineering and maintenance costs
Having seen what the Stratus edge computing platform is capable of in a complex solution such as the Super Valkyrie, it’s clear that edge technology has a lot to offer the Oil & Gas industry.
I am talking about smart wellheads, smart glycol units, smart JT skids, and more.
Streamline Innovations
Streamline Innovations, based in San Antonio, Texas, develops and operates a proprietary process for removing toxic hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from Oil & Gas Water & Wastewater, landfills, and biogas. To succeed in the competitive oilfield services market, the company continually innovates to operate equipment more efficiently, optimize performance, meet customer budgets, and enable a greener future.
Using Stratus ztC Edge, Streamline Innovations developed a visionary solution called the Valkyrie™ Intelligent Platform to bring AI-powered predictive maintenance, remote operation, and 99.5% uptime to its remote oilfield equipment.
Challenges
Identify a compute platform to combine IT and OT capabilities for monitor and control of complex chemical processes in rugged environments
Operate with limited data connectivity and limited staffing in remote Oil & Gas locations
Achieve 95% uptime and meet customer automation budgets
Solution
Stratus ztC Edge
Inductive Automation Ignition
PostgreSQL database and Python
Seeq
Enabled real-time analysis, HMI and tracking of 50 KPIs from 350 miles away
Reduced onsite staffing requirements by 66%
Enabled AI-powered predictive maintenance
Achieved 99.5% uptime, surpassing 95% customer SLA
Our customers now have one view of all critical systems that they can share anywhere on the ship. That visibility and access to information enables quicker response and better decision making for ship operations.
Netherlands-based Alewijnse is a global leader in maritime technology, providing critical systems for vessels ranging from yachts to naval ships to increasingly complex dredging, offshore, and transport rigs. The company designs, delivers, and integrates onboard electrical and automation systems as well as advanced marine electronics.
Alewijnse developed the maritime industry’s first future-proof virtualization and visualization platform for managing critical ship systems. The new platform replaced 20 computer systems with one server, reducing the system footprint by 75% and
Stratus ftServer
harsh operating environment with limited space
Eliminate unplanned downtime and provide redundancy for critical systems
Reduce the need for constant IT refresh cycles to lower cost and maintenance demands
Alewijnse AlViVi (virtualization and visualization) platform
Rockwell Automation
ThinManager
Reduced total computing, cabling, and cabinet footprint by 75%, replacing 20 distributed on-board computers with one Stratus ftServer
Doubled the lifespan of the compute platform from four years to eight years
Reduced maintenance and service by 50%
Simplified IT capability and adapted for OT environment and systems
Dogfish Head
Dogfish Head is an award-winning microbrewery located in Milton, Delaware that produces 262,000 barrels of beer in 12 varieties each year. The company had automated its unique hop-dosing process, but the solution became obsolete, resulting in unplanned shutdowns and increased cybersecurity risk.
Dogfish Head partnered with Penguin Solutions, deploying Stratus ftServer, to ensure continuous availability for a new manufacturing execution system that would fuel business growth and future-proof the plant.
With the solution that ProLeiT and Penguin Solutions have provided, we’re no longer limited by our automation system; we’re able to grow and the sky’s the limit.
Challenges
Ensure the continuous availability of critical systems
Enable the implementation of new equipment as processes evolve Fortify cybersecurity risks with an up-to-date automation system
Solution
Stratus ftServer
Brewmaxx from ProLeiT by Schneider Electric
80% reduction in recipe creation and management time
Eight additional brews are now possible per year due to a faster mashing process
Reduced hardware footprint, from six legacy servers to one ftServer
Redundancy at the compute level matched with PlantPAx DCS redundancy at the control level is a formidable combination for downtime prevention for mission-critical applications. By partnering with Rockwell Automation to characterize this joint solution, we’re delivering a massive leap forward for operations.
Synthomer
London-based multinational Specialty Chemicals company Synthomer produces additives and raw materials for coatings, paper, textiles, and health and protection products. Previously, the company’s production facility in Piedmont, Italy was controlled by a collection of PLCs from different manufacturers. These islands of automation operated independently in siloes and were difficult and expensive to maintain and manage.
In 2018, Synthomer modernized the plant’s disjointed control system with an Stratus running Rockwell Automation PlantPAx® DCS. The project drove a considerable increase in production and revenue at the plant by putting in place a simple, standardized, and resilient system.
Challenges
Centralize control of siloed PLC systems from different manufacturers
Solve the expense and complexity of operating disparate PLCs
Migrate to a distributed control system without shutting the plant down
Solution
Stratus ftServer
Rockwell Automation PlantPAx DCS
System integration by Progecta
99.999% uptime with the fault-tolerant Stratus ftServer
Vast data availability empowers operators and fuels analytics
30% increase in production at the company’s Piedmont facility
Director, Rockwell Automation, Strategic Alliance at Penguin Solutions
DC Water
DC Water treats water and wastewater for 1.6 million people in the District of Columbia as well as neighboring counties in Maryland and Virginia. All together, the company covers a service area of roughly 725 square miles. The centerpiece of its work is the 150-acre Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, the largest facility of its kind in the world.
To provide continuous service on a massive scale, DC Water deployed a novel fault-tolerant edge computing architecture built on four Stratus ftServer platforms spread across multiple locations to run their sophisticated SCADA systems.
In our line of work, we need responsive support, and Penguin Solutions’ engineers are right alongside us on every issue. Even if it’s a non-urgent issue, they will call me to follow up until the issue is resolved. They’re very responsive and diligent—and that’s just what we want.
Karen Green SCADA Manager, DC Water
Challenges
Deploy SCADA applications on resilient, fault-tolerant platform
Provide reliable automated instrumentation for dozens of sites and facilities throughout the DC Water system
Create real-time data for analysis and executive/ regulatory reporting
Solution
Stratus ftServer
AVEVA System Platform, InTouch, and Historian
Rockwell PLC
Schneider Electric PLC
Reduced system failover time to two minutes for the entire network (a 90% reduction)
Enabled fast access to timely data for KPI analysis and regulatory reporting
No system downtime in six years, enabling uninterrupted water supply for 1.6 million consumers
Columbia Pipeline Group
Columbia Pipeline Group operates 15,000 miles of pipeline that extends from New York to the Gulf of Mexico. It also has one of the largest underground natural gas storage systems in North America. The company transports natural gas through its pipelines and supplies hospitals, industrial sites, and residential homes.
Columbia Pipeline deployed Stratus ftServer to meet industry requirements, simplify IT/OT infrastructure, consolidate software workloads via virtualization, and detect and address operational problems before they occur. The company eliminated its earlier cybersecurity risks as well as the cost of managing multiple servers from disparate vendors.
In the year that the Stratus ftServer has been deployed at our facility, performance has been exactly what we expected; the support model has exceeded our expectations, and we foresee having Stratus platforms for a long, long time.
Challenges
Upgrade systems in accordance with Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and Control Room Management (CRM) regulations
Solution
Stratus ftServer Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk software suite
Improved reliability, configurability, and sustainability
Captured data for advanced analytics that inform predictive maintenance
Safeguarded against unplanned outages and catastrophic failures
Virtualized applications run remotely, reducing the need for IT skills on site
St. Louis Airport
As a major transportation hub for 30 years, St. Louis Lambert International Airport is pursuing digital transformation to bring the benefits of Industry 4.0 to aviation.
Previously, technology projects were piecemeal, disconnected, and limited to one area of the facility at a time. The team selected Stratus ftServer to replace their aging and disparate management systems and accelerate digitalization across the entire airport.
High availability is a big thing. When you're talking about moving an entire airport with multiple legacy siloed solutions over into one centralized system then you can't afford to have downtime.
Challenges
Modernize a decades-old operation at the largest and busiest airport in Missouri
Deploy and scale compute infrastructure to optimize operations for more than 190,000 daily aircraft operations across four active runways, two terminals, and five concourses
Support the transit of 15.6 million passengers and 74,000 tons of cargo per year
Solution
Stratus ftServer
AVEVA System Platform
System integration by Quantum Solutions
Enabled situational awareness and unified operations center backed by easy-to-use fault-tolerant computing
Continuous availability for critical business applications
Open and scalable software architecture
Gurmat Electric
Gurmat Electric operates the largest geothermal plant in Turkey. It provides power to a vast constituency.
Faced with major performance issues in its existing data, control, and network infrastructure, Gurmat Electric partnered with Penguin Solutions and Rockwell to develop an OT solution, which included deploying Stratus ftServer, that would accelerate their digitalization efforts.
One of the biggest advantages we are now seeing, in addition to the higher speeds and greater reliability, is the exclusion of multiple brands across the control infrastructure and network. We now have a single vendor that is well equipped in both products and knowledge to cater to our precise needs.
Challenges
Address network and security issues
Reduce data-transfer hurdles across a large geography
Update hardware and software without shutting down the plant
Solution
Stratus ftServer
Rockwell Automation solutions
Enabled more robust cybersecurity Increased availability of real-time data
Delivered simpler and more effective diagnostics
Shanghai Disney Resort
Shanghai Disney Resort was the first Disney park in mainland China. It delivers a world-class experience, with themed hotel stays, a Broadway-style theatre, and plenty of rides.
This 963-acre property requires a comprehensive water circulation and irrigation system as well as its own integrated water treatment plant. Four Stratus ftServer platforms in the water treatment control room run the entire park’s water control solution.
Shanghai Disney Resort, which we jointly own, manage, and operate with The Walt Disney Company, strives to offer a world-class experience of fantasy, imagination, creativity, and adventure. Our water circulation, treatment, and irrigation system enables us to provide a lush and welcoming park environment that exceeds national standards for surface water quality.
We can count on the Stratus ftServer solution to eliminate single points of technical failure so this critical system runs continuously without unscheduled interruptions for smooth, reliable operations.
Mr. Pang Chief Engineer, Shanghai Disney
Challenges
Eliminate even brief downtime, which poses a risk to maintenance of water quality standards
Manage water and wastewater for a vast luxury resort that includes its own lake Deploy complex solution in time for the park to welcome visitors
Solution
Stratus ftServer
Provided continuous availability for critical infrastructure
Eliminated platform downtime and allow peace of mind for operators
Achieved consistent compliance with water quality standards
About Penguin Solutions
With over two decades of experience as trusted advisors to our valued customers, Penguin Solutions is an end-to-end solutions provider helping solve complex challenges in computing, memory, and LED solutions.
Penguin Solutions designs, builds, deploys, and manages high-performance, high-availability enterprise solutions, allowing customers to achieve breakthrough innovations.
Our Stratus high availability and fault tolerant computing platforms ensure the continuous availability of our customers’ critical applications and data in remote data centers and edge locations.
For more information, visit www.penguinsolutions.com
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To learn more about Penguin Solutions products please call 800-221-6588 or visit www.penguinsolutions.com