Coordinating a single program running on multiple host controllers

A process control system (PCS) of an industrial process facility (IPF) configured to control a process, comprising:

• the PCS including a plurality of host controllers each comprising a processor including an associated memory communicatively coupled together by a network to a plurality of input output (I/O) devices that are coupled to a plurality of field devices which are coupled to a plurality of processing equipment all configured together to run the process, the plurality of host controllers having in their ones of the memory a single online orchestrator program for coordinating a shared and synchronized database (shared database) for the plurality of host controllers, wherein the online orchestrator program makes use of and tracks a presence of currently available ones of the plurality of host controllers and selected control programs for controlling the process, and an offline orchestrator;
• the currently available ones of the plurality of host controllers for running the online orchestrator program and sharing and synchronizing an initial version of the shared database to the currently available ones of plurality of host controllers;
• a selected one of the plurality of host controllers responsive to an external reportable event in the PCS broadcasting an updated version of the shared database over the network to all the currently available ones of the plurality host controllers, and
• the offline orchestrator for accepting external user-provided commands relating to a deployment or undeployment of at least one of the selected control programs among the currently running ones of the plurality of host controllers in response to at least one changing requirement imposed by the selected control programs or by an outside environment.

A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instruction for implementing a method of process control in a process control system (PCS) of an industrial processing facility (IPF), where the PCS controls a process, wherein the PCS includes a plurality of host controllers each comprising a processor including an associated memory communicatively coupled together by a network to a plurality of input output (I/O) devices that are coupled to a plurality of field devices which are coupled to a plurality of processing equipment all configured together to run the process, the plurality of host controllers having in their ones of the memory a single online orchestrator program for coordinating a shared and synchronized database (shared database) for the plurality of host controllers, wherein the online orchestrator program makes use of and tracks a presence of currently available ones of the plurality of host controllers and selected control programs for controlling the process, and an offline orchestrator;

• running the online orchestrator program on the currently available ones of the plurality of host controllers, the online orchestrator program sharing and synchronizing an initial version of the shared database to the currently available ones of plurality of host controllers;
• a selected one of the plurality of host controllers responsive to an external reportable event in the PCS broadcasting an updated version of the shared database over the network to all the currently available ones of the plurality host controllers, and
• the offline orchestrator accepting external user-provided commands relating to a deployment or undeployment of at least one of the selected control programs among the currently running ones of the plurality of host controllers in response to at least one changing requirement imposed by the selected control programs or by an outside environment.