Remote terminal unit processor redundancy synchronization

A system for providing redundancy synchronization of remote terminal unit (RTU) central processing units (CPUs) associated with an industrial operation, comprising:

• a standby RTU CPU;
• and
• a main RTU CPU;
• wherein the standby RTU CPU and the main RTU CPU are configured to initiate a redundancy management task to coordinate the transfer of synchronization data;
• wherein the main RTU CPU executes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the main RTU CPU to:
• generate a plurality of time-stamped events,
• queue the time-stamped events in a main queue as the time-stamped events are generated, and
• transfer the time-stamped events from the main queue to the standby RTU CPU;
• wherein the standby RTU CPU executes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the standby RTU CPU to:
• receive the time-stamped events from the main RTU CPU, and
• store the time-stamped events received from the main RTU CPU in one or more standby RTU CPU event buffers;
• wherein the main RTU CPU executes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, further configure the main RTU CPU to:
• transmit the time-stamped events to a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) controlling station, the transmission of the time-stamped events from the main RTU CPU configured to maintain accessible record of the time stamped events in the case of a subsequent transition from the standby RTU CPU to the main RTU CPU, and
• receive, from the SCADA controlling station, communication of receipt of the time-stamped events by the SCADA controlling station;
• and
• wherein the time-stamped events are removed in real-time from the main RTU CPU and from the one or more standby RTU CPU event buffers upon communication of receipt of the time-stamped events from the SCADA controlling station receiving the transmitted time-stamped events.

A system associated with an industrial operation, comprising:

• a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) controlling station;
• a standby remote terminal unit (RTU) communicatively coupled to the SCADA controlling station, the standby RTU having a standby central processing unit (CPU);
• and
• a main RTU communicatively coupled to the SCADA controlling station, the main RTU having a main CPU;
• wherein the standby RTU CPU and the main RTU CPU are configured to initiate a redundancy management task to coordinate the transfer of synchronization data;
• wherein the main RTU CPU executes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the main RTU CPU to:
• generate a plurality of time-stamped events,
• queue the time-stamped events in a main queue as the time-stamped events are generated, and
• transfer the time-stamped events from the main queue to the standby RTU CPU;
• wherein the standby RTU CPU executes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the standby RTU CPU to:
• receive the time-stamped events from the main RTU CPU, and
• store the time-stamped events received from the main RTU CPU in one or more standby RTU CPU event buffers;
• wherein the main RTU CPU executes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, further configure the main RTU CPU to:
• transmit the time-stamped events to the SCADA controlling station, the transmission of the time-stamped events from the main RTU CPU configured to maintain accessible record of the time stamped events in the case of a subsequent transition from the standby RTU CPU to the main RTU CPU, and
• receive, from the SCADA controlling station, communication of receipt of the time-stamped events by the SCADA controlling station;
• and
• wherein the time-stamped events are removed in real-time from the main RTU CPU and from the one or more standby RTU CPU event buffers upon communication of receipt of the time-stamped events from the SCADA controlling station receiving the transmitted time-stamped events.