Clustered automation platform based on data distribution service middleware

A method of implementing a clustered automation platform, the method comprising:

• connecting each of a plurality of distributed autonomous process interface (DAPI) systems to one or more process measurement and control devices:
• interfacing a master autonomous process interface system with the plurality of DAPI systems via a communication port on each of the DAPI systems;
• interfacing the master autonomous process interface system with an input/output system processing server and a control processing server via a physical local area network;
• virtualizing the input/output system processing server into a plurality of virtual operation areas;
• virtualizing the control processing server into a plurality of virtual control modules;
• partitioning the physical local area network into a virtual local area input/output network and a virtual local area control network;
• and
• interconnecting hardware elements of the plurality of DAPI systems, the master autonomous process interface system, the physical local area network, the input/output system processing server, and the control processing server with the virtual local area input/output network, the virtual local area control network, the plurality of virtual control modules, and the plurality of virtual operation areas, via real-time data distribution system (DDS) middleware.

A clustered automation platform, comprising:

• a plurality of distributed autonomous junction boxes connected to a master autonomous junction box, wherein each of the distributed autonomous junction boxes is configured to connect to one or more process measurement and control devices;
• a fault-tolerant local area Ethernet network configured to interconnect the master autonomous junction box with a fault-tolerant input/output system server and a fault-tolerant control server;
• a plurality of virtual local area networks partitioned from the fault-tolerant local area Ethernet network;
• a plurality of virtual control modules virtualized from the fault-tolerant control server;
• a plurality of virtual operation areas virtualized from the fault-tolerant input/output system server;
• and
• real-time data distribution system (DDS) middleware configured to interconnect hardware components with virtual components of the clustered automation platform.