Virtualization in manufacturing is the next step forward to minimize server downtime and increase ROI in plant environments. Traditional servers have numerous single points of failure. Servers without virtualization are costly and inefficient. PCs and HMIs are prone to failure and take time to recover, further reducing OEE. While virtualization has been more common in the office space, plant floor technologies are now being virtualized to further improve operational efficiencies.
What is virtualization?
Virtualization creates a virtual version of a device or resource, such as a server, storage device, network or even an operating system. It gained popularity over a decade ago, primarily in IT. Manufacturers now see how virtualization can apply to the plant floor.
Before virtualization in manufacturing, the best practice was one workload per physical server. Cross chatter and workflow patterns could interfere with applications. This limited servers to 5-10% utilization at any given time. Virtualization efficiently allocates resources like CPU and memory, shrinking your physical footprint and saving power. It also reduces labor and infrastructure needs.
Physical resources are still required for virtual servers, but backup and restoration are faster, minimizing downtime. Resources like storage, memory, and CPU are monitored and allocated as needed. Virtualization is not limited to servers; it can also be applied to desktops through Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).
Why switch to virtualization?
Using virtualization can for example reduce 30 servers with multiple risk points each to 3 servers, with few risk points. By running plant floor applications virtually, recovery time is seconds, not days! This results in fewer refresh cycles, a significant return on investment, and a smaller technology footprint. Virtualization can be scaled as the business needs change and allows the business to allocate storage and memory as needed.
The switch to virtualization in manufacturing is important to stay competitive and adapt as a new generation of tech savvy workers are entering the industry. Virtualization also increases ROI and makes it quick and easy to calculate the benefits. The redundancy built into virtualization also ensures no downtime by allowing the system to continue to work even if something breaks.
What does the process look like?
Before you begin starting the switch to virtualization, Applied Technologies will first evaluate your current system workload. We have tools to capture all activity ideally for a 30-day minimum to correctly size the plant floor environment. Next, we analyze the physical servers and run diagnostics to determine what specific applications, files, software and tools are being used. We evaluate your current hardware requirements and recommend how we can scale back hardware to run the same plant floor processes in a virtualized environment. We also review your future technology requirements and how you can best use virtualization to scale up as business needs change. Once approved, we set-up the hardware and virtualized environment, test all processes and schedule the migration with your IT/OT team. We have a wide range of pre-sale and post-sale services to help ensure a smooth transition and offer ongoing monitoring of your virtualized environment.
Many companies are virtualized in the “carpeted space” but may not think they can do it on the plant floor. However, virtualization is not new technology, and is simple to implement across both IT and OT spaces.
Why choose Applied Technologies?
At Applied Technologies, we have knowledgeable data and networking engineers who have been helping businesses make the switch to virtualization since the technology originally launched in 2000. We have the know-how to properly transition to and maintain virtual servers, including remote monitoring. Applied Technologies understands the OT space, and how they work in a virtual environment.
Benefits of virtualization in manufacturing can include incredible advances in efficiency and ROI to the plant floor. It can often cost more to recover from downtime than it does to switch to virtualization, meaning the transition quickly pays for itself. If you are interested in virtualization, contact us today so we can discuss the best route forward for you.