How often have you been asked where is the latest version of the configuration database for system x? This will never happen with ClearSCADA as the configuration database is managed by the ClearSCADA server and any operator workstation can switch between operations and development mode by a simple switch that is enabled by user security permissions. ClearSCADA’s windows client application, known as ‘ViewX’ is dual purpose and any workstation can be used for development simultaneously.
The development environment is also unique as ClearSCADA’s database is object based configuration. This is a powerful concept as you can build the database structure that closely resembles the customer’s physical assets. If it is designed this way, then security setup and alarm filtering is applied based on the database hierarchy saving maintenance when new assets or users are added or removed. The next level in object based SCADA is configuration for devices/sites; here you can encapsulate the device/site with the entire SCADA configuration to define it. This means graphics, points, alarms, redirections, historian, security, trends, reports, logic, etc. If you have many devices/sites then you would build configuration as ‘template’ and create ‘instances’ for each unique device/site, this way you can save 75-90% in engineering effort for your project.
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| Project hierarchy | Templates (red group) with Instance (green group) and exploded view of Instance |