GFK-3023

Proficy Process Systems (PPS)

Application Setup and Configuration Guide
August 2017

For public disclosure

These instructions do not purport to cover all details or variations in equipment, nor to provide for every possible
contingency to be met during installation, operation, and maintenance. The information is supplied for informational
purposes only, and GE makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the information included herein. Changes, modifications,
and/or improvements to equipment and specifications are made periodically and these changes may or may not be reflected
herein. It is understood that GE may make changes, modifications, or improvements to the equipment referenced herein or to
the document itself at any time. This document is intended for trained personnel familiar with the GE products referenced
herein.
GE may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter in this document. The furnishing of this
document does not provide any license whatsoever to any of these patents.
Public – This document is approved for public disclosure.
GE provides the following document and the information included therein as is and without warranty of any kind,
expressed or implied, including but not limited to any implied statutory warranty of merchantability or fitness for
particular purpose.
For further assistance or technical information, contact the nearest GE Sales or Service Office, or an authorized GE Sales
Representative.

Issued: August 2017

© 2017 General Electric Company.

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* Indicates a trademark of General Electric Company and/or its subsidiaries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

We would appreciate your feedback about our documentation.

Please send comments or suggestions to [email protected]

For public disclosure

Acronyms and Abbreviations
EGD Ethernet Global Data
EMT EGD Management Tool
ETM Ethernet Interface Module
HMI Human-machine Interface
IGMP Internet Group Management Protocol
NIC Network Interface Card
PAC Programmable Automation Controller
PPS Proficy Process Systems
SMS Stop Mode Store

Related Documents
• Proficy Process Systems Getting Started Version 2.10 (GFK-2847)
• Proficy Process Systems Logic Function Blocks and Instructions

GFK-3023 Application Setup and Configuration

Guide 3
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Contact Information
If you purchased this product through an Authorized Channel Partner, contact the seller directly.

General Contact Information

Online technical support and GlobalCare www.ge-ip.com/support
Additional information www.geautomation.com
Solution Provider [email protected]

Technical Support
Contact us by telephone, email, or at www.ge-ip.com/support.

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Phone 1-800-433-2682
International Americas Direct Dial 1-780-420-2010 (if toll free 800 option is unavailable)
Technical Support Email [email protected]

Customer Care Email [email protected]

Primary language of support English

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Online Technical Support www.ge-ip.com/support
Phone + 800-1-433-2682
+ 420-23-901-5850 (if toll free 800 option is unavailable or dialing from a mobile
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telephone)
Technical Support Email [email protected]

Customer Care Email [email protected]

Primary languages of support English, French, Italian, Czech, Spanish, German

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Technical Support Email [email protected]
Primary languages of support English, German

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Technical Support Email [email protected] (Japan)
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[email protected]
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[email protected] (China)

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Contents
1 Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 7
2 PPS System Architecture ............................................................................................................... 9
2.1 PPS Software Components ........................................................................................................................9
2.1.1 Engineering Workstation .................................................................................................................. 11
2.1.2 Application Server .......................................................................................................................... 11
2.1.3 Operator Console ............................................................................................................................ 12
2.1.4 System Server ................................................................................................................................ 12
2.2 PPS Hardware Components ..................................................................................................................... 12
3 PPS Application Setup and Configuration............................................................................... 13
3.1 CPU and ETM Components..................................................................................................................... 14
3.1.1 EGD Configuration Overview ........................................................................................................... 14
3.1.2 Design Guidelines ........................................................................................................................... 18
3.2 Network............................................................................................................................................... 21
3.3 Application Servers................................................................................................................................ 22
3.3.1 Application Servers Tool Overview .................................................................................................... 22
3.3.2 Design Guidelines ........................................................................................................................... 23
Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................................................ 25

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Notes

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1 Overview
Proficy Process Systems (PPS) is a process control system for continuous and hybrid process applications. It provides an
integrated tool suite to set up, configure, implement, operate, and maintain a process control system throughout its lifecycle.
This document guides the user through setting up and configuring a PPS application so that system performance meets user
expectations. It also provides a description of the PPS system architecture to provide the necessary context as it relates to the
setup and configuration content.

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Notes

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2 PPS System Architecture
PPS has eight different I/O count options: 100, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, and 5000+.
Each I/O is wired to a local or remote rack. For example, if you have 200 local I/O (analog and/or discrete) and 2000 remote
I/O (analog and/or discrete), you have a total of 2200 I/O points.
Each Fieldbus device (Foundation Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, or others) is connected to the system, regardless of the number of
internal variables used. For example, if you have 300 Foundation Fieldbus instruments and 200 PROFIBUS instruments, you
have a total of 500 I/O points.

The number of SCADA tags is not equal to the I/O Points. Typically, each I/O point
will generate several SCADA tags.

Attention
PPS provides two visualization options: CIMPLICITY and iFix.

2.1 PPS Software Components

PPS is composed of four software components:

• Engineering Workstation (EWS)

• Application Server
• Operator Console
• System Server
Each software component is a functional entity that can be combined to run on one computer or distributed to multiple
computers depending on the requirements and size of the application.

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 PPS Software Components

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2.1.1 Engineering Workstation
The Engineering Workstation (EWS) is used to develop and configure the system. It includes a SCADA development/runtime
server, PPS Logic Developer, and Ethernet Global Data (EGD) system tools. Included in the SCADA system are PPS mimic
and faceplate objects that allow consistent and efficient development of HMI screens. The EGD system tools include a
configuration server that provides a common database between the PPS Logic Developer and the SCADA development
server.

PPS EWS

2.1.2 Application Server

The Application Server in PPS serves different purposes depending on the selected visualization option: CIMPLICITY or iFix
With the CIMPLICITY option, PPS supports the CIMPLICITY client/server architecture. The Application Server serves as
the CIMPLICITY Server and communicates to the PACSystem controller(s) during runtime. The Operator Consoles receive
data from the Application Server (CIMPLICITY) and do not communicate directly with the controller(s). The Application
Server also allows 3rd party device connectivity with PPS. The option for redundant CIMPLICITY Application Servers is
included in all offerings except the 100 I/O point system.
With the iFix option, PPS supports direct communication between the Operator Consoles and the PACsystem controller(s)
during runtime. The Application Server (iFix) in this case is optional; it is not required for the system to function. The
Application Server allows users to extend their iFix capabilities to include SCADA database, E-Signatures, 3rd party device
connectivity, and virtual tags.
To display 3rd party device data on PPS visualization software, users must install a 3rd party OPC server capable of
communicating to the 3rd party devices/controllers in the Application Server. The Application Server will collect data from
the 3rd party devices and serve the data to the Operator Consoles.

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2.1.3 Operator Console
The Operator Console is used to monitor and control the process. Depending on the visualization option (iFix or
CIMPLICITY), the software components that comprise the Operator Console are different.

2.1.4 System Server

The System Server is used to store and serve historical data (Historian Server) and project configuration (Change
Management Server) to all other software components in the PPS. The System Server is always comprised of the same
components regardless of the visualization software used.
PPS does not provide redundant System Server support. For systems that require a redundant Historian Server, users need to
order the equivalent Historian Standard Server and Historian Client Connection Pack for the secondary Historian Server.

2.2 PPS Hardware Components

PPS supports PACSystem controllers and I/O hardware. The following table provides an example of the hardware
components that would be used for a typical RX3i* PPS application.

Part Number Description

IC695CPE305 RX3i Single-slot CPU, 1.1 GHz Processor, 5 M user-memory
IC695CPE330 2–slot, Dual Core, 1 GHz 64 MB CPU with Embedded Ethernet
IC695CHS012 RX3i 12 Universal Modules Slots Base
IC695CHS016 RX3i 16 Universal Modules Slots Base
IC695PSD040 RX3i Power Supply 24 V dc 40 W
IC695PSD140 RX3i Multi-purpose Power Supply 24 V dc 40 W
IC695PSA040 RX3i Power Supply 120/240 V ac and 125 V dc 40 W
IC695PSA140 RX3i Multi-purpose Power Supply 120/240 V ac and 125 V dc 40 W
IC695ETM001 RX3i Ethernet Interface Module 10/100 Mbits 2 RJ–45 connections
IC695PNC001 Rx3i PROFINET Controller
IC695PNS001 Rx3i PROFINET Scanner

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3 PPS Application Setup and
Configuration
The key to designing a top-performing PPS application is to ensure that the flow of Ethernet Global Data (EGD) throughout
the system is not congested. It is important to understand how EGD works to correctly configure the system components that
use EGD to meet the desired application performance requirements.
The main components of PPS that comprise the EGD network are:

• Central Processing Unit (CPU)

• PACSystems Ethernet Interface Modules (ETMs)
• Application Server(s)
• Network (switches, cables, and configuration)

PPS EGD Network Components

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3.1 CPU and ETM Components
This section provides an overview of EGD configuration of the CPU and ETM components, and the guidelines to follow
during configuration.

3.1.1 EGD Configuration Overview

The EWS is used to configure the CPU and ETM. The following figure illustrates the hardware configuration for an RX3i
system within the EWS.

CPU and ETM Hardware Configuration

In this example, IC695ETM001 (slot 4) is the ETM that will be used to produce and consume EGD within the context of PPS.

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EGD configuration is shown in the following figure. The LAN Type is Simplex, which means that the network does not have
dual cabling, and the LAN Adapter is in slot 4, which aligns with the configuration.

EGD Configuration

Note If the network has dual cabling then the LAN Type would be Dual.

The configuration parameter Destination in this figure is important because it is used by PPS as a result of a Build EGD
command to auto-configure produced EGD exchanges. During runtime, these exchanges are consumed by Application
Servers that belong to the corresponding multicast group. For example, the following PPS function block diagram uses three
blocks that automatically generate exchanges in response to a Build EGD command.

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 PPS Auto-generated EGD Exchanges

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It is also possible to have the controller (through the ETM) consume EGD from other controllers and produce EGD for other
controllers. This is referred to as inter-controller communication.

Consumed Exchanges

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3.1.2 Design Guidelines
This section provides the guidelines to follow when configuring the ETM in the EWS.

3.1.2.1 Configure Inter-controller Communications

The volume of inter-controller exchanges is typically not large and would only be between ~200 to 400 bytes with a
production rate of around 200 milliseconds. In some cases, high-speed inter-controller data exchanges are required and should
be handled in a separate exchange with the smallest possible data size. The exchange production time should be no less than
two times the scan of the producer controller and 1.5 times the consumer controller scan.
If inter-controller exchanges are only required by one other controller then they should be configured as unicast. Otherwise,
they should be configured as multicast.

3.1.2.2 Separate Inter-controller and Application Server Traffic

It is critical that the inter-controller exchanges be configured with a different Multicast Group ID than the produced
exchanges that are destined for the Application Server. This is illustrated in the following figure.

PPS Separate Application Server and Inter-controller Communication

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3.1.2.3 Configure Produced Period of Exchanges
Each Produced Exchange has a Produced Period as shown in the following figure.

Produced Exchanges Produced Period

It is best to eliminate exchanges being produced simultaneously. By default, PPS has a default Produced Period for each type
of exchange (such as #AI_INT) and they are staggered. A strategy to improve this is to use prime numbers for the Produced
Period to eliminate the alignment of productions, thus reducing the amplitude of data rate peeks from a single controller. For
example, it would be better to use 47 ms to replace 50 ms, 97 to replace 100 ms, and so on. The best result is a wide, even
distribution based on data volume not quantity of exchanges.

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 Prime Numbers for Configuring Produced Period

Note The Produced Period for exchanges should be at least 2 to 3 times scan rate of the controller.

3.1.2.4 Load ETMs

ETMs preform several tasks to which priorities are applied. The highest priority is placed on processing consumed EGD
exchanges, then producing EGD exchanges, then responding to network commands such as ping and Internet Group
Management Protocol (IGMP) requests. It is important to understand that as an ETM becomes overloaded its overall
performance will decrease by approximately 20%.
Overloading the ETMs will not affect the controller scan time; a low controller scan time does not provide a useful indication
of ETM loading.
The best possible performance from a single ETM is around 5 MB Produced Exchanges (EGD to Application Servers and
inter-controller communications) and 2-3 MB Consumed Exchanges (inter-controller communications).
Also, the total packets per second produced by one ETM should not be more than 750. Since each EGD Produced Exchange
generates one UDP packet per Produced Period where Produced Period is in milliseconds, the number of packets an exchange
generates per second is equal to the inverse of the Produced Period in seconds. For example, if exchanges have a Produced
Period of 125 milliseconds, it produces eight packets per second. Refer to the following table for an example of how to
determine Produced packets per second.

Example Produced Packet per Second Calculation

Produced Period
Produced Exchanges Inverse (seconds) Packets per Second
(milliseconds)
#AI_INT_1a 125 1/0.125 = 8
#AO_INT_1a 100 1/0.100 = 10
#PID_1a 200 1/0.200 = 5
23 (must be < 750)

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3.1.2.5 Consumer Group ID
The Destination used in the PPS auto-generated exchanges (refer to the figure PPS Auto-generated EGD Exchanges) cannot
be in any Consumed Exchange’s Group ID (refer to the figure Consumed Exchanges) on any controller or it would result in
the controller EMT being flooded with the sum of all traffic intended for an Application Server.

3.2 Network
The primary requirement for the network is to direct traffic to its required destination and not flood the network with
unnecessary traffic. Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) and IGMP snooping are used to accomplish this.
IGMP is implemented on a particular host and within a router. A host requests membership to a group through its local router
while a router listens for these requests and periodically sends out subscription queries.
IGMP snooping is a function of the Layer 2 switch and is not enabled by default. IGMP snooping in generally enabled over
the entire switch or on an individual VLAN basis. It will enable multicast traffic groups to maintain isolation over the
network. Within a PPS architecture, different multicast groups such as Produced Exchange’s Destination should be used to
route PPS / EGD traffic to the Application Server and route inter-controller traffic between controllers. The key is to take the
time to understand how IGMP works.
If IGMP is not enabled, the result in a PPS architecture can be quite extreme and result in several issues from slow
Human-machine Interface (HMI) updates to stale data, program download failures, and dropouts of inter-controller
communications. This is caused by the ETM overloading due to its internal task scheduling. The ETM task priority is to
consume and validate incoming EGD first, then process outgoing EGD exchanges followed by other communications. Users
must keep consumed data to a minimum as this will block other tasks.
For example, if we consider a system with two controllers using multicast inter-controller EGD communications on a
common network to one Application Server, it is possible that a single controller can produce up to 7 MBits of data. If both
Application Server and inter-controller exchanges are in the same multicast group the second controller will now be
consuming 7 MBits. In processing the consumed data it will begin to stall and start failing to produce exchanges.

IGMP and IGMP snooping and forwarding must be enabled on all switches.

Attention

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3.3 Application Servers
This section provides an overview of the Application Servers tools and the guidelines to follow during configuration.

3.3.1 Application Servers Tool Overview

The PPS Application Server is comprised of several tools. The following figure focuses on three of these tools that are of
special concern when considering performance: the SCADA server, EGD OPC server, and the EGD OPC PowerTool.

PPS Application Server Components

The EGD OPC PowerTool is used to examine the network health from the OPC server point of view. It is important to
understand that the PowerTool is just a client to the OPC server. The PowerTool displays errors and discarded packet. Very
few errors should be occurring on a regular interval so the error count should not be rolling. By drilling down into the device
tree users can determine which device and which exchange is causing problems.

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The PowerTool displays discards as either 0 or a rolling count as a result of packets being consumed or not consumed. This
means that if the data in the packet is not being requested by the SCADA system, it will be discarded. The most obvious cause
of an increase in discards is after a PPS object has been added to a controller in a new exchange but has not been added to the
SCADA Server. Discards will continue until the SCADA Server requests the tags relating to that object. However, the most
useful thing is the discard tallies, which indicate if multicast groups are misaligned. In the figure PPS Separate Application
Server and Inter-controller Communication, the example shows two controllers using multicast for inter-controller EGD
communications on a common network to one SCADA server. If the controllers and SCADA exchanges are on the same
Multicast Group ID, or IGMP is not enabled on all switches, the OPC Server will identify and then discard the exchanges that
are inter-controller because the SCADA Server is not requesting this data.

3.3.2 Design Guidelines

This section provides the guidelines to follow during configuration of the Application Server.

3.3.2.1 EGD Management Tool Restriction

The EGD Management tool, which is different from the PowerTool, should never be opened on a server. As soon as it is
opened, the EMT online / snooping feature that will read all exchanges from the EGD Configuration Server and subscribe to
all groups. This opens the Network Interface Card (NIC) to all exchanges and the OPC Server will start discarding all but the
data intended for the SCADA Server.

3.3.2.2 Multiple Application Servers and Multicast Group ID

In a multi-server configuration it is important to have a Multicast Group ID allocated to each server and a separate Group ID
for multicast inter-controller data. From a PPS object point of view this means a controller will be assigned to an individual
SCADA Server. Depending on production count and size, 8 to 10 PLCs will be the limited per SCADA / per group; however,
a single SCADA Server could have as many as 20+ very small controllers if the production rate is low. The overall limiting
factor will be the SCADA Server should have no more than ~120 K tags or about 3 K changes per second (On Change).
When designing a multi-server system, if these rules are applied and grouping, IGMP, and the ETM and data limits are
observed, a system could in theory contain 120 K tags x 31 available Group IDs + inter PLC Communications Groups (if not
Unicast) (3.7 Million tags).
The limiting factor becomes the EGD Configuration Server, which can grow to several hundred Mbytes in size on a system
on three or four servers. Currently, there is no way of distributing the EGD Server.

3.3.2.3 PPS OPC Scan Rate

In CIMPLICITY, the global parameter PPS_OPC_SCANRATE should be set equal to half of the desired screen refresh.

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Notes

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Glossary of Terms
Term Definition
A software component within Proficy Process Systems (PPS) that provides specific
functionality and can be distributed onto PC-based hardware depending on the requirements
PPS Software Component
of the application. PPS software components include Engineering Workstation (EWS),
Application Server, System Server, and Operator Console.
Premier or Standard
PPS Editions Premier includes a System Server software component and additional activation for systems
with an I/O count greater than 100.
The number of field I/O that an application uses to sense and actuate process equipment.
PPS product structuring and pricing is based on the number of I/O points that a customer
I/O Points
has in their application. This quantity does not necessarily equate to the number of SCADA
points.
EGD signatures can be used to verify that the format of the data from the producer matches
that expected by the consumer. The EGD signature is a numeric value that has two parts:
the major number and the minor number. The major number reflects the primary format of
the data. The minor number reflects backward-compatible changes made to the EGD
exchange (such as adding data to the end of the exchange). An EGD signature has the
format major . minor. The primary format of the data is first established when the EGD
EGD Data Signatures exchange is defined. At that time the signature is assigned the value of 1.0. Any change that
reorders, removes, renames, or changes the type or offset of a variable in the exchange is a
primary format change that causes the signature’s major number to be incremented. The
signature major number must match between the producer and the consumer for the
consumer to consume the data. Packets that are received when produced and consumed
exchange signatures are enabled and incompatible (different major signature values) will
result in an error consumed exchange status.
The Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is a communication protocol used by
IGMP hosts and adjacent routers to establish multicast group membership. IGMP is an integral part
of IP multicast.
The process of listening to IGMP network traffic. This feature allows a network switch to
IGMP Snooping listen to the IGMP conversation between hosts and routers. By listening to these
conversations the switch maintains a map of which links need which IP multicast streams.
Group communications on a network where information is addressed to a group of
Multicast
destinations.

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Notes

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Automation & Controls
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