ROCKWELL Automation is supporting customers who use its automation software with virtualisation solutions from Silicon Valley-based VMware.
Rockwell Automation says virtualisation solutions employ a unique combination of computer resources to help manufacturers build an infrastructure that better leverages resources and delivers high availability.
Rockwell Automation will also participate in the VMware Ready program, with plans to validate its Rockwell Software configuration, human interface and information products.
According to Rockwell Automation, virtualisation fundamentally changes the way hardware resources are used. It works by inserting a thin layer of software called a ‘hypervisor’ directly on the computer hardware, or on a host operating system. This layer contains virtual machines that can be transparently allocated to hardware resources when and where they are needed. Multiple operating systems run concurrently in isolated virtual machines on a single physical computer and share hardware resources with each other.
The company claims virtualisation technology also simplifies the distribution of bundled offers, such as Rockwell’s PlantPAx Process Automation System and extends the life of software.
Rockwell Automation says rather than upgrading software every two to three years or testing ‘old’ Windows versions, virtualisation technology helps enable end-users to run the same software on a particular PC or operating system for more than 10 years.