[foxboro] Anybody Using IACC??

Hi List,
        We are trying to evaluate if Foxboro's movement toward Microsoft
Servers and applications are being embraced by the user community at large,
or if they are mostly being purchased and installed at new sites with no
installed base of UNIX Servers/applications.  We have a lot of concerns
about the robustness and security of the Microsoft offerings.  The recent
warnings issued by both Foxboro and Wonderware concerning problems related
with installing Microsofts XP Service Pack 2 have only increased our
concerns for the future of IA on NT/XP/Server2003....

a.      "Wonderware recommends customers DO NOT install SP2 for Windows XP
until SP2 is fully supported by Wonderware. Some Wonderware FactorySuite
applications may stop working if this XP service pack is installed."

b.      "We have determined that a loss of I/A Series functionality can
occur after loading and applying Windows XP Service Pack 2. Additionally,
I/A Series software will not load correctly on a machine that has Windows XP
Service Pack 2 applied to the machine prior to the installation of I/A
Series software. "

        If an operating system has so many holes and security risks that it
requires continual updates via Service Pack releases, it may not be suited
for use in highly critical applications such as our DCS.  It wouldn't be
much of a concern to us if the Service Pack installations didn't cause loss
of functionality of applications that worked before, but this is a classic
case of the tail wagging the dog.  Because of Microsoft's mechanism to
automatically install updates on Windows machines, the users could lose
access without even knowing why.  This now puts the onus on Wonderware,
Foxboro, and the user community to expend special efforts to keep Microsoft
from shooting them in the foot.

        We purchased two AW-XP's because Foxboro told us that the future of
all IA configuration efforts will be advanced by new applications that will
run only on the MS platform.  The current Integrated Control Configurator
development will not progress, and any new functionality will only be
implemented in IACC.  FoxDraw and IACC have a special relationship that also
moves the Display building and configuration toward "MS only" functionality.
It is yet to be understood how WonderWare's "InTouch" HMI will be
incorporated into the mix but it is sure to be done in an MS environment
because the entire Archestra platform is entirely MS based.  This brings me
to the question in the subject line: "Is anybody out there using IACC as a
replacement for the ICC?"

        We used the ability of the XP-AW's to run ModbusTCP and OPC IOgates,
as cost justification to purchase the XP AW's.  Needless to say,
implementing them is something far short of seamless and running multiple
gates simultaneously on NT didn't mean that you could do it on XP.  Who
knew?  Apparently no one at Foxboro.  Although Foxboro keeps saying that the
user community dictated the move to an MS environment, it is more likely
that they wanted to move in that direction due to a large installed base of
existing applications coupled with more MS application programmer
availability.  Corporate managers that have more MS experience because they
use it on their desktop were also enthusiastic, so the move to MS appeared
to make sense.  However, many of the folks charged with maintaining and
securing these critical systems have been less than enthusiastic about the
move to MS.
        It is hard to tell if they know the UNIX based systems and are just
resistant to change or if the MS systems really have all of the problems
that they are pointing out but nobody else is listening.  I am soliciting
feedback from all users about thier experiences with Foxboro's MS offerings.
Please try to make objective comments and keep the passion from rising to
the top. It would be great if we received input from MS Only Foxboro users
as well as UNIX to MS transition experiences.
        We have already captured many of our experiences in a Word document
that I will be glad to email to those that request it, (off-list of course),
but I am interested in getting unique feedback that isn't influenced by any
of our experiences to begin with.  Thanks for anything you can contribute to
this thread!

Let the Games Begin,

Tom VandeWater
Control Systems Developer/Analyst
Dow Corning Corp.
Carrollton, KY   USA 
 
 
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