I. Evolution of Monitoring and Configuration Software Monitoring and configuration software has become an essential component of industrial automation systems, serving as a "basic unit" or "basic element." This has attracted large automation companies to invest in developing configuration software with proprietary intellectual property rights, hoping to leverage the strong market to generate substantial sales and profits. As a general-purpose automation tool, configuration software has always held a pivotal position in automation systems. In industrial information technology projects involving real-time data acquisition, users will first consider trying configuration software. Consequently, configuration software is used in almost all industrial information technology projects. This diversity of applications has placed many new demands and challenges on the performance indicators, usage methods, and interface methods of configuration software. These demands have had a significant impact on the system architecture of configuration software, playing a crucial role in promoting its technological development. Currently, the monitoring and configuration software with high market share both domestically and internationally includes GE Fanuc's iFix, Wonderware's Intouch, Siemens WinCC, Citect, and LabView. Mainland Chinese manufacturers are primarily ForceControl and AsiaControl, with 5-10 other manufacturers also engaged in monitoring configuration software business. In the domestic market, the high-end market is still monopolized by foreign products. Domestic products have begun to seize some high-end market share, and this share is gradually increasing. II. Several Technical Hotspots in Monitoring Configuration Software 2.1 Functional Evolution of Monitoring Configuration Software Functional Evolution: Still primarily based on human-machine interface, data acquisition, historical database, alarm management, operation log management, access control, and data communication forwarding have become its basic functions; functional components are showing a trend of differentiation, integration, and functional subdivision to adapt to the diverse needs of different industries and user levels. Adoption of New Technologies: The IT trend of configuration software is obvious, with a large number of the latest computing, communication, and multimedia technologies being used to improve its performance and expand its functions. Emphasis on Efficiency: In reality, some "configuration" work is very cumbersome, and users hope to quickly generate their own project applications through templates. Graphical templates, database templates, and device templates allow users to quickly generate target programs through "copying". Configuration software emphasizes improved data processing and throughput capabilities: Besides standard real-time data communication and human-machine interface functions, configuration software faces severe performance challenges in storing and retrieving over 10,000 real-time data points and handling concurrent access to the historical database system from over 100 C/S or B/S clients. These requirements become increasingly prevalent as applications deepen. Integration with control system hardware: Configuration software seamlessly integrates with automatic control equipment, providing customized solutions. This indicates the growing penetration of configuration software; automation systems are inseparable from software support, and comprehensive solutions benefit hardware sales and allow manufacturers to control pricing. 2.2 OPC technology and its latest UA (Unified Architecture) framework standardization have greatly benefited hardware and software manufacturers, integrators, and end-users in the industrial automation industry. As an emerging international standard for data interconnection, OPC's contribution is significant. Currently, OPC has gained widespread industry recognition for solving real-time data acquisition and communication in industrial equipment, representing the best way to reduce the cost of inter-system interconnection. However, OPC itself is still undergoing rapid development and evolution. The existing OPC standard has been around for over 10 years, during which time the technology has made significant progress. Therefore, a new standard was necessary to keep pace with technological advancements, and the OPC UA working group was born in this context. The OPC Foundation established the UA working group in January 2004, dedicated to using the latest technologies to build a new system architecture for OPC that meets the requirements of interoperability, plug-and-play, and automatic identification. The goal was for this new architecture to become the new standard in the field of automation for the next 10 years or longer. In June 2006, the OPC Foundation released the first part of the UA standard, and by the end of October 2006… Below are some detailed background and reasons for the creation of the OPC UA standard: Microsoft, in order to develop cross-platform Web services and SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) technologies, no longer focused on developing COM technology, leaving OPC technology facing a lack of technical support. OPC product vendors wanted a single OPC product to provide multiple data services, rather than dividing products into multiple modes such as DA, A&E, and HAD as currently exists. OPC product vendors want their OPC products to run on non-Microsoft operating systems, including embedded devices. Other OPC Foundation partners require reliable and efficient implementation methods to support advanced structured data. The main content of the OPC UA (User Agent) is as follows: It fully establishes a service-oriented core concept. The UA is described as a hierarchical specification, currently consisting of 11 parts: Part 1 - Concepts; Part 2 - Security; Part 3 - Address Space; Part 4 - Services; Part 5 - Information Model; Part 6 - Mappings; Part 7 - Profiles; Part 8 - Data Access; Part 9 - Alarms and Conditions; Part 10 - Programs; Part 11 - Historical Access. To clearly express the structure of the UA, the OPC Foundation intentionally uses some abstract concepts and terminology in the above specifications. The latter part of these specifications specifically illustrates how to programmatically implement these concepts using existing technologies. The novel architecture of UA and its related technical specifications are far more difficult to read than the existing COM-based OPC standard. Therefore, it is best to read some introductory articles before delving into the OPC UA specifications, progressing gradually. 2.3 Cross-Operating System Platform Technology: Monitoring configuration software is used in large-scale SCADA systems, such as those in the natural gas pipeline, oil pipeline, railway, and power industries. For safety and efficiency reasons, most of these large-scale SCADA systems require the software to use the UNIX/LINUX operating system. SCADA systems based on UNIX/LINUX platform distributed real-time databases constitute various components of the monitoring configuration software, such as distributed real-time databases, I/O communication programs, and control strategy programs. Due to system topology design and practical requirements, these components often need to run on embedded devices. These embedded devices, especially those based on the Linux platform, offer the best openness and are mainly used for inter-system interconnection, data acquisition and computation, remote data transmission from unmanned stations, massive real-time data storage, and special control requirements. Without leveraging existing monitoring configuration software, achieving these functions would be extremely costly in terms of system maintenance and could easily create information silos, hindering system expansion. Cross-platform technology for monitoring configuration software effectively solves this problem. Because of its cross-platform nature, it ensures that these components of the configuration software can be successfully ported to Linux systems. The introduction of the OPC UA standard has also pointed the way for cross-platform technology in configuration software; cross-platform compatibility is not an option for monitoring configuration software, but a necessity. III. The Interaction Between Monitoring Configuration Software and the Development of Future Control Systems 3.1 Open Systems and PAC Controllers With the development of software and hardware standardization, the boundaries between control systems such as PLCs and DCSs are becoming increasingly blurred. Designers only have the concept of a "controller" in mind, and users don't need to care whether they are using a DCS or a PLC during selection and design. PAC (programmable automation controller) emerged in this context. Many PAC controllers have built-in Web servers with XML programming interfaces, or directly built-in OPC UA servers, exhibiting distinct open system characteristics and obvious IT features. What is the relationship between PAC and configuration software? Or what impact will it have on the development of monitoring configuration software? Because PACs are relatively new, they exhibit "integration" characteristics in both hardware and software. PAC controllers extensively utilize existing mature technologies, including both hardware and software. PACs incorporate these existing technologies after necessary modifications, making them competitive products. Compared to other control systems, few PAC controller manufacturers possess their own dedicated operator station software; most use mature monitoring and configuration software to form a complete monitoring system. Therefore, PACs and monitoring and configuration software maintain a natural close relationship, reflecting the increasing specialization of labor in society. The impact of PAC controllers on the development of configuration software can be summarized as follows: PAC controllers provide opportunities for the downward expansion of configuration software based on embedded real-time kernels and embedded distributed real-time databases, while embedded distributed real-time databases also significantly enhance the processing capabilities of PAC controllers. PAC controllers provide broader development space for soft PLC technology based on embedded real-time kernels and compliant with the IEC61131-3 standard. Similarly, this IEC61131-3 compliant soft PLC technology, on the one hand, enhances the processing capabilities of PAC controllers, and on the other hand, accelerates the maturation of its control software. Seamless Integration Technology of Controller and Upper-Level Monitoring Configuration Software The seamless integration of controller and upper-level monitoring configuration software was first seen in DCS systems. After seamless integration of the PAC controller and monitoring configuration software, the functional differences with DCS can be narrowed, which is also an effective means to improve the implementation efficiency of the control system. This seamless integration can achieve the following objectives: Once the control strategy is generated, the operator station system with the monitoring configuration software as its core automatically generates a real-time database (including process variables and control station state variables), saving the workload of manually building a data dictionary and avoiding potential errors and troubleshooting; in addition, dedicated templates based on process control can quickly build PID loop diagrams, group screens, and other process operation screens, just like configuring historical trend charts in configuration software, simply by filling in the corresponding variable names on reusable templates. 3.2 Anti-virus and Hacking Technology for Open Control Systems With the increasing requirements for system openness and the development and upgrading of factory control networks, complete isolation between the control network and the outside world is becoming increasingly difficult. For the security of the control system, the operator station of the monitoring configuration software needs to install anti-virus software to prevent worm viruses from affecting the operation of the system. Furthermore, with the development of software standardization, the file system of monitoring configuration software workstations, especially the data within those files, is at risk of being illegally modified. The key preventative measures against viruses and hacker attacks on monitoring configuration software workstations focus on the following two points: 1. Preventing the computer workstation from crashing, malfunctioning, or losing control due to viruses; this requires cooperation between the operating system and antivirus software's data interfaces to ensure timely virus alerts within the configuration software. 2. Preventing unauthorized login, data tampering, and data reading; existing security mechanisms in configuration software can effectively prevent unauthorized login and data tampering. Unauthorized data reading mainly relies on data file encryption and file open permissions. Additionally, necessary monitoring of network switch status within the monitoring configuration software is also essential. Most network switches support the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) data exchange standard; therefore, the monitoring configuration software can monitor the network switch status through the SNMP interface, promptly detecting and alerting to abnormal traffic, port status, and unauthorized access. 3.3 SIS Safety Certification and FDA Certification The most important indicator for control systems is safety and reliability. Previously, the standard for measuring reliability was Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), which is generally measured through prototype testing. MTBF does not represent the reliability of each individual system, and for a control system, it is difficult to obtain accurate MTBF data through testing. To address this, the concept of SIS (Safety Instrument System) emerged. The promulgation of IEC 61508.1-7, "Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems," marked the entry of functional safety as an independent safety discipline into the practical application stage. Subsequently, functional safety standards for various application areas were also developed. These standards all use Safety Integrity Level (SIL) to assess the risk level of instruments and systems. Thus, "safety" becomes a measurable indicator. According to the author's understanding, the safety level of an automation system depends first on the system framework design, and secondly on the safety level of the selected products. A system's safety level corresponds to a system configuration data dictionary. Designers design the system structure and configuration according to the safety level, and propose equipment selection requirements. Equipment suppliers (including software developers) design products according to SIS specifications. Products conforming to SIS specifications undergo global unified certification and mutual certification. Safety instrumented systems are divided into three categories: Z-1, Z-2, and Z-3. Z-1 safety systems have general availability. A central CPU module is connected to the I/O module via a single bus. Unlike ordinary PLCs, it features self-testing of the central CPU and the use of testable I/O modules, ensuring a safe output even in the event of failure. Z-2 safety systems have high availability. The central CPU module is redundant, and other aspects are the same as Z-1. This allows for the failure of one CPU module while the other continues to operate normally. It can be used in applications with safety requirements below AK5. Z-3 safety systems have very high availability. The structure is fully redundant, meaning the CPU module, bus, and I/O modules are all dualized. It is used in applications with safety requirements of AK6, allowing a single channel to replace a faulty module within one hour, ensuring uninterrupted production. For security requirements at levels AK7 and AK8, situations where inconsistent results cannot be determined in a dual-redundancy system must be considered. In such cases, triple modular redundancy (TMR) should be adopted, with the system operating on a majority rule basis. Furthermore, the system should be fault-tolerant, employing fault-tolerant auxiliary software technology (SIFT) to ensure continued operation even if a part of the system fails. The implementation of security-related systems comprises two parts: hardware and software. This stage involves designing and selecting components to meet the system's security certification requirements. The implementation phase of security-related systems includes: security requirement specifications (security functional requirements and security integrity requirements), security verification plan, design and development, integration, operation and maintenance procedures, and security verification. The software security lifecycle (implementation phase) includes: software security requirement specifications (security functional requirements and security integrity requirements), software security verification plan, software design and development, PE integration (hardware and software), software operation and maintenance procedures, and software security verification. Returning to the topic of monitoring configuration software from the perspective of security systems, the widespread adoption of SIS systems places higher demands on the fault tolerance and redundancy hot standby capabilities of the software. It also requires the configuration software to synchronously notify hardware devices of diagnostic information. For hardware compliant with SIS specifications, the monitoring configuration software must cooperate with it for joint or mutual system certification. This security requirement treats the central control room operator station, composed of configuration software, as a unified entity. In the event of communication or server failures, a hot standby operator station must be immediately put into use. As shown in Figure 1-4, two servers act as hot standby for each other, and four clients serve as operator stations. In this system, the control station, monitoring server, clients (operator stations), and network are all redundantly configured, requiring a minimum master-slave server switchover time of 2 seconds. The most representative industry application related to the security performance of monitoring configuration software is the FDA CFR21 PART11 standard. The introduction of this standard reflects the increasing representation and dominance of core process knowledge by automatic control systems, allowing for the analysis of core processes through automatic control systems. The primary purpose of the FDA CFR 21 Part 11 standard is to verify the trustworthiness of electronic records, electronic signatures, and handwritten signatures on electronic records in automatic control systems. This ensures that products are manufactured strictly according to established processes and formulas, guaranteeing the absolute safety of pharmaceuticals and food. Even minor modifications to pharmaceutical and food formulations can have serious consequences. Monitoring configuration software can apply for FDA CFR 21 Part 11 certification independently or jointly with the control system. For example, the monitoring configuration software from Likong Technology is used in conjunction with control system hardware certification. IV. Independent Innovation and Development of Domestic Monitoring Configuration Software 4.1 The Innovative Development History of Domestic Monitoring Configuration Software Monitoring configuration software is a result of social specialization and industrial refinement. Foreign manufacturers simply took the lead. During the same historical period when similar foreign products were launched, Chinese counterparts had already achieved considerable success in theoretical research and exploration in this area. Therefore, in essence, domestic monitoring configuration software is independently developed and possesses independent intellectual property rights. Despite being independently developed, products must avoid similarities or identicalities with foreign products in certain user interfaces or operating habits. Your own software must have unique content to reflect its own value. Regarding technological innovation in the product itself: Product function innovation driven by user needs, and the rapid growth of the Chinese monitoring configuration software market, are powerful driving forces for technological innovation in domestic configuration software. While there may still be gaps between Chinese manufacturers and their foreign counterparts in the adoption of advanced software development technologies and platforms, these gaps are gradually narrowing and may even be nonexistent. Initially, the emergence of domestically produced configuration software allowed users who previously couldn't afford it to increase the added value of their products by using domestic monitoring configuration software. These users also raised new demands for domestic monitoring configuration software. These demands, through continuous accumulation, formed the unique characteristics of the software. As these users gradually gained strength in the market, even reaching the forefront of the professional market, domestic monitoring configuration software also grew stronger. This phenomenon illustrates that broad market demand is the driving force behind the growth of monitoring configuration software. 4.2 Some Problems Faced by Domestic Monitoring and Configuration Software in its Development Process A stark contradiction exists between the rapidly growing market share and obstacles to market acceptance. Domestic monitoring and configuration software has grown and thrived in the cracks of the market, benefiting from strong user support. The Chinese market has created China's domestic monitoring and configuration software. It is precisely this environment, coupled with the inspiration from the rise of telecommunications equipment manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE in the international market, that has given domestic monitoring and configuration software a firm market confidence. Compared with similar foreign products, although the market share of domestic configuration software is currently difficult to reach the top, it is optimistically estimated that this goal will be achieved in the near future. In the further development of configuration software, some practical difficulties are still encountered. These temporary difficulties are believed to be minor setbacks in the development of domestic monitoring configuration software. In large projects involving the selection of monitoring configuration software, owners and design institutes generally exhibit a tendency to blindly favor foreign products, artificially creating obstacles for domestic products to enter the high-end market. However, thanks to the unremitting efforts of domestic monitoring configuration software manufacturers, even in projects where foreign products hold an absolute advantage, domestic software can still be seen in auxiliary and peripheral systems. The good operating records of these software programs may change these owners' attitudes towards domestic software. Comprehensive strength comparison is the ultimate deciding factor. To fundamentally gain a market advantage, the innovation capability, development strength, service capability, and market capability of domestic software companies are the ultimate deciding factors. 4.3 Software piracy restricts the development of national brands. Some users often neglect to use genuine software in order to save costs. Although this does not truly save costs, it invisibly increases the market share of foreign brands. When product upgrades are needed, the original manufacturer's products must be purchased. In reality, from a cost perspective, piracy is not cost-effective; it's just a matter of time before payment is made. Monitoring configuration software manufacturers provide users with more than just products; they offer a range of services at varying levels of detail. By receiving these services, users can gain invaluable benefits, such as consultation and correction of system application frameworks, industry application consulting, and functional design. Users of pirated software cannot access these services. Therefore, broadly speaking, purchasing genuine configuration software is a wise choice. We urge monitoring configuration software users not to blindly trust foreign products, but to give domestic monitoring configuration software more market opportunities. If domestic brands fail to meet the required performance specifications, then it's not too late to choose imported products. Domestic monitoring configuration software manufacturers, represented by ForceControl Technology, are confident in gaining an advantage in market competition and achieving dominance in both market share and sales revenue.