1. Introduction With the rapid development of computer hardware and software technology, information technology, and manufacturing technology, and the advancement of enterprise informatization, industrial automation systems are becoming increasingly complex, and the requirements for these systems are also becoming more demanding. Large and complex systems, such as large-scale industrial production processes, computer-integrated manufacturing systems, and industrial process object control systems, exhibit various forms of complexity. In terms of overall structure, they are characterized by nonlinearity, uncertainty, infinite dimensions, distributed nature, and multi-level structures; in terms of the information being processed, they exhibit signal uncertainty, randomness, incompleteness, and a mixture of image and symbolic information; on computers, they involve a mixture of quantitative and logical operations; and with the deepening and refinement of management, they exhibit increasingly flattened management methods. Therefore, the design of complex large systems differs from conventional approaches not only in system identification, analysis, and design, but more importantly, in system modeling and control strategies. The focus of this system design is to achieve integrated management and control through a fully software-based approach. Due to the complexity, numerous variables, and interwoven information in complex systems, the principles for scientifically and rationally decomposing large systems into relatively smaller subsystems, and how these subsystems coordinate to ensure optimal system operation and control, are pressing issues that urgently need to be addressed and are a focus of intense attention in the control engineering community. Many of these issues remain unresolved. The control of complex large systems places increasingly higher demands on industrial automation software systems, thus the development of more effective and advanced software systems has attracted widespread attention. With technological advancements, industrial automation software technology is rapidly developing towards intelligence, networking, and integration. The operation of complex large systems in a network environment and the realization of optimized control and management of complex systems online are no longer distant prospects but are just around the corner. This article explores this from the perspective of software system technology development. 2 Monitoring and Configuration Software Systems 2.1 Main Functions of Configuration Software "Monitoring" refers to the monitoring and control of the controlled process. From the perspective of industrial automation control, monitoring software is generally called industrial configuration software or configuration control software. Since its inception in the early 1980s, configuration software has had a 20-year development history. Configuration software, as an application software, has evolved alongside the rise of PCs. In the 1980s, configuration software like Onspec, Paragon 500, and early versions of FIX ran under DOS, with limited graphical interface functionality. Since Wonderware developed InTouch, the first HMI (Human Machine Interface) configuration software for industrial and process automation based on Microsoft Windows, in 1987, InTouch and other HMI software pioneered the running of industrial control software under Windows. With the rapid development of computer hardware and software technology, configuration software based on PCs and compatibles has experienced a qualitative leap in both functionality and performance. Currently, InTouch, as a typical industrial automation configuration software, boasts excellent real-time performance and a high-performance graphical interface. Therefore, Wonderware refers to InTouch as process visualization software, a name that seems more accurate. Monitoring configuration software is a software platform tool for monitoring and data acquisition (SCADA). It has a rich set of settings, flexible usage, and powerful functions. When monitoring configuration software first appeared, HMI (Human Machine Interface) or MMI (Man Machine Interface) was its main connotation, that is, it mainly solved the problem of human-machine interaction graphical interface. The configuration software system includes real-time database, real-time control, SCADA, communication and networking, open database interface, I/O device driver, etc. With the development of software technology, monitoring configuration software is constantly being given new content, and it will play an increasingly important role in the process of social informatization. Its future development prospects are very promising. The configuration software has the following main functions. (1) Using graphical editing design techniques, programmers can use jigsaw puzzles, building blocks and simple wiring to build human-machine interaction interfaces. The configuration software package contains design and development libraries, such as various analog instruments, motors, control buttons, etc. Programmers can also use basic drawing tools to design libraries and object elements themselves. On the human-machine interface for operation and monitoring, the corresponding graphic elements of these field devices, detection devices and controllers are used to represent and indicate the real objects, thus obtaining the simulation diagram of the operation of the field production equipment. Therefore, by operating the graphic elements corresponding to the objects on the simulation field diagram, the operation and management of field devices and controllers can be realized. This is one of the biggest advantages of configuration software. It makes programming and operation very intuitive and easy for people with different knowledge backgrounds and levels to accept. From the above analysis, it can be seen that an important standard for evaluating the quality of a configuration software is: the size and richness of the design library of the software and the intuitive representativeness of the graphic elements in the library. (2) Realize state migration management for actual monitored objects. The configuration software uses animation connection technology to link the graphic elements describing the field objects with certain parameters or functions to form a mapping relationship. Programmers or operators can realize the collection, analysis and processing of field equipment data by programming and processing these parameters or functions. The transmission of parameters is completed through the input and output channels between the configuration computer and the field equipment, thereby realizing remote monitoring and control, i.e., state management. State transitions include setting object motion rules, monitoring operational status, and displaying fault alarms. From an application perspective, the editing and processing of object parameters are hidden. Users stimulate the graphic elements on the monitoring interface (e.g., by clicking on a graphic element with a computer mouse), which means stimulating and setting the object parameters corresponding to that graphic element. These object parameters change or reset according to pre-programmed operational rules, affecting the synchronous changes of object parameters of other graphic elements. The result is that the changed differences cause changes in the corresponding graphic elements or trigger other image information on the human-machine interface, allowing the user to know the operation result and determine the next step, thus completing the human-machine interaction. From a design and development perspective, the editing and processing of object parameters are transparent. Parameters and operational rules can be changed at any time according to control requirements, and these changes can be made on the human-machine monitoring interface. For example, by setting the human-machine monitoring interface as a development environment, double-clicking on a graphic element with a computer mouse will enter the object parameter dialog box for editing and modification. Therefore, it can be seen that configuration software not only inherits the traditional assembly or high-level language control structure for on-site monitoring and management but also greatly expands the intuitiveness of programming, which is very appealing to both users and programmers. (3) The monitoring and management objects are more intuitive and profound. Configuration software can not only set object parameters, collect data in real time, program parameter algorithms, print control laws and results, and store data records, just like other commonly used programming language development tools, but it can also easily represent the above functions and steps in a vivid way and reflect them on the human-machine interface for programmers or operators to analyze and modify intuitively. For example, configuration software can intuitively reflect real-time collected data in the form of real-time curves on the monitoring interface. Historical and current control information and results can also be intuitively reflected on the monitoring interface in the form of real-time curves. In this way, people can use advanced knowledge bases, intelligent control and prediction methods, such as chart methods, quadratic curve fitting methods and regression prediction methods, to analyze and process input and output parameters and data, thereby achieving a deeper understanding and grasp of the status of the monitored objects, alarm display, etc. (4) Good real-time openness and interconnection operability. Automation software adopts a large number of standardized interconnection technologies, such as OPC, DDE, ActiveX controls, COM/DCOM, ODBC, OLE-DB, etc., making it an automation software platform with good real-time openness and interconnection operability. The configuration software uses ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) technology to enable object parameters to be shared or read by other software programs; it uses DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) technology to realize parameter transfer, such as linking process object parameters to a MICRO EXCEL spreadsheet file, reflecting changes in object parameters in real time to the spreadsheet file, and processing the corresponding data in the spreadsheet file and returning the results to the corresponding parameters. This realizes the interconnection operation between the configuration software and the MICRO EXCEL spreadsheet data file, thereby leveraging their respective technical advantages to achieve better control and management of the field system; it uses OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) technology to encompass and expand other functions, such as embedding MICRO OFFICE office software into the configuration software operation platform to facilitate operators in processing text work reports and reports, and using ActiveX technology to embed media playback software into the configuration software operation platform to enable viewing closed-circuit monitoring field images on the monitoring interface; it uses TCP/IP protocol to publish configuration monitoring information to the Internet network to realize networked management and monitoring. (5) The application operation platform has a short development cycle. The monitoring operation platform is designed and manufactured using configuration software, avoiding a large amount of source code language assembly and debugging work. Its intuitive graphical programming style greatly shortens the programming development cycle, easily meeting the time requirements of actual engineering construction. Furthermore, modifying and updating the operating platform (online) is relatively easy and quick during application. However, configuration software, as an emerging object-oriented industrial automation monitoring development programming tool, is also evolving and undergoing further research and improvement. For example, how to balance and adjust data sharing and real-time requirements for different monitoring objects and environments; how to meet the different real-time requirements of each thread and avoid data conflicts and blocking for multi-threaded application environments and objects; and how to solve the matching problem between the real-time requirements of network remote control and on-site monitoring. 2.2 Characteristics of Process Visualization Software With the development of software technology, monitoring configuration software is constantly being given new content and will play an increasingly important role in the process of social informatization. Real-time multitasking is the most prominent feature of configuration software. Examples include data acquisition and output, data processing and algorithm implementation, graphical display and human-machine dialogue, real-time data storage, retrieval management, and real-time communication. The main problems that configuration software solves are: (1) how to exchange data between data acquisition and control devices; (2) how to associate data from devices with elements on the computer graphics screen; (3) how to handle data alarms and system alarms; (4) how to store historical data and support the query of historical data; (5) how to generate and print various reports; (6) how to provide flexible and varied configuration methods to adapt to the needs of different fields; and (7) how to interface with third-party software programs to achieve data sharing. Configuration software can use graphical functions to draw the controlled object in a vivid way, and then logically connect the attributes of the controlled object with the real-time data of I/O devices through internal data links. When the application system generated by the configuration software is put into operation, changes in I/O device data will directly drive changes in the attributes of the controlled object. The real-time database of the configuration software is an open data platform that allows managers to obtain all real-time data of the operation of field equipment and implement unified management. In addition, configuration software can also make optimization control and scheduling decisions based on historical trend analysis. 2.3 The Role of Monitoring and Configuration Software Configuration software is the cornerstone of industrial automation software systems and a key element in integrating control and information networks. Through its open interface technology, configuration software interconnects real-time databases with field device data, providing comprehensive information and data to the system. Monitoring and configuration software is a control system development tool. Users can flexibly configure and combine functional modules in a "building block" manner, based on the application object and control task requirements, using simple and intuitive configuration methods and the tools provided by the software, to construct user application software. The concept of "configuration" only became familiar to a wide range of production process automation technicians with the emergence of Distributed Control Systems (DCS). Current configuration software is essentially the application software pre-installed by each DCS vendor in the early days, but no clear definition has been given; the process of designing and generating the target application system using this application software is simply called "configuration" or "doing configuration." The concept of configuration originates from the English word "configuration," meaning the use of software tools to configure various resources of a computer and software, enabling the computer or software to automatically execute tasks according to a pre-configured plan to meet user requirements. Industrial enterprises are complex large systems. In accordance with the requirements of developing new industries and enterprise informatization, automation should integrate management and control, encompassing both low-level control and high-level management automation. High-level control is often referred to as management, while low-level management is called control. For low-level control, the control tasks are primarily completed by physical system equipment. Enterprise informatization places higher demands on the degree of system automation. It encompasses the entire process from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) receiving orders online, to the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) completing product production, and finally, delivering qualified products to users. This covers all low-level control and high-level management, from sensors to the optimized operation of the entire system. The flow and volume of materials, information, capital, and personnel within an enterprise vary greatly in complexity depending on the enterprise's function, scale, and product characteristics. Optimizing the operation of such complex systems to achieve the best socio-economic benefits is a desired goal. To ensure that all useful real-time status information is not lost or accumulated during the entire control process (or system), and to facilitate real-time coordination and enhance support for upper-level decision-making, all workstations should use a unified human-machine graphical user interface and a unified information platform to overcome the phenomena of "automation silos" and "information silos," achieving seamless integration of control and management. Monitoring configuration software plays a crucial role in this process. To fully leverage the leading role of information in both low-level control and high-level management decision-making, sufficient attention must be paid to the selection of monitoring software systems; otherwise, the goal of enterprise informatization will be difficult to achieve. 2.4 Limitations of General Monitoring and Configuration Software Since the 1980s, automation systems in newly built, renovated, and technologically upgraded projects in China have primarily used imported configuration-level industrial control software. Typical examples include Wonderware's InTouch, Intellution's Fix and iFix, Siemens' WinCC, and Adastra's Trace Mode configuration software. Until the mid-1990s, some domestic software companies, based on the assimilation and absorption of foreign configuration software, also developed their own industrial control configuration software products. Typical examples include Beijing Yacon Software's "Kings View" and Beijing Kunlun Tongtai Automation's MCSG. These software programs have made significant contributions to the realization of basic enterprise automation in my country. Their common advantages include the use of graphical programming design techniques. While offering features like state transfer management for actual monitored objects, enhanced visualization and understanding of monitored and managed objects, good real-time openness and interconnectivity, and short development cycles for application operation platforms, these systems, while focusing solely on monitoring aspects such as graphical and configuration schemes, data point management, network functions, communication functions, and locking designs, generally meet user requirements. However, from a higher management perspective, achieving integrated control and enterprise informatization in industrial automation systems presents significant challenges. These challenges likely involve numerous "information silos" and "automation silos," making it difficult to integrate their information resources. The lack of a unified control, data, and information platform is a major problem currently facing the basic automation and informatization of complex large-scale industrial systems. How to appropriately enhance and transform existing systems while protecting their resources, thereby enabling enterprise informatization to adapt to the needs of transforming and upgrading traditional industries and adjusting enterprise product structures, is a widely discussed issue in the control engineering field. When exploring solutions and approaches for fully utilizing information resources, implementation is often halted by bottlenecks such as "communication protocols" and "soft interfaces" due to limitations in the functionality of the selected system configuration software. This is a common occurrence in many enterprises, posing significant difficulties for system integration. It seems that general monitoring configuration software vendors do not pay enough attention to the bottleneck issue of "communication soft interfaces." 2.5 Latest Developments in Process Visualization Software To concretize the issues discussed, we will take the most representative process visualization software as an example. For instance, InTouch 9.5 HMI offers significant enhancements, resulting in substantial improvements in both operational and engineering productivity. As a result, factory personnel using InTouch 9.5 software will benefit from new features that make their work faster and simpler. Furthermore, improved software development capabilities can significantly reduce the time and effort spent on creating, modifying, and deploying applications. Enhancements in operational productivity include: prompt bars; mouse control; advanced alarm analysis; and language switching during operation. Prompt bars in version 9.5 provide operator guidance, helping factory personnel understand the information in the application they are viewing more quickly. Mouse controls: These new controls provide additional functionality for those who use a mouse to access their applications. Advanced alarm analysis tools, built into the InTouch software, enable faster and more comprehensive analysis of alarm information. Language switching during operation: Users can dynamically switch languages ​​during operation. Enhancements to improve engineering productivity include: new developments in intelligent symbol technology for graphic movement and zooming, and manual graphic positioning; built-in simple I/O redundancy configuration; additional keyboard options; and default font settings. The new developments in intelligent symbol technology allow for faster creation and additional customization of graphic-based templates. Built-in simple I/O redundancy configuration allows for quick configuration of a second communication server, enabling automatic switching when I/O cannot connect to the first server. Movement, zooming, and manual graphic positioning: Graphic details can be easily accessed with click and "rubber band" zoom options, manual graphic positioning, and movement. Additional keyboard options: Version 9.5 includes a new "Regional" keyboard that allows users to view their keyboard using characters relevant to their local language, and a new option to adjust the on-screen keyboard size. The default font settings allow users to change the default font instantly and then apply the new TrueType font throughout the application. InTouch 9.5 software provides application users and developers with a wealth of new features, resulting in significant improvements in development productivity and performance. Tooltips: When a user hovers the mouse over an object in an application that contains a tooltip, a halo forms around the object, letting the user know that they can access more information about that object. Tooltips can provide static information, such as what a button controls, or a dynamic snapshot of information, such as tank levels. Both static and dynamic tooltips are very useful for smoothly displaying large amounts of graphics in a window, while also conveniently providing operators with additional information about objects on the screen. Mouse Controls: New advanced mouse controls allow users to add functionality for different mouse click options. This greatly expands the amount of information a user can obtain about an object without occupying valuable screen space. Advanced alarm analysis tools: InTouch 9.5 HMI's new advanced alarm analysis tools allow users to: easily analyze alarms in Pareto charts; view organized alarms in a navigation tree; query alarms faster; configure hot backups for alarms on two nodes; configure "no data" messages by sorting by tags; and name databases. These advanced alarm features can greatly help and significantly improve operational productivity. Language switching during operation: Language barriers can make it difficult for factory personnel to fully understand application information. However, InTouch 9.5 HMI's new language switching function during operation allows users to switch the language display while running. For example, if the main text is displayed in American English, operators can click a button during operation to see information in another language, such as Japanese, Spanish, or British English. This allows standard applications to be accessed by: multiple operators fluent in different languages, personnel from multiple countries and factories simultaneously; and global developers can now troubleshoot in their native languages. Built-in simple I/O redundancy switching: The easily configurable I/O redundancy switching function allows for the convenient configuration of a backup communication server when the first server needs maintenance or is unavailable. This allows factory personnel to: eliminate single points of failure related to the communication server; and perform routine maintenance on the first server. Furthermore, the easily configurable I/O redundancy switching improves the reliability and reliance on real-time information. Enhanced Smart Symbols: The new enhancements to Smart Symbols in InTouch 9.5 software allow users to: resize templates and automatically apply these changes throughout the application; directly create Smart Symbols from graphics displayed within a window; and differentiate between Smart Symbols and regular graphics. The updated Smart Symbol functionality significantly reduces the time and effort required for application creation, modification, and deployment. Move-Zoom/Manual Graphic Positioning: Application developers can use the new easy-click move/zoom functionality in InTouch software's WindowMaker™ graphics editor to highlight areas requiring precise detail while simultaneously viewing the entire graphics window. They can also use window coordinates when creating graphics on-screen, enabling precise graphics application development with significantly reduced effort. Additional Keyboard Options: In addition to the standard InTouch keyboard, InTouch 9.5 software includes two new on-screen keyboards. Developers can use the new Microsoft Windows keyboard, which can be a "regional" keyboard, allowing international users to view an on-screen keyboard containing all text and characters in their native language. Developers can also use the new InTouch keyboard to adjust the on-screen keyboard size. These two new keyboards are implemented interactively within the application in a way that best suits the user environment. Default font settings allow developers to instantly change the default font, applying new and TrueType fonts to buttons and text throughout the application. Additional features include password field support; security has been updated and enhanced, allowing developers to restrict access to unwanted information. Passwords can be encrypted, reducing the chance of network interception between client and server computers. This feature minimizes the possibility of unauthorized access for users. Password characters can also be echoed for confirmation. Hotlink enhancements allow animated graphics and ActiveX controls to display a "halo" around an object, which can be displayed according to the object's shape. This halo and shape-following display feature allows developers to add animations to different parts of complex objects. Users simply hover the mouse over the object until they select the desired section and then click to expand for more information. An updated Windows XP look and feel; buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, and bar headings have been updated to a new, user-friendly Windows XP look. InTouch 9.5 software significantly improves performance and noticeably increases engineering productivity. 3. Development of Industrial Automation Software Technology Currently, many developed countries and some developing countries widely adopt Wonderware industrial automation software suite technology from the United States. Systems are built according to user needs to achieve control and management of complex industrial systems. For example, in the 1990s, TISCO Steel, India's largest steel company, adopted Wonderware industrial automation software suite technology to achieve direct communication with ERP systems. After receiving user orders directly from the Internet, the company incorporated the head office, functional departments, branch plants, workshops, and production lines into a unified control, data, and information platform through a Manufacturing Execution System (MES). The system development cycle was short, and the development, operation, and maintenance costs were low. Because the software suite technology allows for seamless system integration and high reliability, it achieves unified automated monitoring and information management across the entire company, from order acceptance, raw material procurement, product manufacturing, to product delivery to the user, resulting in extremely high efficiency. Wonderware's software suite was the first integrated industrial automation software package in the industry, Factory Suite, which fundamentally changed traditional concepts and the top-down information flow model that had existed in the manufacturing industry for many years. In addition to the core components mentioned above, there are also Industrial SQL data analysis tools, SCADAlarm enterprise-level telephone/alarm systems, and more. In short, Wonderware's Factory Suite is a suite of software components that can be selected and configured as needed to achieve seamless system integration, providing a complete solution for enterprise informatization. For example, in the steel industry, the use of Wonderware's I/O Server technology and InSQL Server technology to establish a unified control, data, and information platform has yielded excellent results. It allows for the implementation of a dynamic product flow tracking system, enabling dynamic tracking from raw materials to finished products, and a dynamic production information management system. This system can manage production planning, production scheduling, warehouses (including raw materials, semi-finished products, heat treatment, and finished products), production operations and processes, contract management, quality management, online process guidance subsystems, dynamic production information query, statistics, and analysis. Because management and control are dynamically implemented, without the support of cutting-edge software technology and a seamlessly integrated software suite, it's difficult to imagine the scale of the development work, the success rate, or even whether a true CIMS system could be achieved. In recent years, industrial automation software technology has made significant progress in many aspects, with particular noteworthy advancements in system development environments and system architecture. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) enable engineering reuse through application components, and the component object architecture of Industrial Application Server can significantly improve productivity. The component object model facilitates the development of reusable application objects representing factory equipment. Application objects built within the FactorySuite IDE contain all the necessary elements related to automated equipment, such as historical parameters, tags, alarms and events, documentation, scripts, safety, and communication parameters. A template library of reusable components can be created, copied, and deployed, enhancing rapid application software development capabilities. The component template support propagation feature ensures that a change to one element can be automatically propagated to all affected or selected components, saving valuable engineering time and costs. The factory model architecture allows users to transform pre-designed application objects into templates that leverage best practices and company engineering standards. Flexible application objects can contain knowledge and application code representing physical factory equipment monitoring automation strategies or higher-level production strategies. Template libraries transform application engineering into an assembly process rather than a programming exercise, significantly improving productivity across different projects. An IDE is a multi-developer environment that allows companies to leverage their engineering resources by assigning multiple engineers to a single project. The IDE supports multiple developers through an efficient registration/deregistration process, providing a historical audit trail for each application component, including user identifiers, periods and timestamps, and detailed summaries of changes. Version control of the entire application is possible because application configuration information is stored in a core project repository (SQL Server database). The registration/deregistration process allows engineers to take components with them when traveling or leaving the field, providing them with maximum flexibility. IAS (Industrial Application Server) brings a new era of productivity and scalability to the development and design of industrial automation applications. It provides a new layer of real-time data acquisition, alarm and event management, data processing services, and collaborative development capabilities designed from the ground up for industrial automation applications. IAS is an infrastructure that simplifies the development, deployment, maintenance, and management of distributed automation applications; it is a new software component built on Invensys' ArchestraATM architecture. The comprehensive ArchestrA factory automation and information architecture was designed from the outset to extend the lifespan of legacy systems using the latest software technologies. Whether automation applications are used in discrete manufacturing, production plants, remote SCADA operations, utilities, or any combination of these operational types, the ArchestrA architecture encompasses them all. IAS built on the ArchestrA architecture offers significant advantages: a distributed point-to-point architecture; a globally networked domain name space; integrated history, scripts, alarms, and security mechanisms; an intuitive multi-user development environment; a component-based factory and application model; compliance with 21 CFR Part 11 requirements; significantly reduced engineering costs for users; lower cost of ownership; rapid response and adaptability to growth needs; and unwavering openness. It provides the foundation for simplifying the development, deployment, maintenance, and management of distributed automation applications. IAS provides a new level of real-time data acquisition, alarm and event management, data manipulation services, and collaborative engineering capabilities. These capabilities were specifically designed from the outset for industrial automation applications, enabling manufacturers, OEMs, and system integrators (SIs) to significantly reduce the engineering, purchase, and maintenance costs of automation systems. Simultaneously, users can flexibly build automation systems, enhancing their responsiveness to new demands. IAS is a powerful new application platform built on Invensys' ArchestrA architecture. The comprehensive ArchestrA factory automation and information architecture was designed from the outset to extend the lifespan of legacy systems using the latest software technologies. Whether it's automation applications in assembly plants, refineries, remote SCADA operations, utilities, or any combination of these business operation types, the ArchestrA-based architecture is capable. From a system-level perspective, recent industrial automation software systems are evolving towards integration, networking, platformization, and comprehensive management using advanced software technologies. (1) Integration of Industrial Automation Software: Previous industrial automation software had considered the integration of equipment and multiple systems, but the scope of integration was often concentrated on local systems or branch plant systems, without considering larger-scale integration. New automation software systems have considered large-scale, regional, and plant-wide system integration, providing overall integration solutions. (2) Networking of Industrial Automation Software: With the dispersion of data and the diversity of networks, the information of industrial automation software systems is developing towards an information bus. The information bus approach changes the past concept of centralized data collection and processing. It is equivalent to laying an information bus at the data monitoring layer. As long as each subsystem is connected to this information bus, it can realize mutual communication between systems, realizing a fully distributed monitoring system. For example, the monitoring system built on Wonderware FactorySuite A2 uses Platform deployed on each computer in the entire system for information interaction. As the information interaction between industrial automation software increases, it is necessary to realize the function of centralized remote management of software systems on multiple machines on a single machine. Therefore, networked management is also the development direction of automation software.目前多家国内外的工业自动化软件企业就实现了网络管理，比如Wonderware公司基于微软管理控制台（MMC）技术的系统管理控制台SMC（System Management Console）就可以实现对数据采集软件、日志文件、部署的对象等实现集中的远程管理。 （3） 工业自动化软件中面向对象技术的应用面向对象方法包括封装性、继承性、多态性等特点,这些特点使面向对象方法在软件领域得到迅速的发展，在工业自动化领域，很多控制对象同样具有面向对象技术中的“对象”属性，也引起了人们的注意，控制工程师和控制软件开发人员也试图将面向对象的技术应用到工业自动化领域，但目前基本上仍停留在针对某个控制系统的软件设计和控制软件的软件设计中，这些都说明面向对象的技术可以应用在工业自动化领域，但没有真正将面向对象技术应用到控制系统的整体系统设计中。这就是要将面向对象的技术优势引入到整个自动化系统的设计之中，而不是简单的停留在某个具体的软件设计之中的。总之，传统的面向功能的设计方法集中在控制系统的局部，围绕某个功能的实现为主线，而在嵌入面向对象技术的自动化软件平台Wonderware Industrial Application Server上，采用面向对象思想设计监控系统，要充分发挥面向对象技术的封装性、继承性的优势，同时采用抽象对象的方法来看待整个监控系统的组成。 Wonder- ware公司推出了一款嵌入面向对象技术的新产品—Wonderware Industrial Application Server。该产品充分发挥了面向对象的技术优势，提供了供自动化工程师选择使用的多个基础模板，将程序中的面向对象技术屏蔽掉，只需要经过客户化的配置以及扩展即可以满足工业自动化系统的设计和规划工作，从而使工程师从简单复杂耗时的程序模块设计中解放出来，将主要的精力集中在系统控制模型以及控制算法上，大大缩短了工业自动化系统的设计和上线时间，并提高了系统的重用性。 （4） 工业自动化软件系统的平台化在工业自动化软件系统的发展过程中，由于涉及到多种功能的实现，因此在20世纪80年代末期和20世纪90年代，根据模块功能的区别，实现了软件系统的模块化。而由于工业自动化系统设计的范围及广度的增加，需要一个统一的平台软件，实现各个功能的统一运行。国内外大的工业自动化软件企业都将自己的模块化软件统一运行在自己的平台之上，而且该平台具有高度的开放性和扩展性，相关厂商的产品就可以在该平台上进行开发。 （5） 工业自动化软件系统的综合管理化目前各个工业自动化软件厂商不仅是为企业提供监控功能软件的厂商，而且能根据工业现场的要求，提供丰富的管理软件，向着工业自动化解决方案厂商的转变。他们为企业提供了资产管理、质量、批次管理等丰富的软件。而且随着企业信息化的推进，目前都在积极提供为企业ERP进行数据支撑的MES解决方案。最明显的就是不少厂商推出了基于S95标准的MES解决方案，比如Wonderware公司的生产事件模块PEM（Production Events Module）就是遵循S95标准的生产效能跟踪管理的解决方案。 在工业自动化软件支持的数据点数、处理能力以及可伸缩性或扩展性等方面，都有明显的发展和提高。厂商考虑越来越多的是系统随时间推移而增值和延长项目的生命周期，从整体上提高系统建设的投资回报率。 4 工业自动化软件系统的应用实例 电厂外围系统是电厂生产和经营管理的重要环节，但相对于机炉控制而言，其运行方式比较简单，基本都是就地独立控制。 （1） 运行人员投入多，成本太高; （2） 由于位置分散，距离集控室较远，给系统的运行、维护和管理带来许多困难。因此，采用先进的网络控制技术，实现所有外围系统集中控制，不仅可以在很多方面解决系统设计和设备存在的问题，而且将为构建统一的企业网，实现管控一体化创造一个良好的基础。下面以笔者在某电厂外围设备集中监控系统中的实施方案为例， 介绍应用Wonderware的工业自动化软件FactorySuite套件实现的火电厂辅助设备计算机实时监控系统。实践证明该方案从设计到实施都取得了良好的效果。 4.1 计算机实时监控系统所需监控的子系统对象某实时监控系统由下列子系统对象构成: （1） 化学补给水控制系统; （2） 凝结水精处理控制系统; （3） 汽水取样及加药系统; （4） 输煤系统; （5） 净水站系统; （6） 循环水泵房系统; （7） 工业水泵房系统; （8） 燃油泵房系统。 虽然各子系统部署分散，但综合起来，其数据采集和控制现场设备是由三类由多台SCHNEIDER MODICON的QUANTUM系列PLC、AB公司的Conlogix系列控制器和一个基于Modbus的远程I/O组构成。 4.2 监控系统结构鉴于上述电厂各外围系统子系统的具体情况，根据各子系统发布情况和各系统的I/O规模，设计了4个现场I/O Server,与上位机通过网络实施集中监控。应用InSQL建立实时数据库系统，应用InTouch开发建立分类的图形画面监控工作站，应用ActiveFactory建立相应的数据分析客户端，应用SuiteVoyager软件建立基于图形画面监控工作站现场和数据分析客户端的工业实时信息图形门户，实施厂内安全级别内的B/S结构的远程工业实时信息监视，方便与电厂企业ERP系统互连，其系统结构如图1所示。 4.3 系统软件系统软件监控画面采用层次型结构设计，各子系统之间很容易切换，直观反映现场工况，且便于操作人员使用，简洁、直观、功能完善是它的最大特点。采用层次型结构便于操作人员完成多个子系统的准确切换，避免由于系统结构繁琐造成的误操作。各子系统也采用相近的功能菜单，切换方便，功能完善，在同一幅主画面内可完成多项操作功能。 监控系统包括系统画面生成、事故追忆系统、各种曲线显示和打印、各种报表生成等。监控画面要符合电厂监控系统人机界面的设计风格，按照分级浏览、逐级细化的原则设计画面，采用弹出式窗口、下拉式菜单等多种符合Windows标准的设计手段实现画面的切换和显示，单个画面的工艺流程、信息显示（包括运行参数、状态、故障情况等）和各种曲线要布局合理、生动，色调柔和。事故追忆系统包括所有进入控制系统的事件（如参数、反馈等）以及控制系统本身发生的事件（如卡件或通讯故障等），所有I/O点均可以曲线的形式显示，为实现系统运行在线分析、诊断提供丰富的数据资源。 5 结束语 尽管工业自动化系统变得越来越复杂，对自动化软件系统的要求也越来越高，但是工业自动化系统软件技术正在快速发展，越来越先进的新系统技术给解决复杂大系统的优化控制与实现管理扁平化提供了强大的技术后援，鼓舞人们去解决一个又一个的技术难题。上述讨论的问题，是作者多年从事工程实践的一些认识，不知是否恰当。