"On our private cell phones, it is common practice to back up our apps and photos. In the production of huge companies, it is all the more essential - and yet it is still not done everywhere," explains Stefan Jesse, CEO at Auvesy-MDT. Regular backups are ubiquitous in everyday private life - and can easily be done for individual devices with a USB stick. When scaled to industrial production, the whole thing looks more complicated, as modern production systems are made up of a large number of different components from different manufacturers. So how can backups be generated with increasing levels of automation, multiple production sites and growing complexity? Maintaining an overview here is challenging and almost impossible without compatible technology. Auvesy-MDT offers tailor-made versioning and OT back-ups for precisely these problems. Among other things, the global market leader has developed the Octoplant software platform, which keeps automated production processes running reliably by making changes to production systems transparent on a data basis, even on heterogeneous store floors. This prevents production downtimes and significantly increases the efficiency and safety of production.

Overview of complex processes

Octoplant enables the manufacturer-independent integration of different automation technologies. Reliable end-point management consistently records changes to configurations and project statuses of the operational technology (OT). In this way, the gap between OT in production and IT can be sustainably closed, and automated production is secured in a robust and controllable manner in accordance with high IT standards - regardless of whether PLC, HMI, CNC, SCADA systems or robots are involved.

The biggest advantage in day-to-day work: Octoplant offers the highest level of compatibility with automation devices from various manufacturers and industries - and that in a global market comparison. The platform can be used and combined with the systems of the world's most renowned manufacturers - whether Siemens, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, ABB or Omron. The latest version Octoplant 101.2.0 is also compatible with Rockwell Studio 5000 v35 and SE EcoStruxure Control Expert v15. Almost every element of a production system can be protected, backed up and versioned in a single system - and everyone involved knows what has been changed, when and by whom.

Back-ups for smooth processes worldwide

With Octoplant as a data management platform, not only are changes and compliance with specific rules and standards monitored, but security gaps are also made transparent. Here, too, the gap between IT and OT requirements is closed. This is made possible by a reliable back-up solution - after all, with a large number of automation devices, there are just as many back-up jobs. One car manufacturer, for example, uses Octoplant for 20,000 back-ups per night.