Redundancy

This articles shows possible solutions for redundancy with the ICX-AlphaCom server.

ICX-AlphaCom redundancy

For redundancy between ICX-AlphaCom servers, see Redundant Servers (High Availability).

• High availability and fault tolerant solution maximizing uptime during
  • System level failures
  • Environment-level failures (power outage, fire, earthquake, etc.)
  • Planned outage for system maintenance and upgrades
• Maximum downtime at switch-over (552 stations) is 35 seconds

Redundant ICX-AlphaCom system

Power Supply

The ICX-AlphaCom normally has one power supply, and it only supports one power input. Using third party products it is possible to Increase durability by adding a solution for redundant power.

Redundant Power Supply solution using Phoenix Contact products

The optional TKIS-2 is used in case it is a full redundancy system, with redundant ICX-AlphaCom servers.

The TKIS-2 will then always be registered and can be used to monitor the power supplies as well as the ICX-AlphaCom. Such a full redundant system might look like this:

Principal sketch for redundancy system

RCO or RCI

Any physical inputs and/or outputs needs to communicate with the server via an IP device such as the TKIS-2 or an IP-LCM. These devices, as any other IP device in a redundant system must register and communicate with the operational IP address, and thus always be online with the active server.

Serial Port

The ICX-AlphaCom does not have a serial port and must use an Ethernet-to-serial converter. Since the ICX-AlphaCom redundancy system is using a singular IP address as the operational IP address the solution is to have the converter pointed at the operational IP address, and will work fine, independent on which server is the active one.

Monitoring in VS Operator

The VS Operator can be used together with a redundant system, and it must then communicate with the Operational IP address.

Redundancy monitoring

Here is a description on how to set up monitoring so the ICX-AlphaCom statuses can be viewed in VSOP.

AlphaPro Events

In AlphaPro configure these two events:

Redundancy monitoring event

Action commands:

$ST L%1.dir W200 L991
IF %chg(1,0)
IF %op(%syse(230),==,0)
IF %syse(232)
WUDD 101 1
STOP
ENDIF
WUDD 101 2
STOP
ENDIF
ENDIF
IF %syse(232)
WUDD 101 3
STOP
ENDIF
WUDD 101 4

Timeout event

Action commands:

IF %op(%udd(101),=,1)
@*D1 M7F01 L(1)9600 U0 W1 W2 W0 W0 W0
ENDIF
IF %op(%udd(101),=,2)
@*D1 M7F01 L(1)9600 U0 W2 W1 W0 W0 W0
ENDIF
IF %op(%udd(101),=,3)
@*D1 M7F01 L(1)9600 U0 W1 W3 W0 W0 W0
ENDIF
IF %op(%udd(101),=,4)
@*D1 M7F01 L(1)9600 U0 W3 W1 W0 W0 W0
ENDIF

VS Operator settings

Icons

Create two icon sets (the icons used in this example is created in PowerPoint):

1 - The GPD Icons used for the ICX statuses:

Navigate to the Iconsets menu and click Add, then choose GPD:

1: Give the Icon Set a name
2: Click Add
3: Select GPD

Add your four custom icons as GPD state 0-3:

1: Click Icon Sets
2: Click Add and select GPD state (0-3)
3: Open image definition window
4: Upload custom image
5: Uncheck image stretching (if needed)

2 - The Node Icon used to show if the Operator is online with the Operational IP address or not:

Navigate to the Iconsets menu and click Add, then choose Node:

Adding Node Icon Set

Add your two custom icons as Node state 0-1:

Adding custom icons

Map

Navgigate to the Map pages menu and add a custom background:

1: Click Map pages
2: Click Add
3: Give the Map a name
4: Load the image to be used as a background
5: Adjust aspect ratio

Adding devices

Add two GPD devices, one Node device and one Station device.

• Right click the Node device and select the custom NodeStatus Icon Set.
• Right click the GPD devices and select the GPD custom Icon Set.

Place the icons on the map by drag and drop.

Startup script

If the VSOP is started after the IPHA monitor scripts have already run in the ICX-AlphaCom Event Handler, the status is unknown for the VSOP, so a startup script is needed the force the Event Handler to resend the status:

1: Click Menu
2: Click Global Settings
3: Enable Startup script
4: Click the three dots to open the editor
5: Add a script to start a 10 second timer

Filter

In order to catch the custom parameters sent from the Event Handler we need a filter, and this filter must be tied to an Intercom station.

1: Click Filter sets
2: Click Global Settings
3: Enable Startup script
4: Click the three dots to open the editor
5: Add a script to start a 10 second timer

Create a custom filter:

1: Give the filter a name
2: Select On Custom params
3: Enter a text to be shown in the VSOP Journal
4: Enter the script

Primary and Secondary refers to the name of the GPD's as set here:

1: Select the GPD
2: Click Selected Object in the menu
3: Enter Primary as Source name.
Repeat for the Secondary GPD, but with Secondary as Source name.