What is the Unified NameSpace?
Summary
TLDRThis video script explains the concept of a unified namespace in industrial automation. It's presented as a single source of truth for all business data, providing a structured way to organize and access information across different systems. The script discusses how it facilitates communication between various layers of the automation stack, enabling data acquisition and integration in the fourth Industrial Revolution. It also touches on the transition from linear integration to a more interconnected, scalable approach, using MQTT and the Sparkplug B standard for communication.
Takeaways
- 📚 The unified namespace is a concept often misunderstood, requiring a clear understanding of the automation stack layers and integration methods.
- 🏭 It serves as a single source of truth for all data and information in a business, aiming to centralize data collection and accessibility.
- 🔍 The unified namespace is structured to organize data effectively, using a semantic hierarchy that allows for easy navigation to specific data points.
- 🌐 It acts as a hub for all smart devices and systems in a business to communicate and exchange data.
- 🛠️ It is foundational to a company's digital infrastructure, enabling the development of digital solutions and IoT implementations.
- 🔗 The concept is deeply tied to the evolution from linear, deterministic data acquisition of the third Industrial Revolution to the comprehensive data collection required by the fourth.
- 💾 It leverages MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) for API calls, using a publish-subscribe model that allows for scalable and efficient data communication.
- 📈 The unified namespace is designed to be scalable, secure, and to provide quick time-to-value, which are critical for modern digital transformation efforts.
- 🔄 It replaces much of the old linear integrations with a more flexible and comprehensive approach, although a transitional phase with a mix of old and new methods is common.
- 🌟 The technology used to implement the unified namespace is agnostic, as long as it meets the minimum technical requirements, such as supporting MQTT and the Sparkplug B standard.
Q & A
What is a unified namespace?
-A unified namespace is a single source of truth for all data and information in a business. It provides a structured and updated way to organize data, serves as a hub for smart devices to connect and communicate, and forms the foundation of a digital infrastructure.
Why is the unified namespace important in the fourth Industrial Revolution?
-The fourth Industrial Revolution requires collecting data from across the entire business, not just from sensors and equipment on the plant floor. The unified namespace enables this by providing a central place to organize and access all data, facilitating better monitoring and control.
How does the unified namespace differ from traditional linear integration?
-Traditional linear integration is deterministic and point-to-point, moving data up the automation stack from sensors to PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA systems. The unified namespace, on the other hand, allows for a more flexible, hub-and-spoke model where data can be accessed from a central hub by any smart device in the business.
What role does MQTT play in the unified namespace?
-MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is used in the unified namespace for its publish-subscribe model, allowing devices to publish data to a broker and subscribe to the data they need. This facilitates efficient data communication across the business.
Why is the unified namespace considered the foundation of a digital future?
-The unified namespace serves as the basis for building digital solutions. It provides a common infrastructure that new digital applications can extend and interact with, ensuring scalability, security, and a short time to value.
How does the unified namespace simplify accessing data points across a business?
-The unified namespace uses a semantic hierarchy based on standards like ISA-95 Part 2 to structure business data. This allows users to access data points without needing to know their exact location, simplifying data retrieval and reducing the need for point-to-point integrations.
What is the significance of the 'single source of truth' in the context of the unified namespace?
-The 'single source of truth' ensures that all smart nodes in a business can access consistent and accurate data from one central location, eliminating discrepancies and improving decision-making.
Can you provide an example of how a unified namespace might be structured?
-A unified namespace might be structured using a hierarchy such as Enterprise > Site > Area > Line > Cell. Each level represents a part of the business, and data points are organized accordingly, making it easier to find and access relevant information.
How does the unified namespace reduce the need for linear integrations?
-By providing a central hub for data access, the unified namespace allows for more direct and efficient communication between smart devices, reducing the reliance on linear, point-to-point data flows.
What are some common software platforms used to implement a unified namespace?
-Common software platforms for implementing a unified namespace include MQTT brokers like EMQX and HiveMQ, and industrial platforms like Ignition, which can build the necessary digital infrastructure on top of the unified namespace.
Why is OPC UA not suitable for the unified namespace?
-OPC UA is not suitable for the unified namespace because it is verbose and client-server based, which can lead to excessive network traffic and inefficiencies. It also requires more bandwidth and does not support the on-demand data access model needed for a unified namespace.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Unified Namespace
The speaker begins by addressing the question of what a unified namespace is, a concept frequently asked about and already covered extensively in previous videos. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the layers of the automation stack and how integration used to work, particularly during the third Industrial Revolution. The unified namespace is described as a simple concept, essentially being a single source of truth for all data and information in a business. It is the structure and events of the business, serving as a hub for all smart things with data to connect. It is also the foundation of the digital future, with all digital solutions built on top of it. The explanation includes the historical context of linear and deterministic data acquisition and how the fourth Industrial Revolution requires a more comprehensive approach to data collection and organization.
🌐 Unified Namespace as Digital Infrastructure
The speaker further elaborates on the unified namespace as the foundation of digital infrastructure, explaining that all digital solutions are built on top of it. The analogy of software components is used to describe the unified namespace as a key part of the software architecture, with an API layer that facilitates communication between the backend and the user interface. The speaker mentions the use of MQTT for API calls and the unified namespace as the master data model. The discussion also touches on the advantages of using a data lake and the reasons for choosing certain technologies, such as scalability, security, and time to value. The unified namespace is portrayed as the single source of truth for data points across the business, with a semantic hierarchy based on ISA 95 Part 2 to structure the business.
🔌 The Hub of Smart Communication
In this section, the speaker describes the unified namespace as the hub that allows all smart elements in the business to communicate with each other. It is the central point where data is published and subscribed to, allowing for efficient data exchange. The speaker explains how this hub replaces the need for many linear integrations, which will phase out over time. The unified namespace is presented as a scalable and flexible system that can grow as more data and information are added. The speaker also discusses the use of MQTT and broker technology to facilitate this communication, emphasizing the importance of a common protocol like spark plug B managed by the Eclipse Foundation.
🛠️ Technical Requirements and Software for Unified Namespace
The final paragraph discusses the technical requirements and software needed to build and maintain a unified namespace. The speaker highlights the necessity of supporting MQTT and the spark plug B standard, as well as the ability to scale and handle a large volume of data. Examples of software that can be used include the EMQX broker and Ignition, with the latter being used to build solutions on top of the digital foundation provided by the unified namespace. The speaker also addresses the question of OPC UA and its limitations in the context of the unified namespace, explaining why it is not suitable for certain applications. The discussion concludes with a call to action for viewers to ask more questions and engage with the content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Unified Namespace
💡Automation Stack
💡SCADA
💡Industrial Revolution
💡Linear Integration
💡Deterministic
💡Data Lake
💡MQTT
💡Spark Plug B
💡Semantic Hierarchy
💡ISA-95
Highlights
Unified namespace is a concept frequently asked about in the field of industrial automation.
Unified namespace is simple and not difficult to understand.
It's crucial to remember the layers of the automation stack and how integration used to work.
In traditional automation, objects on the floor are processes with sensors that can be labeled.
The goal is to acquire data from sensors for monitoring and controlling automation processes.
Traditional data acquisition was linear and deterministic, moving up the automation stack.
The fourth Industrial Revolution requires collecting data from across the business, not just the plant floor.
Unified namespace is the single source of truth for all data and information in a business.
It provides the structure and events of the business for organizing data.
Unified namespace serves as the hub where all smart things in the business with data connect.
It is the foundation of digital infrastructure for all digital solutions.
Unified namespace in software terms is part of the API layer that connects the backend with the UI.
MQTT is used for API calls in the unified namespace due to its publish/subscribe model.
Unified namespace allows for scalability, security, and short time to value.
It eliminates the need for linear integrations and moves towards a more connected data ecosystem.
Unified namespace is omnipresent and can be accessed anywhere in the business.
OPC UA is not suitable for the unified namespace due to its verbosity and client-server model.
Software for building a unified namespace must support MQTT and the Sparkplug B standard.
Examples of software that can be used include MQTT transmitter in Ignition Edge, EMQX broker, and HiveMQ.
Unified namespace will grow as more data and information is added to the system.
Transcripts
all right what is the unified namespace
we've gotten this question a million
times I've shot a million videos on this
uh
my team is here in the office I'm going
to show you guys how it is I answered
their questions when they ask me a
question like this all right so number
one I want you guys to remember the
questions what is it a software where
does it live make sure you ask me those
questions all right the unified
namespace is really simple okay it's not
difficult all right the thing you need
to understand is we need to remember
our layers of the automation stack
okay
and we need to remember how we used to
integrate so if you have a question
about this six layer automation stack
you can watch the video link somewhere
around here that's way back from three
or four years ago on how Industrial
Automation works okay but in a nutshell
we have things out on the floor and
those things out on the floor
are basically objects they're processes
so I may have a process that is a
triangle out on the floor and within
that triangle I may have various sensors
that we could label one two three
they may have another process that is a
square
okay and it may have a process that's or
sensors that's four one two we've
introduced a new sensor plus two of the
sensors that are on the triangle okay
what we want to be able to do is acquire
data from our sensors so that we can
monitor our automation processes and
control them that's supervisor control
and data acquisition the way that that
process has always worked though that
acquisition has always happened
generally with a piece of software that
is between the scada layer and the PLC
HMI layer that connects and pulls and
requests individual data points four one
two one two and three
okay
as that for the third Industrial
Revolution all of our integration the
acquisition of the data all across our
business was done linearly and
deterministically that is and what is
linear and deterministic I use these
terms and I assume everybody knows what
I'm talking about okay linear means that
it goes from point to another point to
another point to another point
okay as opposed to HUB and spoke okay or
bro or Pub sub or uh or broker node
where it goes to one point where
everything gets it
okay linear Integrations went up the
stack okay we went from the physical
sensor in the field to the PLC from the
PLC to the HMI from the PLC and the HMI
to the scada system
okay and then that's basically where
Integrations stopped initially
that manufacturing execution system was
paper
it wasn't paper by accident
it started out as paper because it was
next to impossible to get the Digital
Data that you needed to be able to
execute Manufacturing
all right so remember why are things are
the way they are right now
it has to do with the way that we used
to do things during the third Industrial
Revolution linear integration
deterministic I only go get the stuff
that I know that I want for a very
specific reason
okay the fourth Industrial Revolution
requires that we collect data from all
over the business not just from sensors
and equipment on the plant floor to
control it and monitor it but from
across the business from the Erp system
so that we can put the bill of materials
in the manufacturing execution system
from the cmms system to the Erp system
so that we can know what is the asset ID
in the Erp system for the specific asset
that we're going to maintain in the cmms
system
the fourth Industrial Revolution is
about going all through your business
and
acquiring all the data not just the
stuff that we have determined has value
but all of the data organizing it and
putting it in one place
for all consumers in our business to get
it okay so the unified namespace is a
couple of things number one it's the
single source of Truth for all data and
information in your business
okay it's a single source of Truth
number two for all this data we need to
structure it and we need to keep it
updated the unified namespace is the
structure
and the events of your business
the whole business
okay number three it is the Hub where
all the smart things in the business
that have data connect to each other
through
all right and number four it is the
foundation
of your digital future
okay it is it is the foundation
of your digital infrastructure
all of the digital solutions that you
build are going to be built on top of
the unified namespace as an extension of
the unified namespace real quick we shot
videos on how software works when I
build a piece of software that does
things okay it basically has three
components it has a back end which is
almost always SQL it has an API layer
for me to retrieve the data from the
back end so that I can put it in the
user interface layer
it also has an API so that I can take
stuff from the user interface layer and
put it in the back end guess what
the unified namespaces in terms in
software terminology the Unified
namespace
is this component here
and all the smart software in your
business the uis interact through that
common infrastructure
okay we use mqtt for the API calls and
we use the unified namespace as the
structure and the events that are in the
background the master data model
now people will ask the question well
why do I want to use a data lake or why
don't use this other technology the
answer is because for scalability for
security and for
time to Value short time to value
okay all right so what is the Unified
namespace
how do I sell the unified namespace how
do I explain it to people
um you know we created a cheat sheet
internally that is basically actually I
wrote it that explains to everyone
here's what the unified namespace is and
here's how it works and here's what it
means for people okay
and if you were to call one of the
engineers here you would talk to one of
our business development people they're
going to be explaining what's on that
sheet basically okay but the unified
namespace if it's the single source of
Truth for all data and information it is
the place
that all of these layers of the stack
communicate to to one another through
okay so if I want to know the value of
some data point anywhere in my business
like what is the third element in the
bill of materials array for this product
code in the Erp system the unified
namespace is the single source of Truth
for all the smart nodes in the business
to go get that data point from
okay number two the structure in the
events so we organize we have to
organize the business somehow how do I
know where to go to get the data point I
care about does someone have to put it
on a piece of paper and say the data
point that you want for your
manufacturing execution system which
shows machine state in this triangle
here okay which shows machine State on
that machine
data point one on that machine is
machine state
do I have to tell you you need to go to
triangle.1
and at this server to pull for it of
course not because that is deterministic
you would have to know where that exists
no what you do is we create a semantic
hierarchy that is uh semantic which
means that we can follow it like a file
share
okay so we use Isa 95 part 2 to
structure our business so we structure
it Enterprise Site Area line and then
cell below
okay and we had a bunch of different
name spaces in here this is a unified
namespace we take the name spaces from
all these functional layers okay these
business layers and they have places
many places in here so for Erp at the at
the site level which would be like the
site ID we would have a site ID
underneath underneath the site that came
from the Erp
so that is it's the structure of the
business and then it's the events so
let's say that this line is that
triangle right there
so I would have this line
the name of the line would be that
triangle and underneath that triangle I
I would have one two and three
data point one data point two data point
three data point one
because I as I've already pointed out is
machine state
we've written a specification that says
that data point one in any of our shapes
is the state of that machine that asset
if I create another line
okay
if I create another line and that line
is our Square
then I will have data point 1 data point
two and data 0.4
and one will also be our state
so if I'm the manufacturing execution
system all I know all I have to do is go
to the line level in our semantic
hierarchy and look for the ones in all
of our shapes and that's the state of
the machines
so it is the structure and all of the
events
The Hub
is
the it is the this is the Hub through
which all the smart things talk to the
business to our talk to the data
okay so we we subscribe to the data in
our hub
we do stuff with it and then we publish
back information from that data for
other things in the business to use
okay so it is the Hub through which all
the smart things talk does that mean
foreign
does that mean that you don't have any
more of this
and the answer is no
but you get rid of most of this you get
rid of most of these linear Integrations
and over time these phase out
and once this be you it's in a very very
short time we will see a business who
all whose smart things only communicate
through a unified namespace with no
point-to-point Integrations
but during this transitional phase
you're going to have a combination of
some of this red and most of this purple
okay and the last thing is it's the
foundation of our digital future I have
a new problem
come up with problem statement
that problem statement starts out as a
dashed Circle
that has no data and has no information
but by using our digital infrastructure
we can connect this Dash Circle to our
infrastructure we can develop we can
consume data create information
and we can solve our problem making it
whole that is what a unified namespace
is
over time we add more and more circles
and this namespace gets bigger and
bigger and bigger that's the UNS all
right questions that people have where
does the unified namespace live okay it
lives everywhere it's omniscient it's
omnipresent okay we generally use
messaging queue transport Telemetry to
do this mqtt okay why because it's Pub
sub it's broker client okay that is I
can publish data into the thing I can
subscribe to all the information and
data that I care about and as people add
as new circles come in and they add more
data and information I can see all of it
but here's the beauty because of the way
that technology is is developed I can
put another
this is a called a broker I could put
another broker over here I can connect
this broker
to this one and I can say give me
everything
now a copy of this broker
it this broker is an exact copy of that
one
okay when let's say I wanted to put a
broker down here on this production line
okay and I want and all I want this bro
the broker and this production line the
only stuff it publishes
is this stuff
but then I set up a subscription and I
say give me the entire site
so now what I've got are two namespaces
the one the triangle one that I send up
and the site one that I bring back down
it's everywhere
okay uh what software is it right okay
this could be
um so this could be the mqtt transmitter
inside you in ignition Edge
okay that's the software you would use
there you'd have ignition plus the mqtt
transmitter module to set up these
connections this could be the emqx
broker this could be hive mq
okay that's the open architecture piece
this is that's the technology-centric
piece we built the infrastructure on a
common protocol that has a standard
called spark plug B which is open
managed by the eclipse Foundation
but the softwares we are using
are irrelevant
they only have to meet our minimum
technical requirements which are in our
case you have to support mqtt you got to
scale to this level and you got to
support the mqtt spark plug B standard
managed by eclipse
what other questions do we have that
commonly come up
what it what if
what about OPC u8
in regards to all of this so OPC UA is
is wholly appropriate to use in this
layer here
okay the the process control layer
what op what the OPC Foundation tried to
do is try to say we can get rid of this
red line by using OPC
it turns out you can't
okay for a million reasons
not the least of which is
um opcua is not a report by Exception by
default therefore you you don't have
enough Network bandwidth to even handle
all the messaging number two it's client
it's server client which means that
you're going to be constantly requesting
values that haven't updated and those
that and those updates are going to be
sent over the wire
at 90 93 of which haven't changed don't
change once every 60 Seconds
okay um your infrastructure when people
started to try to digitally transform in
the beginning they did not have the
network infrastructure to handle all the
data that was being passed
so we were really focused on picking a
technology that could where I could
literally pull for every data point or I
could literally have every data point
available without pulling it
so opcua is far too verbose
okay and and only a fraction of the
standard has ever been implemented
because it's built by a political
organization
what software do I need to build the
unified next space
a software that meets your minimum
technical requirements which is mqtt and
spark plug B with a engineering user
interface I'll give you the most common
example the most common example is this
is a standalone broker okay this is emqx
we prefer the emqx broker it is the most
scalable most cost efficient and it has
30 percent more throughput than any
other broker on the market but it's made
by the Chinese not everybody wants to
use it because it's from China so if we
if you say where you know
the Chinese we don't want to use
your broker then Hive mq is the backup
and in small implementations we'll use
mqtt
distributor which which is in a serious
link module which runs inside of
ignition but this could be mosquito it
could be lots of things
okay but in general this is going to be
emqx is the broker up here this big
example here is going to be ignition and
we're going to build all these circles
we're going to solve all these problems
inside the ignition platform in general
okay same thing here other
and what's in some of the other
platforms the high byte Frameworks tulip
litmus sorba sorba AI
or iot I mean there's many many many
many many many platforms out there I
mean I I tried I tried to only talk
about the ones that I generally use
because if I were to if I list off a
whole list of them I leave important
ones off the list and because I'm an
influencer people will say oh because
Walker didn't say that it must mean
something
well no it could mean I just
forgot to mention it right in general
this is emqx right here in general this
is ignition right here in general these
circles are being built inside the
ignition platform
okay on top of this digital Foundation
which is all the purple stuff
that is the Unified namespace
okay
all right thanks for watching like
subscribe
um if you have more questions put them
in the comments down below and we'll see
in the next one
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