What is the Unified NameSpace?

Summary

This 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

00:00

📚 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.

05:01

🌐 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.

10:04

🔌 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.

15:05

🛠️ 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.

Keywords

💡Unified Namespace

The Unified Namespace is a concept central to the video's theme, representing a single source of truth for all data and information within a business. It serves as a structured and organized way to access data points across different layers of an automation stack. The video explains that it's not just about the data but also the structure and events that govern how data is organized and accessed. An example from the script illustrates this as the place where all smart nodes in a business communicate to retrieve data points.

💡Automation Stack

The Automation Stack refers to the different layers or levels of a system that automate processes, from the physical sensors on the plant floor to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. The video discusses how traditionally, data was acquired linearly and deterministically through this stack, but the fourth Industrial Revolution requires a more comprehensive approach to data collection and management.

💡SCADA

SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and is a type of automation system that monitors and controls industrial processes. In the context of the video, SCADA is part of the traditional linear integration model where data is acquired from sensors through a piece of software that connects to the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and HMI (Human Machine Interface) layers.

💡Industrial Revolution

The term 'Industrial Revolution' is used in the video to describe the evolution of industrial practices and technologies. The third Industrial Revolution is characterized by linear and deterministic data acquisition, while the fourth Industrial Revolution demands a more interconnected and data-driven approach, which is where the Unified Namespace comes into play.

💡Linear Integration

Linear Integration is a term used in the video to describe the traditional method of data acquisition where data flows in a straight line from the sensor to the PLC, then to the HMI, and finally to the SCADA system. This method is contrasted with more modern, flexible approaches that involve the Unified Namespace.

💡Deterministic

Deterministic, in the context of the video, refers to a predictable and fixed manner of operation, where data acquisition follows a specific, predefined path. This is contrasted with the more flexible and dynamic data access provided by the Unified Namespace.

💡Data Lake

A Data Lake is mentioned in the video as a technology option for storing large volumes of data in its native format. It is associated with the scalability, security, and time-to-value considerations of the Unified Namespace. The video suggests that the Unified Namespace is part of the infrastructure that allows for the efficient use of a Data Lake.

💡MQTT

MQTT, which stands for Message Queuing Telemetry Transport, is a machine-to-machine (M2M)/Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity protocol. The video discusses MQTT as the protocol used for the API calls in the Unified Namespace, allowing for efficient communication between different parts of the business through a publish-subscribe model.

💡Spark Plug B

Spark Plug B is an open standard managed by the Eclipse Foundation, mentioned in the video as a requirement for the software used in the Unified Namespace. It ensures that different systems and devices can communicate effectively within the namespace.

💡Semantic Hierarchy

A Semantic Hierarchy is a structured way of organizing data based on meaning. In the video, it is used to explain how the Unified Namespace organizes data points within the business structure, making it easier to find and access the specific data points needed without knowing their exact physical location.

💡ISA-95

ISA-95 is an international standard for the integration of enterprise and control systems in manufacturing. The video references ISA-95 Part 2 as the framework used to structure the business within the Unified Namespace, organizing it into an Enterprise, Site, Area, Line, and Cell hierarchy.

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