Redundant EAM Configuration

This feature is new in Ignition version 7.8.1

Redundant Controller Setup

To set up redundant EAM controllers, you first follow the normal setup process for a redundant master and backup. The main difference with EAM is that each agent requires separate Gateway Network connections to both the master controller and the backup controller. The agent will automatically route messages to the active controller. Some items to keep in mind:

  • As with any redundant configuration, you cannot make any changes on the backup controller. This includes approving new agents and running agent tasks.

  • Agent metrics are only sent to the active controller. This means that EAM agent system tags will not process data on a backup controller until the backup becomes active.

  • Scheduled and running agent tasks on the master controller will be automatically suspended if control is transferred to the backup controller. The tasks will never run on the backup controller. The tasks will resume on the master controller after it resumes control.

Redundant Agent Setup

As with the redundant controller setup, you follow the same redundant master and backup setup process. Then run the Agent Setup wizard in the same way as you set up a standard agent. After the Agent Setup wizard completes, you must navigate to the controller Gateway and approve both the master and backup pending agents. Some items to keep in mind:

  • Both the master agent and the backup agent will send agent metrics. The controller will create a Master folder and a Backup folder of system tags, allowing you to create a project that monitors both sets of system tags at the same time.

  • Agent tasks list the master agent and the backup agent separately. Tasks that do not change any configuration on an agent can be run without errors on both the master agent and the backup agent (such as the Restart Gateway task and the license tasks). But tasks that do change configuration (such as the Send Project task) will fail on the backup agent, due to the fact that Gateway configuration cannot be changed on a redundant backup.