Application Server terminology

The following figure shows basic object classifications and their relationships within Application Server. This document focuses on the Application/Device Integration/Engine/Platform/Area Objects level except where otherwise noted:

The following terms are used throughout this document:

• Area Object: A System object that represents an Area of a plant within a Galaxy. The area object acts as an alarm concentrator and is used to put other ApplicationObjects into the context of the actual physical automation layout.

• ApplicationEngine (AppEngine) Object: A type of System object, an AppEngine object is real-time engine that hosts and executes ApplicationObjects.

• Asset Object: An object that represents some element of a user application. This may include elements such as (but not limited to) a piece of equipment (for example, a thermocouple, pump, motor, valve, reactor, tank, etc.) or associated application component (for example, a function block, PID loop, sequential function chart, ladder logic program, batch phase, SPC data sheet, etc.).

• Device Integration Object (DIObject): An ApplicationObject that represents the communication with external devices, which all run on an AppEngine. The PLCClient Object is typically used to represent an external device such as a PLC or RTU, but other DIObjects, such as the DDESuiteLinkClient and InTouchProxy objects can also be used. The OIGW (OI Gateway) and Sim (Simulator) objects are derived from the PLCClient object.

• Platform Object: A representation of the physical hardware on which the System Platform software is running. Platform objects host engine objects (see WinPlatform, below).

• System Object: An object, such as a Device Integration object, platform object, or system object that is a representation of computer hardware or software with a user-defined, unique name within the galaxy. It provides a standard way to create, name, download, execute or monitor the represented component.

• ViewApp Object: An object that is used to host a run-time InTouch HMI or OMI application. ViewApp objects are hosted by ViewEngine objects.

• WinPlatform: A single computer in a galaxy consisting of Network Message Exchange, a set of basic services, the operating system and the physical hardware. This object hosts AppEngines and ViewEngines. The latter are used for visualization platforms and host ViewApp objects.