The following graphics shows how the individual components of the system interact:

The ring storage database is the system's central server component and performs the following tasks:

• Captures numeric data, text and user-defined data structures (UDTs), which are transmitted to the server from any number of sources running asynchronously.
• Scales numeric data prior to being saved.
• Synchronizes numeric data coming from independent, asynchronous sources and stores the data with a common time reference applicable to all of the data.
• Saves all data in a ring storage structure. The size of the database in this case is limited to a freely selectable history.
• Efficiently stores data with different sampling rates.
• Efficiently stores sporadically occurring UDTs with time reference.
• Provides any number of offline clients with access to all of the stored data, such as for data analysis or archival.
• Transmits the currently relevant data to any number of online clients, such as for visualization or control purposes.
• Makes all client parameterization data available that can be assigned to individual data tracks and other organizational units of the ring storage database. This can be used, for instance, to set the parameters of different systems in order to capture data centrally via the ring storage database.

DASYLab is a popular data data acquisition and visualization system under Microsoft Windows. The ring storage write module can be used to transmit numeric data online to the ring storage database. DASYLab supports all common data collection hardware for the PC as well as SPS, bus system and standard interface connections such as OPC.

This module can be used to receive numeric data online from the ring storage database. The module can be viewed in DASYLab like a data collection module, and the matching data can be analyzed and presented visually using DASYLab.

FlexPro is an application developed by us for offline data analysis and documentation. The import module can be used to copy any time segments from the ring buffer to the FlexPro project database. This data can then be analyzed interactively or using mathematical methods, and the results are documented in the form of diagrams, tables and text. The import module also lets the user create links to data in the ring buffer. By doing this, an automated daily report can be created, for instance, in which the last 24 hours is added to a one-time connection.

This module is used to back up data or to balance loads. You can choose from three modes:

1. Create a ring storage database automatically using data from the previous day. This makes it possible to back up the ring storage data on a daily basis.
2. Copy any time segment from the ring storage.
3. Replicate the entire ring storage online.

The third mode can be used for various purposes:

• Load balancing
  A ring storage database with the exact same structure is placed on the target computer. This database can provide the stored data to further clients.
• Data backup
  If the copied database is located on a different computer, a total loss is very unlikely to occur, and an additional data backup is usually not necessary.
• Backup system
  In the event that the database server computer fails, the computer running the copied database can replace it.

The copied data of all modes is once again in the form of ring storage databases. The advantage of this is that the data can be accessed using the same visualization and analysis tools.

The ring buffer server is based on Microsoft's DCOM technology and can therefore be managed using any of the programming languages under Windows. Here you can easily create modules for automated data collection, visual presentation, analysis and storage.

With Visual Basic integrated in FlexPro Professional, we are able to develop features such as an import and analysis wizard for you. This wizard analyzes the data structures stored in the ring buffer to provide measurement data arranged by test or order number for import and then produces a complete analysis at the press of a button.