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Automation ExcellenceBrewery

The cost-effective alternative to upgrading one of the most well-known process control systems

The cost-effective alternative to upgrading one of the most well-known process control systems on the market. Simple, affordable, and fast.

Initial Situation Solution Benefits Contact

With the release of the latest Microsoft operating system (version 22), support for older systems will largely be discontinued. The problem: In addition to the increasing risk of security breaches, breweries must take steps to ensure they can continue to use the full range of features they’ve come to rely on in their process control systems. Urgent action is needed.
Against this backdrop, some providers are offering a costly and time-consuming upgrade to their control system —specifically to a version that is certified for use with current Microsoft systems. The investment quickly reaches the high six-figure range, and for larger facilities, it can reach the seven-figure range. But why should a plant operator invest so much money when they’re actually satisfied with the system’s current functionality?

We  Ein Brauer und eine Brauerin prüfen eine Bierprobe vor großen Edelstahltanks. asked ourselves the same question and, together with a leading Brewery in Germany,  Zwei Brauer begutachten ein Glas Bier zur Qualitätskontrolle in einer Brauerei. found a way to significantly reduce costs and effort for plant operators.

98%
lower costs than with an upgrade

The initial situation:

A control system consisting of a server running Windows 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2008 R2, on which the process control system is running in an outdated version. The servers are already virtualized on a common platform, which is essential for the migration.

Our approach: We will leave the control system unchanged and “only” migrate the Microsoft systems to Windows Server 2022 and SQL Server 2022. This will require only minor adjustments to the control system, which will not affect its functionality.

Servereigenschaften eines SQL-Servers mit grün hervorgehobener Versionsnummer 10.50.6000.34. Servereigenschaften-Fenster mit grün markierter SQL-Server-Versionsnummer 16.0.1125.1.

Yes, it’s possible! Successful tests and feasibility studies.

After a brief problem analysis, the client commissioned us to conduct a feasibility study to rule out all potential errors as much as possible and assess the project’s success. Our task was to determine under what conditions the control system could be operated on the current Microsoft systems.
For the investigation, the customer provided us with a copy of a live server as a VM, on which we were able to test and work under realistic conditions.
1

Check feasibility and migration options

2

Development of a migration guide

3

Test system on a server copy

4

Migration of the live server

As a first step, we conducted research to determine what options Microsoft offers for migrating the system. Visual Basic 6, which was used as a visualization solution, has been discontinued by Microsoft as a development platform for many years. However, according to Microsoft, existing VB6 applications can continue to run on Windows Server 2022, Windows 11, and beyond.

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”This document was the prerequisite for us to consider the task “feasible.” We are also relatively optimistic that Windows Server 2025 and SQL Server 2025 might still be possible, but that is not foreseeable at this time.

Peter StinglProkurist und Projektleiter

The clear benefit for system operators: time savings. Windows support guaranteed through 2031.

Windows server 2022

will be supported until October 14, 2031 .

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SQL Server 2022

even as far as 11.01.2033.

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Minimal investment, maximum savings!

The cost of retrofitting the five servers will not reach a mid-five-figure amount. Consequently , the cost to our customer will be reduced by approximately 98% compared to an upgrade .

A technician in protective gear using a laptop in an industrial plant.

Downtime

Working closely with the brewery’s IT department, we prepared a copy of the server and then migrated the current runtime data. This allowed us to reduce downtime to approximately 10 minutes.

Migration period

Quick migration of the test system to the live server in just one day, resulting in significant time savings compared to an upgrade. A detailed migration guide makes this possible.

automation excellence

Sometimes the solution lies exactly where others dismiss your way of thinking.

Achieve perfect results with automation engineering.

This project demonstrates better than any other how foresight and a wealth of expertise in process automation can be used to develop an exceptional solution for our customers. Our customer benefits from an extremely efficient system customization, resulting in cost savings in the 5- to 6-digit range.

 

  • No major investment required
  • Time saved through at least 2031
  • Implementation time: 2 business days
  • Minimal downtime

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