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2/16/2016

Siemens: Ruggedcom virtual machine environment

Siemens has launched the Ruggedcom VPE1400 (Virtual Processing Engine), a virtual machine environment for its Ruggedcom RX1400 router. This software enables customers to run their own Linux operating system and applications on the RX1400 at the network edge.  Data gathered during energy or network traffic monitoring operations, for example, can be pre-processed in the VPE1400 before being transmitted by the RX1400 to a data center. This can help reduce the volume of transmitted data and increase the stability, efficiency and performance of the network, Siemens said. This virtual machine can be used in numerous industries, especially those requiring reliable communications in harsh environments like rail.

Applications running in the VPE1400 environment are partitioned from the Ruggedcom ROX II operating system, while still having full access to the RX1400’s network, LTE and serial interfaces.  When used in combination with the new Ruggedcom ACE (Application Connectivity Engine), which provides a multi-protocol communication platform, applications running in the VPE1400 have access to a wide variety of IED and RTU devices, as well as SCADA hosts from various manufacturers.

With this virtual machine ecosystem — which utilizes distributed structures, computing power and network services — Siemens is extending its portfolio of Ruggedcom Application Solutions designed to create a "smarter" network. This allows the enormous volumes of data generated by a growing number of devices to be pre-processed at the network edge – a key requirement for digitalization of industry and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Siemens said.