Patent ID: 7003558

Claim:
A computer program recorded on a computer-readable medium, said computer program comprising: a) a first module that permits the communication of information according to OLE (“Object Linking and Embedding”) for Process Control (“OPC”) between a first computer communicating with a first piece of process control equipment and a second computer communicating with a second piece of process control equipment; b) a second module that permits: a primary controlling machine: (i) to communicate according to OPC with the first computer; and (ii) to communicate according to OPC with the second computer; and a secondary controlling machine to communicate according to OPC with the first and second computers m place of the primary controlling machine; and c) a third module that: (i) aggregates all requests for the same information directed to one of a plurality of interconnected computers, the plurality including the first and the second computers, the one computer communicating with at least one piece of process control equipment, the requests transmitted according to OPC; (ii) communicates with the one computer according to OPC and obtains the information; (iii) delivers according to OPC the requested information.