US 12730436 B2 / Sep 8, 2026

Storage appliance for controller platforms

A method and network control system for an industrial processing facility (IPF) including, a plant-wide network coupling at least one controller platform. The controller platform comprising computing hardware and a memory and at least one application module (AM) contained in the memory. The AM comprising a control application, data, configuration and state information for the controller platform, wherein the at least one controller platform is coupled by an input/output network to I/O devices coupled to field devices that are coupled to processing equipment on a field level of an industrial processing facility (IPF). A storage appliance coupled to the plant-wide network is arranged to receive a copy of the AM contained in the controller platform to a backup application in the storage appliance. The backup application returning the AM back to the controller platform to recover and restore a failed controller platform to normal operation.