Deploying Kepler Workflows as Services on a Cloud Infrastructure for Smart Manufacturing

Abstract

21st Century Smart Manufacturing (SM) is manufacturing in which all information is available when it is needed, where it is needed, and in the form it is most useful [1,2] to drive optimal actions and responses. The 21st Century SM enterprise is data driven, knowledge enabled, and model rich with visibility across the enterprise (internal and external) such that all operating actions are determined and executed proactively by applying the best information and a wide range of performance metrics. SM also encompasses the sophisticated practice of generating and applying data-driven Manufacturing Intelligence throughout the lifecycle of design, engineering, planning and production. Workflow is foundational in orchestrating dynamic, adaptive, actionable decision-making through the contextualization and understanding of data. Pervasive deployment of architecturally consistent workflow applications creates the enterprise environment for manufacturing intelligence. Workflow as a Service (WfaaS) software allows task orchestration and facilitates workflow services and manage environment to integrate interrelated task components. Apps, and toolkits are required to assemble customized SM applications on a common, standards based workflow architecture and deploy on infrastructure that is accessible by small, medium, and large companies.Incorporating dynamic decision-making steps through contextualization of real-time data requires scientific workflow software such as Kepler. By combining workflow, private cloud computing and web services technologies, we built a prototype test bed to test a furnace temperature control model.