Improving PLC Version

Control and Device Backup

Using Modern Git
Workflows

Darren Henry, VP Marketing

Vaughn Varma, Technical Marketing Manager
Copia Automation | www.copia.io
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Today’s Presenters

PRESENTER PRESENTER
Darren Henry Vaughn Varma

Vice President of Technical Marketing

Marketing Manager
Copia Copia
Most companies use the Archive Folder workflow
to manage PLC code

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For most PLC programming the archive folder
approach provides limited context:

○ No change tracking
○ Sporadic sharing of
data - requiring
review meetings
○ Difficult to gate
access
○ Prone to human error
○ Danger in overwriting
and deleting files

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 Operational actions add to the complexity

○ Changes made at the

factory floor are
difficult to track
○ Companies lose
visibility into the
latest working code
○ Work is often
duplicated and recovery
speed is negatively
affected

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 DevOps Stack
Most software development
teams have embraced Git-based source control +
DevOps practices collaboration

Automated Testing
These processes remove painful manual
steps to develop code quickly, reduce
downtime and uplevel operational
efficiency. Deployment Management

● Project Tracking
● Inherent Collaboration
● Increased Quality Observability / Monitoring
● Better application of resources

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Why has PLC Programming not embraced Git?

o Most files are binary and based on

visual languages
o Solutions are vendor specific and proprietary

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Copia Automation solves these issues.
We bring modern DevOps tooling to industrial
automation, standardizing processes to drive
quality, efficiency, and uptime at scale.

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 Git-Based DeviceLink™
Source Control Automatic Backup

○ Track all code changes ○ Automatically back up

with context running control programs
○ Visually see differences ○ Visualize the data in one
between versions central location
○ Accelerate review ○ Detect any unauthorized
processes changes
○ Enable engineers to work ○ Visually compare code for
simultaneously on the quick troubleshooting and
same codebase recovery

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Understanding Git

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Git is fully distributed and secure

Remote
Repository

Pull/Push
Pull/Push
Push Pull/Push

Local Repository Local Repository Local Repository

1 2 3

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All code changes are tracked and you can access earlier
versions as code evolves

Initial files
created X
Commit 1 Commit 2 Commit 3 Revert to
D Henry D Henry V Varma Commit 2
04/26/2022 04/26/2022 04/27/2022
01:12 pm 04:18 pm 08:10 am
Labeling shut Adjusted run Filling logic
off logic speed added
Git enables you to visualize the differences
between versions
Copia enables you to visualize the differences in
Ladder Logic, FBD, and Structured Text

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Git utilizes branching & merging

New Branch (dev enhancement)

New Branch
Merged into Main

Main Branch (production code)

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Git utilizes branching & merging

New Feature Branch 1

All Branches
Merged into
Main

Main Branch

New Feature Branch 2

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Let’s take a look…

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Consistent Git Workflows for:

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Integrations to your favorite business apps

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Extending Source Control with
Superior Backup Strategies

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Schedule a job or perform an on-demand backup.

Run recurring jobs or choose to perform on-demand runs.

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Copia provides clear visibility into the plant floor.

Quickly see if the PLC

doesn’t match what’s in
the repository or
previous backup.

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Quickly scan for differences

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Quickly scan for differences

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Quick navigation

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Watch projects that are important to you

Notifications via:
- Teams
- Slack
- Email

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Intelligently filter tags

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Vendor support and roadmap - not just PLCs

Custom
FTP Scripting
And more

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Overall Benefits

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 These workflows drive efficiency, quality & uptime:
Efficiency
Copia breaks the one-engineer-
to-a-project paradigm, enabling you
to apply your talent where and when
it's needed most. Engineers can
easily move between projects and
work simultaneously on the same
code base.
Quality
Copia drives quality by enabling
teams to capture issue earlier in
the development lifecycle and
better leverage team expertise
Uptime
Copia provides visibility into when
code changes and why. The last
working version is instantly
available to accelerate recovery
during operational disruptions.
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 Additional Benefits

● Accelerates onboarding
of new hires
● Encourages IT/OT
convergence
● Improves cybersecurity
posture

“Copia provides my senior controls team with up to

8 hours back a week in just code review practices”
John Sullivan | Project Director
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Q&A

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Submitting Questions, Exit Survey and
Archive

Questions?
Type your question in the “Ask a Question” box on the Webcast Console and click “send.”
We will get to as many questions as we have time for. Questions for today’s presenters will
be answered verbally during the Q&A session.

Exit Survey
Please take a moment to answer a few questions on our exit survey that will pop up on your
screen at the conclusion of the webcast. We use the answers to make improvements to our
webcast program.

Archive
▪ Within 7 days, an archive with Q&A will be posted
▪ We will send registered attendees an email with hyperlink
▪ Can also access from the controleng.com home page
 Thank You!
Start your free trial at
copia.io
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Simply drag
existing files
into your
local Git
repository:

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In practice, it’s a simple 3-click process.

1 2 3

Save Project Save Snapshot Sync to Copia Server

Native IDE (“Commit”) Copia Desktop App
Copia Desktop App

Automatically detect changes visually. Save in your IDE, and Copia

will do the rest.

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You can always access the commit history:

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 You can
easily see
what has
changed.
Dinner with team. Vaughn, Alia, Mike C, Darren

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Support for LD, FBD, and Structured Text

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And review/approve changes…

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And merge code.

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Manage org-wide code access and privileges.

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The DMC team was already familiar with Git, but
had issues with using standard Git tools.

Code review processes were extremely

difficult and a major organizational blocker.

The team needed faster maintenance of code

quality.

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The DMC team was already familiar with Git, but “Copia provides
had issues with using standard Git tools. my senior controls
team with up to 8
Code review processes were extremely
difficult and a major organizational blocker.
hours back a week
in just
The team needed faster maintenance of code code review
quality. practices”

John Sullivan
Project Director
DMC

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