Summary
A leading datacenter operator needed Building Management System architecture that could scale as their new multibuilding campus came online. Working in partnership with Logical Solutions, Inc., a leading building automation and mechanical services provider, DMC helped design a unified Ignition SCADA platform capable of supporting thousands of devices, providing real-time operational visibility, and delivering a repeatable framework for future expansion. The Ignition system developed by DMC interfaces with a network of DCS controllers integrated by LSI using WebCTRL® Building Automation software developed by Automated Logic Corporation.
Customer Benefits
Standardized Interface
A single interface centralizes monitoring & alarms across 10 buildings and 2 campuses, reducing training effort & enabling scalable, repeatable workflows across future buildings & sites.
Maintained Uptime
Centralized monitoring & Ignition Alarm Notification enables faster operator response & earlier detection of HVAC, electrical, & mechanical issues.
Reduced Expansion Costs
The platform is built to scale across devices, buildings, campuses, & sites without redesigning the core system, significantly reducing the cost of future expansions.
Data-Driven Optimization
Cirrus Link’s AWS Injector streams data from thousands of devices into the customer’s data lake, supporting easier reporting, analytics, & optimization.
Solution
DMC designed a modular Ignition BMS system that serves as the backbone for the campus’ initial building and all upcoming phases. Our engineers designed and built a scalable, redundant Ignition environment using Ignition’s scale‑out architecture, with two backend gateways for tag execution and historian services, and a front-end gateway for client access. The system also includes dedicated Kepware servers for device aggregation and high‑performance visualization for operators and engineers.
LSI delivered the device-level and DCS control layer programming underlying the campus systems using ALC’s WebCtrl, while DMC implemented the Ignition platform that interfaces with these controls. Together the solution aggregates and normalizes the BMS data to provide operators with a single, real-time view of building performance.
The architecture supports more than 1,000 BACnet devices and approximately 375,000 tags and is easily expandable to ensure system reliability as new buildings come online. All Ignition gateways and Kepware servers run on EC2 instances hosted on the customer’s on‑premises AWS Outpost, allowing the system to grow without additional physical hardware.
DMC also integrated the platform with the customer’s AWS data lake using Cirrus Link’s AWS Injector module, allowing the customer to leverage operational data for analytics, reporting, and long‑term performance insights.
Finally, DMC implemented alarm notification pipelines that route critical equipment alarms and abnormal building conditions directly to operators and supervisors, ensuring high‑priority events are addressed quickly and consistently.
Key Technologies
Ignition Perspective
AWS Injector Module
Kepare OPC Servers
BACnet
WebCTRL®
Results
The result is a flexible and future‑ready Ignition BMS platform that gives the customer a resilient foundation for facilities monitoring their growing campus. The reusable code modules and scalable cloud‑based infrastructure reduce commissioning effort for each new building while maintaining consistent standards and performance.
The customer now has real‑time visibility into building operations, the ability to leverage historical data in AWS, and a dependable alarm notification system that keeps their operations team informed.
Learn more about DMC’s Automation and Data Center expertise and contact us for your next project.