Cloud-Native DCS¶

Cloud-Native DCS is a Distributed Control System, the software that executes recipes and control logic to run a batch process plant. What makes it different is the substrate: recipes, batches, units, alarms, and audit records are all Kubernetes Custom Resources, reconciled by operators in the cluster. A conventional DCS holds that state inside a proprietary controller.

Operators, engineers, and analysts interact with the system through a role-aligned browser Web UI, with a CLI and REST API for automation.

Every example in these docs runs against a fully simulated batch plant (no physical hardware required), so you can drive real recipes against realistic process dynamics from the browser.

This site is the engineer-facing documentation

It's written for the people who run, configure, and operate the system: automation, platform, and software engineers. If you're looking at Cloud-Native DCS from a buyer, executive, or diligence angle, start at cndcs.io for the value-prop and plain-English view.

HMI process cell view: three simulated units, with batch FERM-2026-0412 running on fermenter-1 and its seed train idle

The Web UI in one picture¶

The DCS Gateway serves three role-aligned endpoints. Each one matches a different ISA-88 control-activity domain, and the screenshots on this site always call out which endpoint you're looking at:

Endpoint	Purpose	Who uses it
`/system`	Engineering: configuration, recipes, equipment library, diagnostics	Admins, engineers
`/hmi`	Operations: live process display, batch execution, alarms	Operators, supervisors
`/data`	Production information: trends, batch records, audit trail, alarm history	Everyone

"HMI" (Human-Machine Interface) refers specifically to the /hmi operations endpoint. It does not name the Web UI as a whole. See Web UI Access and Authentication for endpoint routing, roles, and login.

The headings below mirror the navigation sections on the left.

Getting Started¶

Quickstart — run a real batch on the simulated reference plant in five steps
Terminology — ISA-88 terms used throughout the Web UI and docs

Batch Operations¶

Equipment Operation — operate equipment from the HMI: faceplates, mode switching, live monitoring
Batch Execution — create, monitor, and control batches
Alarm Management — ISA-18.2 alarm lifecycle
Recipes — author, approve, and release master recipes
Phases — build procedural logic with Sequential Function Charts
Production Records Interface — trends, audit trail, batch records

Explanation and Libraries¶

Architecture — Kubernetes operators, CRDs, state machine, and unit runtime
Libraries — control modules, phases, recipes, and inline simulation configs you can study and adapt

Platform Administration¶

Deploy Your Own — stand up a Cloud-Native DCS instance on your own cluster
Device Enrollment — register a physical controller (an industrial PC or other edge device) with the control system
Security Hardening — production-readiness checklist
Troubleshooting — common issues and fixes

Integration and Reference¶

System Engineering Interface — engineering workspace for configuration and diagnostics
REST API and CLI — programmatic access
High Availability — failure modes and recovery

Standards and Compliance¶

Cloud-Native DCS is designed to support pharmaceutical and other regulated manufacturing environments. Traceability matrices map system features to ISA-88, ISA-95, IEC 61131-3, IEC 62443, and 21 CFR Part 11.

Project¶

Project Info — contributing, source repository, security disclosure, licensing