A method for peer-to-peer access of mining equipment based on distributed naming

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of mining equipment peer-to-peer access methods based on distributed naming, comprising the following steps: S1, before factory mining equipment, pre-write a copy of equipment naming mapping table;S2, select and set the English name corresponding to local from equipment naming mapping table;S3, mining equipment will be modified to the corresponding internal communication IP address of internal communication network card IP configuration;S4, according to the entry of equipment naming mapping table, establish the local name resolution relationship of all mining equipment in subsystem on mining equipment;S5, when initiating business communication between any two mining equipment in subsystem, directly reach target mining equipment through internal communication network card;S6, when a certain mining equipment is damaged and needs to be replaced, only need to set a blank same type mining equipment as the English name of original damaged mining equipment;S7, when the device name needs to be added in subsystem, replace equipment naming mapping table by batch upgrade.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of equipment control, and more particularly to a peer-to-peer access method for mining equipment based on distributed naming. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of intelligent construction in coal mines, metal mines, and other mining operations, a large number of data acquisition devices (such as gas acquisition, temperature and humidity acquisition, personnel positioning, and video acquisition) and control devices (such as fan control, pump station control, belt conveyor control, and emergency broadcasting) have been deployed underground. These devices together constitute one or more subsystems underground, and the devices within these subsystems need to exchange data and control commands in real time via industrial Ethernet.

[0003] There are currently two main control interaction schemes; Option 1: A device naming and communication scheme based on a centralized DNS (or DNS-like registry node). For example... Figure 1 As shown, this solution deploys one or more central nodes in the subsystem specifically for device name resolution. Before initiating any communication between mining devices, all devices first query the central node for the IP address corresponding to the target device name, and then use the obtained IP address to complete HTTP / TCP communication. This solution is relatively mature in surface network environments, but in underground environments, it binds the reachability of all devices to the same central node.

[0004] Its drawbacks are: 1. Single point of failure leads to network-wide paralysis. If the central node fails due to reasons such as underground power outage, hardware damage, or uplink interruption, all devices in the subsystem will instantly lose their ability to address each other. A large number of established service requests will time out, and unestablished requests will be unable to be initiated, resulting in interruption of data collection and failure of control commands, which seriously affects production safety.

[0005] 2. Recovery depends on on-site maintenance. After the central node is damaged, it is necessary to wait for maintenance personnel to bring spare parts into the well to replace and reconfigure it. The underground working space is narrow and long, and the explosion-proof requirements are high. The recovery time is often measured in hours, which cannot meet the engineering requirements of "replace and use immediately".

[0006] 3. Additional deployment and maintenance costs. The central node itself requires separate power supply, networking, explosion-proof enclosure, and regular maintenance, increasing the hardware investment and operation and maintenance burden of the downhole network.

[0007] Option 2: Interoperability solution based on manually configured static IP addresses. For example... Figure 2As shown, this solution does not introduce a naming mechanism. Instead, on-site maintenance personnel manually configure the network card IP address of each device before it is put into use, and synchronize the IP address of this device to the configuration of other devices that need to access it through paper records or maintenance manuals. Other devices can then access it directly using the "destination IP + interface" method. This method is simple to implement, but the maintenance work relies entirely on manual labor.

[0008] Its drawbacks are: 1. The configuration workload is large and grows non-linearly. The IP address of a single device not only needs to be set on the local machine, but also needs to be synchronously notified to all other devices in the subsystem that need to access it. The more devices there are, the more configuration items need to be synchronized, and the greater the maintenance workload.

[0009] 2. Highly prone to errors. The poor lighting and narrow space underground, coupled with the inconvenience of operation for maintenance personnel wearing explosion-proof equipment, make it easy for errors, omissions, or duplicate IPs to occur when manually entering IP addresses, leading to equipment disconnection or even IP conflicts.

[0010] 3. Equipment replacement has far-reaching consequences. When a piece of equipment is damaged and needs to be replaced, the IP address of the new equipment must be reset, and the configurations of all other equipment that reference its IP address need to be modified simultaneously. The recovery process is lengthy and prone to secondary errors downhole.

[0011] 4. Lack of unified device semantic identifiers. Devices only identify each other by IP address. Once the IP address changes, all referrers need to modify their IP addresses. There is a lack of a stable semantic name related to location / function as a stable anchor point for peer-to-peer access. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The purpose of this invention is to address the above-mentioned problems by providing a distributed naming-based peer-to-peer access method for mining equipment that effectively improves the stability and convenience of equipment control networks.

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A peer-to-peer access method for mining equipment based on distributed naming includes the following steps: S1. Before the mining equipment leaves the factory, the manufacturer shall pre-write an equipment naming mapping table inside each piece of mining equipment. S2. After the mining equipment is installed and powered on underground, the on-site maintenance personnel enter the equipment naming configuration item, select and set the corresponding English name of the machine from the equipment naming mapping table; S3. When the mining equipment detects that the English name of the machine has been set / changed, it immediately queries the equipment naming mapping table, extracts the internal communication IP address corresponding to the English name, and modifies the IP configuration of the machine's internal communication network card to the internal communication IP address; the IP configuration of the machine's debugging network card remains unchanged. S4. Based on all entries in the equipment naming mapping table, establish local name resolution relationships for all mining equipment within the subsystem on the mining equipment. S5. When any two mining devices in the subsystem initiate business communication, the initiator directly sends a request based on the English name of the target mining device. After the request is resolved to the internal communication IP address of the target mining device through the local name resolution relationship, it is sent directly to the target mining device through the internal communication network card and responded by the corresponding business interface of the target mining device. S6. When a mining equipment is damaged and needs to be replaced, simply send a blank mining equipment of the same model into the original installation location underground and set it to the English name of the original damaged mining equipment. The mining equipment will automatically execute steps S3 and S4 and directly take over the network role of the original mining equipment in the subsystem. S7. When a new device name needs to be added in the subsystem, the manufacturer provides an updated device naming mapping table. The updated device naming mapping table is deployed to all mining equipment in the subsystem through batch upgrade and replaces the original device naming mapping table. Step S4 is executed automatically so that the newly added device name can be recognized and accessed by all mining equipment in the subsystem after the upgrade is completed.

[0014] Furthermore, in step S1, the device naming mapping table records the English name of each type of mining equipment in the subsystem and its corresponding internal communication IP address in the form of entries.

[0015] Furthermore, in step S1, the mining equipment includes a device naming configuration module that provides a menu screen interface for on-site maintenance personnel to set English names, a mapping table storage module for storing device naming mapping tables, an IP auto-configuration module for automatically matching internal communication IP addresses based on names, a local resolution maintenance module for establishing local name resolution relationships, a dual network card communication module for managing internal communication network cards and debugging network cards, a peer-to-peer access interface module for initiating or receiving peer access requests, and a mapping table upgrade module for batch upgrading device naming mapping tables and local name resolution relationships.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of this invention are: 1. The naming mechanism of this invention defines the mapping relationship within each mining device. The name resolution process is completed entirely on the local machine and the destination machine, without relying on any central node. This fundamentally eliminates the single point of failure risk of centralized solutions. Even if any number of devices in the subsystem are damaged or lose connection, the remaining devices can still communicate normally with each other based on the local resolution relationship.

[0017] 2. This invention only requires maintenance personnel to select a factory-preset English name through the device screen menu. The local IP settings and local resolution relationship establishment are all automatically completed by the internal program, completely avoiding the tediousness and high error rate of manually entering the IP address underground.

[0018] 3. In this invention, simply assigning the backup device the English name of the original damaged device is sufficient to automatically take over the network role of the original device. No other devices in the subsystem require any configuration modifications, and services can be restored immediately, significantly shortening the downtime after an underground accident.

[0019] 4. This invention can complete naming and name resolution by relying only on the existing programs and configuration capabilities of each device, without introducing any additional hardware or middleware. It is particularly suitable for engineering applications where embedded platform resources are limited and downhole hardware costs are sensitive.

[0020] 5. This invention uses a dual-NIC architecture to ensure that the internal communication NIC only carries peer-to-peer communication between subsystems, while the debugging NIC carries maintenance and debugging access. The two do not interfere with each other, avoiding the introduction of abnormal traffic during maintenance operations that could interfere with production communication.

[0021] 6. This invention can uniformly update the device naming mapping table across the entire network by batch upgrading the built-in program of the device, avoiding the degradation problem of "each new device needs to be configured synchronously" under the existing manual configuration scheme, so that the decentralized naming system can maintain the consistency and scalability of the entire network in the long-term use.

[0022] 7. This invention uses "English name" as a stable semantic anchor for peer-to-peer access. The IP address is only a subordinate attribute of the name and is automatically maintained by the internal program. The service call code and configuration remain stable when the equipment is changed or the IP address is adjusted, which further reduces the long-term operation and maintenance burden of mining equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 A topology diagram of an existing centralized DNS scheme; Figure 2 A topology diagram of an existing manual fixed IP solution; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing the internal modules of mining equipment. Figure 5 Flowchart for naming and assigning mining equipment; Figure 6 A flowchart for peer-to-peer access to mining equipment; Figure 7 Flowchart for seamless recovery of mining equipment; Figure 8 Flowchart for batch upgrade of device naming mapping table; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a dual-NIC hardware structure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made by those skilled in the art to all other embodiments obtained without creative effort should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] This invention discloses a peer-to-peer access method for mining equipment based on distributed naming, enabling underground mining equipment to complete peer addressing and access solely through equipment names without relying on any central node. Furthermore, it allows on-site maintenance personnel to simply set an English name for each equipment, automatically establishing IP settings and local name resolution relationships within the equipment itself, eliminating the need for manual IP configuration or individual notifications to other devices. In the event of equipment damage and replacement, the new equipment automatically takes over the original network role simply by being assigned the original equipment's English name, allowing other devices within the subsystem to continue communicating normally without any configuration changes.

[0027] Furthermore, for extended scenarios involving the addition of new device types / names to the subsystem, the naming method described in this invention supports batch upgrading of the device's built-in programs. This allows the newly added "English Name ↔ IP" mapping entries to be uniformly distributed to all devices within the subsystem. Each device automatically updates its local mapping relationship during the upgrade process, thereby maintaining a decentralized, peer-to-peer access architecture while ensuring the scalability of the subsystem and the uniformity of the mapping table. This avoids degenerating into the traditional manual configuration mode due to the addition of new devices.

[0028] Through the above design, the present invention can significantly improve the availability, recoverability, scalability and operation and maintenance efficiency of underground mining networks.

[0029] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below. (1) Overall plan; This invention provides a peer-to-peer access method for mining equipment based on distributed naming, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the core idea of ​​this method is: before each mining device in the subsystem leaves the factory, a completely consistent "device English name ↔ internal communication IP address" network mapping table is pre-installed; on-site maintenance personnel set an English name for the device through the device's local interface menu, and the device's internal program automatically completes the IP setting of the local communication network card according to the mapping table, and establishes a local resolution relationship from device name to IP within the device, so that all devices in the subsystem can address each other by device name without relying on any central resolution node, and initiate peer access in the form of "domain name + interface".

[0030] To support the above solution, the mining equipment is configured with a dual network card structure in hardware: one network card (hereinafter referred to as "internal communication network card") is used for peer-to-peer data communication between devices within the subsystem, and its IP address is automatically set by the naming mechanism described in this invention; the other network card (hereinafter referred to as "debugging network card") is used for operation and maintenance / debugging scenarios, and its IP address does not participate in the naming mechanism to avoid interference with the production communication link.

[0031] For extended scenarios involving the addition of new device types or names to the subsystem, the method further supports batch upgrading of the device's built-in programs to uniformly update the local mapping table content of all devices, thereby maintaining a decentralized, peer-to-peer access architecture while possessing good scalability.

[0032] (2) Specific work steps, such as Figures 5 to 8 As shown; Step 1: Factory Pre-configuration Stage. Before the equipment leaves the factory, the manufacturer pre-writes a device naming mapping table that is completely consistent with the entire subsystem network inside each mining device. This mapping table records the English name of each type (each location) of equipment in the subsystem and its corresponding internal communication network card IP address in the form of entries. It is about dozens of entries in size, covering all acquisition and control devices in the subsystem. The mapping table and the automatic configuration program inside the device are released together with the device firmware.

[0033] Step Two: On-site Naming Setup. After the equipment is installed and powered on underground, on-site maintenance personnel can access the equipment naming configuration through the interface menu on the equipment screen, select and set the corresponding English name from the built-in mapping table (this English name is uniquely assigned at the factory according to the "location + function" rule, and maintenance personnel only need to select it, without creating it themselves).

[0034] Step 3: Automatic IP Address Assignment Stage. Upon detecting that the device's English name has been set / changed, the internal program immediately queries the local mapping table, retrieves the internal communication IP address corresponding to that name, and modifies the IP configuration of the device's internal communication network card to that IP address; the IP configuration of the debugging network card remains unchanged.

[0035] Step Four: Establishing Local Name Resolution Relationships. After completing the local IP settings, the device's internal program further establishes a local name resolution relationship of "English Name → Internal Communication IP" for all devices within the subsystem, based on all entries in the local mapping table. After this step, the device gains the ability to resolve the name of any device within the subsystem offline and locally, without needing to send a resolution request to any central node.

[0036] Step 5: Peer-to-Peer Access Phase. When any two devices within the subsystem initiate business communication, the initiator directly sends a request in the form of "http: / / target device's English name / interface path". After the request is resolved to the target device's internal communication IP by the local name resolution system, it is sent directly to the target device through the internal communication network card and responded by the corresponding business interface. The entire resolution and access process is completed entirely within the local machine and the target machine, without passing through any central resolution node.

[0037] Step Six: Seamless Equipment Replacement Recovery Phase. (For example...) Figure 7 As shown, when a mining device malfunctions and needs replacement, on-site maintenance personnel simply need to place a blank backup unit of the same model into the original installation location underground and set its English name to the English name of the damaged device through the backup unit's interface menu. The backup unit's internal program will then automatically repeat steps three and four to establish the IP settings and local name resolution relationship for its internal communication network card, immediately taking over the original device's network role in the subsystem. No modifications are required to the configuration or service call methods of other devices within the subsystem, and services can be restored.

[0038] Step 7: Mapping table upgrade phase (scalability support). For example... Figure 8 As shown, when a new device type or name needs to be added within the subsystem, the manufacturer releases an upgrade package. This upgrade package contains an updated complete mapping table and configuration program, which is deployed to all devices within the subsystem through batch upgrades. During the upgrade process, each device automatically replaces / merges its original mapping table with the new one and automatically re-establishes local name resolution relationships, ensuring that the newly added device name can be recognized and accessed across the entire network after the upgrade is complete.

[0039] (3) The internal modules of mining equipment; like Figure 4 , Figure 9As shown, to implement the above method, the mining equipment includes the following functional modules: ① Device naming configuration module: Provides a device screen interface menu for on-site maintenance personnel to select and set the local English name from the built-in mapping table, and transmits the setting result to the subsequent automated processing flow.

[0040] ② Mapping table storage module: Stores a factory-preset "English name ↔ internal communication IP" full network mapping table inside the machine, which is read by both the IP auto-configuration module and the local resolution and maintenance module.

[0041] ③ IP Auto-Configuration Module: In response to naming setting / change events, it queries the IP address corresponding to the local machine name from the mapping table storage module and performs IP setting operations on the internal communication network card through an internal program.

[0042] ④ Local Resolution Maintenance Module: Responds to naming setting / change events and mapping table upgrade events, and establishes / updates the local resolution relationship of all network device names on the local machine based on the current content of the mapping table storage module.

[0043] ⑤ Dual NIC Communication Module: Manages two NICs: an internal communication NIC and a debugging NIC. The internal communication NIC is dedicated to peer-to-peer communication within the subsystem, while the debugging NIC is dedicated to maintenance / debugging access. The two do not interfere with each other. Figure 9 As shown.

[0044] ⑥ Peer-to-peer access interface module: Exposes business interfaces to the outside world, receives peer-to-peer access requests initiated in the form of "domain name + interface path" and completes business responses; at the same time, as the initiator, it calls the peer-to-peer access interface of other devices using the form of "domain name + interface path".

[0045] ⑦ Mapping Table Upgrade Module: Responds to the batch upgrade process, receives and applies the updated mapping table, triggers the local name resolution maintenance module to rebuild the local name resolution relationship, and realizes a unified update of the mapping table across the entire network.

[0046] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages: 1. Completely eliminate single point of failure at the central node, significantly improving the communication availability of subsystems; In existing centralized DNS solutions, the mutual addressing capabilities of all devices are bound to a central resolution node. The failure of this central node directly leads to the paralysis of communication across the entire subsystem. The naming mechanism described in this invention statically assigns mapping relationships to each device at the factory. The name resolution process is completed entirely locally on both the local machine and the destination machine, without relying on any central node, fundamentally eliminating the single point of failure risk of centralized solutions. Even if any number of devices within the subsystem are damaged or disconnected, the remaining devices can still maintain normal peer-to-peer communication based on their local resolution relationships.

[0047] 2. On-site IP configuration requires zero manual intervention, significantly reducing the operational and maintenance threshold and the rate of error.

[0048] Existing manual fixed IP configuration methods require maintenance personnel to set the IP address for each device underground and simultaneously inform other related devices of each device's IP address. In the poor lighting, confined space, and explosion-proof equipment working environment underground, problems such as input errors, omissions, and IP conflicts are highly likely to occur. This invention only requires maintenance personnel to select a factory-preset English name through the device's screen menu. The local IP setting and local DNS resolution are automatically completed by an internal program, completely avoiding the tedious and error-prone manual IP input underground.

[0049] 3. Seamless equipment replacement and recovery significantly reduce downtime.

[0050] Under existing manual fixed IP configuration schemes, equipment failure and replacement not only require reconfiguring the IP of the new device, but also simultaneously modifying the configurations of all other devices referencing the original IP. The recovery process involves multiple changes, resulting in a high probability of secondary errors and a long recovery cycle. With this invention, the backup device only needs to be assigned the original device's English name to automatically take over its original network role. Other devices within the subsystem require no configuration modifications, and services can be restored immediately, significantly shortening service downtime after an underground incident.

[0051] 4. Embedded with low overhead, requiring no additional middleware or parsing services.

[0052] Existing centralized DNS solutions require dedicated deployment, power supply, explosion-proof packaging, and maintenance of central resolution nodes, increasing downhole hardware investment and operational costs. This invention, however, relies solely on the existing programs and configuration capabilities of each device to complete naming and name resolution without introducing any additional hardware or middleware. It is particularly suitable for engineering projects where embedded platforms have limited resources and downhole hardware costs are critical.

[0053] 5. The communication link and the operation and maintenance link are physically isolated, resulting in higher stability of production communication.

[0054] The dual-NIC architecture described in this invention allows the internal communication NIC to carry only subsystem peer-to-peer communication, while the debugging NIC carries both maintenance and debugging access, with neither interfering with the other. Existing solutions often mix production and debugging traffic on the same NIC, and maintenance operations may introduce abnormal traffic that interferes with production communication. This invention avoids this problem at the hardware level.

[0055] 6. Supports smooth expansion and maintains network consistency throughout long-term evolution.

[0056] When a subsystem needs to add a new device type or a new device name, this invention can uniformly update the entire network mapping table by batch upgrading the device's built-in program. This avoids the degradation problem of "each new device needs to be configured synchronously" under the existing manual configuration scheme, and ensures that the decentralized naming system maintains network consistency and scalability throughout long-term use.

[0057] 7. Replacing volatile IPs with stable semantic names makes business calls more stable.

[0058] In existing manual fixed IP solutions, devices identify each other using IP addresses. Once an IP address changes, all service calls from all referencing devices must be modified synchronously. This invention uses "English name" as a stable semantic anchor for peer-to-peer access. The IP address is only a subordinate attribute of the name and is automatically maintained by an internal program. Service call code and configuration remain stable even when devices change or IP addresses are adjusted, further reducing the long-term maintenance burden.

Claims

1. A method for peer-to-peer access of mining equipment based on distributed naming, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Before the mining equipment leaves the factory, the manufacturer shall pre-write an equipment naming mapping table inside each piece of mining equipment. S2. After the mining equipment is installed and powered on underground, the on-site maintenance personnel enter the equipment naming configuration item, select and set the corresponding English name of the machine from the equipment naming mapping table; S3. When the mining equipment detects that the English name of the machine has been set / changed, it immediately queries the equipment naming mapping table, extracts the internal communication IP address corresponding to the English name, and modifies the IP configuration of the machine's internal communication network card to the internal communication IP address; the IP configuration of the machine's debugging network card remains unchanged. S4. Based on all entries in the equipment naming mapping table, establish local name resolution relationships for all mining equipment within the subsystem on the mining equipment. S5. When any two mining devices in the subsystem initiate business communication, the initiator directly sends a request based on the English name of the target mining device. After the request is resolved to the internal communication IP address of the target mining device through the local name resolution relationship, it is sent directly to the target mining device through the internal communication network card and responded by the corresponding business interface of the target mining device. S6. When a mining equipment is damaged and needs to be replaced, simply send a blank mining equipment of the same model into the original installation location underground and set it to the English name of the original damaged mining equipment. The mining equipment will automatically execute steps S3 and S4 and directly take over the network role of the original mining equipment in the subsystem. S7. When a new device name needs to be added in the subsystem, the manufacturer provides an updated device naming mapping table. The updated device naming mapping table is deployed to all mining equipment in the subsystem through batch upgrade and replaces the original device naming mapping table. Step S4 is executed automatically so that the newly added device name can be recognized and accessed by all mining equipment in the subsystem after the upgrade is completed.

2. The method for peer-to-peer access to mining equipment based on distributed naming as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1, the equipment naming mapping table records the English name of each type of mining equipment in the subsystem and its corresponding internal communication IP address in the form of entries.

3. The method for peer-to-peer access to mining equipment based on distributed naming as described in claim 2, characterized in that: In step S1, the mining equipment includes a device naming configuration module that provides a menu screen interface for on-site maintenance personnel to set English names, a mapping table storage module for storing device naming mapping tables, an IP auto-configuration module for automatically matching internal communication IP addresses based on names, a local resolution maintenance module for establishing local name resolution relationships, a dual network card communication module for managing internal communication network cards and debugging network cards, a peer-to-peer access interface module for initiating or receiving peer access requests, and a mapping table upgrade module for batch upgrading device naming mapping tables and local name resolution relationships.

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