Site management system

Abstract

To reduce waste of communication resources and human loads by reducing useless distribution of update programs to sites that do not require them and decisions or the like of an administrator to avoid such distribution, in distribution of the update programs to sites.SOLUTION: A site management system includes a center server that manages sites, and a database that stores configuration information for the sites. When receiving an update program for a computer program, the center server extracts sites to which the update program should be distributed based on the configuration information stored in the database, and distributes the update program to the extracted sites.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a site management system for managing multiple sites. [Background technology]

[0002] A site management system configured to manage multiple sites is known. Each of these sites has sensor equipment, processing equipment, measuring equipment, control equipment, communication equipment, It is equipped with various devices such as computers and is installed on site to manage the various devices. The site server is a central server connected via a network. The center server and the site server jointly manage the various devices to be managed. It grasps the operating status of the equipment, detects abnormalities in its operation, and executes control according to the detection results. The various devices on this site operate under the control of computer programs.

[0003] Update programs for maintaining the quality of various devices, adding new functions, ensuring security, and fixing bugs. In this specification, an "update program" is created and installed on various devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term "program" refers to application software as well as middleware. This includes software, firmware, and operating system (OS) updates. In a conventional system, when an update is created, for example, Updates are distributed to various devices and installed using the following procedure.

[0004] (1) If you have created an update program or received an update program from the developer of the device or software, The service provider who received the program will inform the site administrator of the update program. The site administrator will contact the service provider to allow the update. (2) The service provider registers the update program on the center server. (3) The center server distributes the update program to the site server related to the update permission. (4) The site administrator must ensure that the device to which the distributed update applies exists. If there is an update, the software will install the update on the target device. Perform the installation work. (5) The site administrator must install the update program on the device on which the update program is installed. After applying the RAM, we check whether the various devices are operating normally (post-health check). If an abnormality occurs, the state before the update operation is restored (rollback). ) and reports the result to the central server.

[0005] However, in conventional systems, service providers have to manage the number, type, and updates of equipment on site. The information on the program update status is not available, and the devices to which the update is applied are not It is not possible to determine whether the information exists on each of the multiple sites. Regardless of whether or not each of the multiple sites requires an update program, It is possible to simultaneously send information about updates, or to simultaneously send updates to multiple sites. This means that communication resources are wasted. In addition, site administrators can also download the update program when they receive an update notification. It is necessary to determine whether the update is necessary after the update is distributed to the site server. In such cases, the site administrator had to manually install the software. During the installation process, it is difficult to avoid operational mistakes due to operational errors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-38634 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a method for updating a site. In terms of distribution, there are cases where updates are not distributed to sites that do not require them, and cases where updates are distributed to sites that do not require them. This reduces the need to make decisions about whether or not updates should be applied, thereby reducing the waste of communication resources and the burden on personnel. The purpose of this is to provide a site management system that [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a site management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system for managing a site. The system comprises a center server that manages the site and a database that stores configuration information of the site. When the center server receives an update of the computer program, Based on the configuration information stored in the database, the server to which the update program should be distributed is selected. The update program is distributed to the extracted sites.

[0009] Furthermore, a site management system according to another aspect of the present invention includes a central server that manages a site. a site server that manages the managed devices located at the site; The center server includes a database for storing computer program information. When a program update is received, the configuration information stored in the database is updated. Based on the above, the site to which the update program should be distributed is extracted, and the extracted site is The site server distributes the update program provided by the center server. The update program is transmitted to the managed device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, in the distribution of update programs to a site, update programs are not necessarily required. This reduces unnecessary distribution to important sites and the need for site administrators to decide whether or not to apply updates. To provide a site management system that can reduce the waste of communication resources and the burden on personnel. This makes it possible to: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a site management system 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a data structure diagram showing an example of the data structure of information about sites under the management of the present system 1, which is stored in the site management database 11. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a data structure diagram showing an example of a data structure diagram of information about the configuration of a site S under the management of the present system 1, which is stored in the site configuration database 12. FIG. [Figure 4] An example of a procedure for distributing an update program by the site management system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a site management system 1 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 2 is a data structure diagram showing an example of the data structure of information about the update status of an update program stored in the update progress database 13. FIG. [Figure 7]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for receiving an update program by the site management system 1 according to the second embodiment, and for registering information about the update progress thereafter. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure executed after the update application of an update program is completed. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed procedure of a post-health check and details of updating the update progress database 13 related to the post-health check. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings show an embodiment consistent with the principles of the present disclosure. However, these are provided for the purpose of understanding the present disclosure and in no way serve to circumvent the present disclosure. It should not be construed as limiting. The descriptions in this specification are merely typical examples. and is not intended to limit the scope or application of the present disclosure in any way. .

[0013] In the present embodiment, the description is given in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure. Other implementations and configurations are possible and are within the scope and spirit of the technical concepts of the present disclosure. It is important to understand that structural changes and substitution of various elements are possible. The following statements should not be construed as being limited to this.

[0014] [First embodiment] Next, a site management system 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The site management system 1 includes a center server 10 and site servers 20 (20-1, . . . 20-N), and the managed devices installed at each site S (S1, SN) The site management system 1 manages the site management data. In the illustrated example, there are N sites. Although a site server 20 and N sets of managed devices 30 are shown, the number N is not limited to a specific number. The center server 10 and the site server 20 are connected via a network. They are connected via a network and are configured to be able to send and receive various information, requests, and commands. The site server 10 manages the site server 20 and also manages the managed objects via the site server 20. In the following, a plurality of sites will be collectively referred to as "site S." When referring to individual sites, subscripts are added, such as "sites S1, S2, etc." Similarly, when referring to the site server 20, multiple site servers are referred to as , and when referring to individual site servers, the term "site server" will be used. They are called "20-1, 20-2..."

[0015] Site servers 20-1, . . . , 20-N are arranged at each of sites S1, . . . , SN. and the managed devices 30 (30-1, 30-3) located at the sites S1, . . . , SN. 0-N) and updates the managed devices 3 provided by the center server 10. It is configured to send 0.

[0016] The center server 10 stores a site management database 11 and a site configuration database 12. The site management database 11 is a database that manages information about each site. The site configuration database 12 is a database for each site S1, . . . , SN The site configuration information including the number, type, attributes, status, etc. of the managed devices 30 installed in the site is stored. The center server 10 is a database that maintains and manages the site management database 11. and the update program created in accordance with the information stored in the site configuration database 12. The site to which the update program should be distributed is identified, and the update program is distributed.

[0017] The managed devices 30 include, for example, sensor devices, processing devices, measuring devices, control devices, and computers. For example, the managed device 30-N may be an HMI (Human Machine Interface). rface) Station 31, Distributed Control System (DCS) ) 32, Plant Resource Manager (PRM) 33, General-Purpose Computer 34, Router 3 5, a switch 36, and various devices (sensors, valves, etc.) 37, 38. The illustrated example of the device 30-N is shown as a specific example for understanding the managed device 30. It is not intended to limit the number, configuration, type, etc. of the devices to be managed 30. It goes without saying that the managed devices 30 other than the managed device 30-N are connected to the respective sites S1 to S-N. Other configurations may be adopted depending on the requirements in 1.

[0018] The HMI station 31 is an interface for transmitting commands and information between humans and machines. The distributed control system 32 is a computer that provides an interface to the site S. It is a computer that is in charge of controlling various devices 37 that are installed in the plant. The manager 33 adjusts the operating conditions of various devices 38 installed in the site S, diagnoses faults, etc. The general-purpose computer 34 is a computer that manages various operations within the site S. The router 35 and the switch 36 are computers for recording the data. 0-N is an example of a communication device for providing a wireless communication network.

[0019] Many of the various devices installed within Site S operate under the control of computer programs. The computer program is subject to change without notice in order to maintain quality, add new functions, and fix bugs. The software must be updated as needed by the service provider. When the update program is generated, the update program is distributed from the service provider to the center server 10. The information is transmitted to the center server 10 and provided to the site S via the site server 20. At this time, the center server 10 refers to the data managed in the databases 11 and 12 and performs the following: Determine (extract) the site S that requires the update program, and then The update program is distributed only to the site server 20 .

[0020] FIG. 2 shows the site management database 11 stored under the control of the system 1. The example in Figure 2 shows an example of the data structure of information about each site. The site ID, site name, and whether or not each site is automatically updated (yes / no) The information stored and managed here is for sites where the "Automatic Update" setting is set to "Yes." For updates, if the required updates are generated at the site, The update program can be installed on the site without requiring any operation by the administrator of the server 20. If the "Automatic Update" setting is set to "No", the installation process may start automatically. For sites that have the update, even if the update is generated, distribution of the update will not be started. The installation will not start, and the installation will be initiated by the site administrator following the instructions for generating the update. This is performed by judgment and installation work.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows the site configuration data stored in the site configuration database 12 under the management of the system 1. The example in Figure 3 shows an example of the data structure of information about the configuration of the server S. Regarding the equipment, the site ID of the site S where the equipment is located, the name of the equipment, the The name of the operating system (OS) and software (applications) installed the name of the software (application, middleware, firmware, etc.), the name of the applied update program, This is just an example, and the equipment included in Site S is stored and managed. The device identification information and the software included in any device located at one site S Software specific information to identify the software and the applied updates It is sufficient if the update data is included. In addition to or instead of the information shown in the figure, various Information such as the IP address, MAC address, and manufacturing lot number of the device is stored in the site configuration database. The data may be stored in the storage 12.

[0022] The data stored in the site management database 11 is used when a new site is established and when each It is rewritten when there is a change in whether or not the site is automatically updated.

[0023] The data stored in the site configuration database 12 is the change of various devices (devices) at each site S. Installation, expansion, replacement, repair, parts replacement, maintenance, disposal, computer programs It is rewritten when a new installation of a new software or installation of an update program occurs. The data stored in the site configuration database 12 is rewritten by the site S. After the rewrite information is stored in the remote server 20, the rewrite information is sent to the center server 10. The rewriting work is carried out by the administrator of the center server 10. It may be executed manually or by an automatic registration program stored in the central server 10, or This is automatically performed by a resource management computer (not shown) separate from the center server 10. may be carried out.

[0024] Referring to the flowchart in Figure 4, the update program distribution by the site management system 1 is An example of the procedure for transmitting the update program P is explained below. When G1 is registered in the center server 10 (step S11), the update program PG The necessity of distribution of 1 is determined for N sites S1 to SN in turn (step S12, First, the site Sn (n=1 to N) to be judged is Whether or not a site is set to automatic update is determined by the data in the site management database 11. The determination is made based on the above (step S13).

[0025] For that site Sn, the item "Automatic Update" is set in the site management database 11. If it is set to "Yes" (Yes), the update target functions related to the update program PG1 are The device / software is searched for in the site configuration database 12 (step S14 If the corresponding data is found, the update program PG1 will be applied to the target. It is determined that a device other than the one specified by the parameter Sn exists in the site Sn (Yes in step S15), and the updated device The new program PG1 is distributed to the site server 20 of the site Sn (step Step S16). It should be noted that if the device to be updated in steps S14 and S15 is the device in question, the device in question will be updated at the site Sn. Even if it is determined that the update program PG2 is present in the device, if another update program PG2 is already installed on the device, If it has been applied and is determined to be incompatible with the update program PG1 currently being evaluated, There is no device to be updated, and the site Sn is extracted as a target for sending the update program. It is possible to determine that this is not the case.

[0026] In step S13, if the site Sn is not set to be automatically updated, If the decision is made (No), the update program is not distributed to the site Sn (Sn). (site Sn is not extracted), the procedure moves to step S17, and the next site (n=n+1) is selected. The above procedure is repeated for each new entry. In this case, the site administrator must separately approve the update. When the update program PG1 is received, the update program PG1 is distributed to the site Sn. In 15, the site Sn is set to automatic update, but the update process to be judged is If it is determined that you do not have equipment that is subject to renewal application related to the gram (No), Similarly, the update program is not distributed to site Sn, and the procedure proceeds to step S17. ,The above procedure is repeated for the next site (n=n+1).

[0027] As described above, according to the site management system 1 of the first embodiment, In distributing updates to the This reduces the need for administrators to make decisions to avoid these issues, thereby reducing the waste of communication resources and the burden on personnel. It is possible to provide a site management system that can

[0028] [Second embodiment] Next, the site management system of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the configuration diagram of FIG. 5 and the data structure of FIG. 6. The basic configuration of the site management system 1 of the second embodiment is as follows: This differs from the system of the first embodiment in that a new database has been added. In FIG. 5, the same configuration as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1) is shown in the same manner as in FIG. Since reference numerals are given, duplicated explanations will be omitted below.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the site management system 1 of the second embodiment includes a site management database. In addition to the database 11 and site configuration database 12, it also has an update progress database 13. The update progress database 13 is a database of updates from their creation to distribution. , information about the stage of the update progress of the update, and whether the update has completed or failed This is a database for managing information on updates, failures, etc. By providing a database 13, various situations after receiving the update program can be monitored at the center. This information is used to manage the site S after the update program is distributed. It can be used.

[0030] Figure 6 shows the update status of the update program stored in this update progress database13. The data structure in Figure 6 shows an example of the data structure of the information for one site. The update status of each update program for each of the multiple sites is shown in Figure 6. In the example of FIG. 6, the device or software to be updated can be stored separately. Identifying ID (update device / software ID), update program name, each update program sub-item This data structure is an example. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this.

[0031] In FIG. 6, the "update status" data can include, for example, the following items: It is not necessary to include all of the items listed below, and it is also possible to include items other than those listed below. good. (1) The "Site Distribution" message indicates that the update program is currently being distributed to the site server 20. 'Middle' (2) The message “Site Distribution” appears, indicating that the update program has been distributed to the site server 20. Trust" (3) Inquiry regarding whether the update program is permitted to be applied at the site. The center server 10 sends a message to the site server 20, and indicates that it is waiting for a response. "Waiting for permission to apply" (4) A reply stating that the update program is permitted to be applied to the site is received. "Applicable permission received" indicating that it has been received from the site to the center server 10 (5) The update program is being backed up on the target device. "Device backup in progress" (6) The update program has been distributed to the corresponding device and has been installed (updated). "Updates applied" (7) The update program has been distributed to and installed on a compatible device, but the device "Rebooting" to indicate that the (8) The update program has been distributed to the corresponding device and has been installed, but the installation has not been completed. A "post-mortem sanity check" is being performed to test whether the operation after the update is sanity. "Post-mortem sanity check in progress" indicating (9) The update program is not updating properly, and as a result, a rollback operation is initiated. The message "Rolling back" appears, indicating that the rollback is in progress. (10) The update program is not updating properly, and as a result, a rollback operation is initiated. "Rolled back" to indicate that the

[0032] Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 7, the site management in this second embodiment will be explained. System 1 receives the update program and updates the update progress thereafter. An example of the procedure for registering information related to the update program will be described. The operations from recording to delivery to the site server 20 are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0033] In the same manner as in the first embodiment, the update program PG1 is distributed from the center server 10. (Step S21), and when it is received by the site server 20 (Step S22), The site server 20 issues permission to apply the update program PG1 to the target device to the site A request is made to the administrator (step S23). When the update permission is received in the target device (step S2 4 Yes), distribution of the update program PG1 to the target device begins (step S2 5).

[0034] When distribution of the distribution program PG1 to the target device starts, the target device The backup operation of the distribution program is executed (step S26), and the target device The application of the update is started (step S27). Update progress, such as distribution of updates, start of backups, and start of update application, will be updated as appropriate. The center server 10 is notified (step S28), and the notification contents include the update progress status data. The update progress database 13 stores the following data: , the update program itself may be stored.

[0035] The steps that are performed after the update application is complete are shown in the flowchart in Figure 8. Once the update application to the target device has been completed, the update program A post-health check is performed on the target device to which the program has been applied (step S31).

[0036] The post-health check confirmed that the operation after the update was healthy and the update operation was successful. If the update is approved (Yes in step S32), an update completion notice is sent to the center. On the other hand, if an abnormality is found in the operation after the update, the update is transmitted to the server 10 (step S35). If the new operation is deemed to have failed (No in step S32), the state before the update operation was started is restored. A rollback operation is started (step S33), and the state before the update operation is started is restored. Then, the rollback operation is completed (step S34).

[0037] Information about the progress and results of post-mortem sanity checks, and the progress of rollback actions, is also available. The update progress status data is notified to the center server 10, and the update progress database 13 (steps S36 and S37).

[0038] 9, the detailed procedure of the post-mortem health check and the Details of updating the update progress database 13 will be explained. First, data on the updates that have been applied is collected and confirmed (step Step S41). The collected and verified data is checked for errors (Step S 42), if there is no error, proceed to step S43, and if an error is found, proceed to step S47. After migration, the post-mortem health check results show that an error was found, and an error was reported. An error log or the like, which is a record of the error, is recorded in the site server 20. When the confirmation results at 47 are recorded, the rollback operation described above is initiated.

[0039] If it is determined in step S42 that there is no error, the collected data is checked in step S43. If it is normal, the process proceeds to step S44, and if it is abnormal, the process proceeds to step S45. After moving to version 47, the results of the post-mortem health check revealed that there was an abnormality in the collected data. The data on the content and degree of the abnormality is recorded on the site server 20. .

[0040] In step S44, it is determined whether the time required for step S41 is within a standard time. If it is within the standard, the process proceeds to step S45, and if it exceeds the standard, the process proceeds to step S47. The time taken to collect the data is recorded as a post-sanity check result. In S45, the performance of the update (CPU usage, memory usage, network network traffic, storage usage, etc.), and other information about updates. If the check results are positive, the update program will be updated. If the check result is inappropriate, the process proceeds to step S47. and the results are recorded.

[0041] As described above, according to the site management system 1 of the second embodiment, the update program Post-mortem sanity checks after the ram is delivered, and data on the progress of rollback operations is stored in the update progress database 13 as data indicating the update progress status. The update progress data stored in the progress database 13 is used to We will investigate the cause of the problem and fix the problem in the device or update program. This allows you to refer to the updated program when redistributing it to the site. When distributing updates, the update status can be quickly grasped and the update operation can be performed quickly and accurately. In addition, if the application of an update program fails, the update progress data will be displayed. Detailed information on failures is stored in the database, allowing site administrators to investigate the cause and This allows the service provider to investigate the cause without waiting for notification of the results, resulting in faster turnaround times. This reduces the time and human workload.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention. However, it is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described above. It is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and It is also possible to add the configuration of one embodiment to the configuration of another embodiment. It is possible to add, remove, or replace parts of other components. For example, In the above embodiment, a system having a center server and a site server is described as an example. However, it is also possible to directly manage the site equipment from the center server and omit the site server. It is Noh. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 10...Center server, 11...Site management database, 12...Site configuration database Site, 13...Update progress database, 20...Site server, S...Site, 30... Managed equipment, 31...HMI (Human Machine Interface) station, 32...minutes Distributed Control System (DCS), 33...Plant Resources Manager (PRM), 34... General-purpose computer, 35... Router, 36... Switch , 37, 38...Various devices (sensors, valves, etc.).

Claims

[Claim 1] A server that manages the site; a database that holds configuration information for the site; Equipped with the database includes a site configuration database for managing information on the number and types of devices to be managed included in the site as the configuration information, the site configuration database includes applied update data, which is information indicating update programs that have been applied to the managed devices at the site; When the server receives an update program for a computer program, the server distributes the update program to the managed devices included in the site to which the update program is to be distributed, based on the configuration information stored in the database and the applied update data. A site management system characterized by:

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