Control device, control system and method

Abstract

The objective is to provide a control device, control system, and method that can achieve efficient operation. [Solution] According to the embodiment, a control device is provided that performs processing for controlling an edge device. The control device comprises generating means for generating capability information representing the capabilities of the control device that can be provided under specified conditions with respect to the processing, and transmitting means for transmitting the generated capability information.

Description

Technical Field

[0007] ,

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a control device, a control system, and a method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, control systems configured to remotely control edge devices are known. In such a control system, for example, real-time processing (processing that requires real-time performance) may be executed. In order to realize such real-time processing, it is preferable to use an edge cloud in the control system.

[0003] An edge cloud is an information processing device configured to provide cloud computing services to edge devices. Compared with a public cloud that can be widely and generally used through the Internet or the like, it can process at a position closer to the edge device, so it is possible to guarantee real-time performance.

[0004] However, edge clouds often have higher installation and operation costs than public clouds.

[0005] [[ID=​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Therefore, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a control device, control system, and method that can achieve efficient operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one embodiment, a control device is provided that performs processing for controlling an edge device. The control device comprises generating means for generating capability information representing the capabilities of the control device that can be provided under specified conditions with respect to the processing, and transmitting means for transmitting the generated capability information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the network configuration of the control system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a communication transfer device in a comparative example of this embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device in a comparative example of this embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an orchestration device in a comparative example of this embodiment. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of gate control information. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of scheduling information. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the communication transfer device according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the orchestration device according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing an example of the process for generating the first and second motion control information. [Figure 11] A diagram illustrating the relationship between the control period and response time. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows an example of the network configuration of the control system according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 1, the control system 1 comprises a plurality of communication transfer devices 10 and a plurality of information processing devices 20. Although a plurality of communication transfer devices 10 and a plurality of information processing devices 20 are shown in the example in Figure 1, at least one communication transfer device 10 and at least one information processing device 20 are sufficient.

[0011] In this embodiment, at least one of the multiple communication transfer devices 10 is connected to at least one of the multiple edge devices 2, and the multiple communication transfer devices 10 are connected to each other in a communicative manner. In addition, each of the multiple information processing devices 20 is connected to at least one of the multiple communication transfer devices 10 in a communicative manner.

[0012] The control system 1 according to this embodiment corresponds to, for example, an IoT (Internet of Things) system, and operates to control a plurality of edge devices 2 by transmitting and receiving frames between a plurality of information processing devices 20 and a plurality of edge devices 2 via a plurality of communication transmission devices 10.

[0013] In this case, the multiple communication and forwarding devices 10 are implemented as, for example, network switches (relay devices) and perform network processing such as forwarding frames within the control system 1. For example, they may be Layer 2 switches (bridges) that forward frames at Layer 2, i.e., the data link layer, or Layer 3 switches (routers) that forward packets at Layer 3.

[0014] A plurality of information processing devices 20 execute computational processing (information processing) for controlling a plurality of edge devices 2 by, for example, executing an application program arranged on a memory with a central processing unit such as a CPU. Note that the plurality of information processing devices 20 may be realized as an edge cloud that provides a cloud computing service to, for example, a plurality of edge devices 2 (users who use them). When realized as an edge cloud, the plurality of information processing devices 20 are arranged not at a far location like a public cloud but at a location close to the plurality of edge devices 2 (users who use them).

[0015] The plurality of edge devices 2 correspond to IoT devices and include, for example, field devices such as robot arms operating in a factory or the like. Note that the plurality of edge devices 2 may be sensor devices, cameras, or the like for monitoring the operating status and abnormalities of various facilities arranged in a factory or the like, or may be other devices.

[0016] Here, although not shown in FIG. 1, the control system 1 according to the present embodiment further includes an orchestration device. The orchestration device generates operation control information (hereinafter referred to as first operation control information) that defines the operation of each of the communication transfer devices 10 and operation control information (hereinafter referred to as second operation control information) that defines the operation of each of the information processing devices 20.

[0017] In this case, the plurality of communication transfer devices 10 operate according to the first operation control information generated by the orchestration device, and the plurality of information processing devices 20 operate according to the second operation control information generated by the orchestration device.

[0018] Note that the plurality of communication transfer devices 10 and the plurality of information processing devices 20 described above correspond to control devices provided in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment. Also, the above-described orchestration device may correspond to a control device.

[0019] Before describing the control system 1 according to this embodiment in detail, a comparative example of this embodiment will be described. The network configuration of the control system in the comparative example of this embodiment is assumed to be the same as that in Figure 1. Therefore, Figure 1 will also be used in the following description of the control system in the comparative example of this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an example of the functional configuration of a communication transfer device in a comparative example of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the communication transfer device 10 includes a communication unit 101, a communication control unit 102, a communication transfer unit 103, an operation control information receiving unit 104, and an operation control information setting unit 105.

[0021] The communication unit 101 receives frames transmitted from, for example, an edge device 2 or an information processing device 20 that can communicate with the communication transfer device 10. Frames transmitted from the edge device 2 include device data obtained by the edge device 2. The device data is data related to the edge device 2 and includes, for example, sensor data. Frames transmitted from the information processing device 20 include data corresponding to the results of calculation processing performed by the information processing device 20.

[0022] Furthermore, the communication unit 101 receives frames transmitted from the orchestration device. The frames transmitted from the orchestration device include first operation control information generated by the orchestration device.

[0023] The frame received by the communication unit 101 may be a frame transmitted (transmitted) from another communication transfer device 10.

[0024] The communication unit 101 transmits (transfers) the received frame to an edge device 2 that can communicate with the communication transfer device 10, another communication transfer device 10, or an information processing device 20.

[0025] The communication unit 101 performs processing for communication using protocols such as Ethernet (registered trademark). Specifically, the communication unit 101 performs processing at the data link layer and physical layer in the OSI reference model, and realizes functions known as MAC (Media Access Controller) and PHY.

[0026] Furthermore, the communication unit 101 shown in Figure 2 is provided for each communication port of the communication transfer device 10. Specifically, the communication transfer device 10 includes a communication unit 101 corresponding to a communication port connected to a device corresponding to the source of the frame transfer (e.g., edge device 2) and a communication unit 101 corresponding to a communication port connected to a device corresponding to the destination of the frame transfer (e.g., another communication transfer device 10 or information processing device 20). The communication transfer device 10 may also include a communication unit 101 corresponding to a communication port connected to an orchestration device, etc.

[0027] The communication control unit 102 controls the operation of the communication transfer device 10 based on the first operation control information. The communication control unit 102 performs network processing (i.e., frame transmission and reception processing) in accordance with the TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) standard defined, for example, in IEEE 802.1. TSN is a network standard that can guarantee real-time performance.

[0028] The communication forwarding unit 103 outputs frames received by the communication unit 101 via the communication control unit 102 to other communication units 101 via the communication control unit 102. The output destination of a frame may be one or multiple. The communication forwarding unit 103 may also use a database called an FDB (Filtering Database or Forwarding Database) to determine which communication unit 101 to output the frame to based on destination information such as the destination MAC address of the received frame. Alternatively, frames may be forwarded using destination MAC address information at the Layer 2 level, or packets may be forwarded using IP address information at the Layer 3 level.

[0029] The motion control information receiving unit 104 receives requests from the orchestration device to set the first motion control information via the communication unit 101 and the communication control unit 102.

[0030] The operation control information setting unit 105 sets the first operation control information, for which a setting request has been received by the operation control information receiving unit 104, in the communication transfer device 10. The first operation control information set by the operation control information setting unit 105 is referenced by the communication control unit 102 described above in order to control the operation of the communication transfer device 10.

[0031] Furthermore, some or all of the parts 101 to 105 shown in Figure 2 may be implemented by the computer of the communication transfer device 10 executing a predetermined program (i.e., software), by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0032] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device in a comparative example of this embodiment. As described above, the communication transfer device 10 is assumed to perform network processing in accordance with the TSN standard, but the information processing device 20 is assumed to be implemented as an electronic device (for example, a personal computer) into which a network card compatible with the TSN standard is inserted.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 20 includes a communication unit 201, a communication control unit 202, a scheduling unit 203, a processing execution unit 204, an operation control information receiving unit 205, and an operation control information setting unit 206.

[0034] The communication unit 201 receives frames transmitted (transmitted) from, for example, the communication transfer device 10, which can communicate with the information processing device 20. The frames transmitted from the communication transfer device 10 include, for example, device data obtained at the edge device 2.

[0035] Furthermore, the communication unit 201 receives frames transmitted from the orchestration device. The frames transmitted from the orchestration device include second operation control information generated by the orchestration device.

[0036] Although Figure 3 shows a single communication unit 201 for convenience, such a communication unit 201 is provided for each communication port of the information processing device 20. Specifically, the information processing device 20 includes, for example, a communication unit 201 corresponding to a communication port connected to a communication transfer device 10 and a communication unit 201 corresponding to a communication port connected to an orchestration device, etc.

[0037] The communication control unit 202 controls communication between the communication transfer device 10 and the orchestration device via the communication unit 201 described above. The communication control unit 202 performs network processing in accordance with the TSN standard described above.

[0038] The scheduling unit 203 controls the operation of the information processing device 20 based on the second operation control information. Specifically, the scheduling unit 203 schedules the processes to be executed by the processing execution unit 204. The processes executed by the processing execution unit 204 are, for example, processes corresponding to applications running on the information processing device 20, and include calculation processes using the device data described above.

[0039] The processing execution unit 204 is provided to correspond to each of the cores included in the CPU (processor or host processor) of the information processing device 20, for example. The processing execution unit 204 executes processing in units of virtual machines, for example.

[0040] The results of the processing performed by the processing execution unit 204 (including the frame) are transmitted via the communication control unit 202 and the communication unit 201 to the communication transfer device 10, which is capable of communicating with the information processing device 20.

[0041] The motion control information receiving unit 205 receives requests from the orchestration device to set second motion control information via the communication unit 201 and the communication control unit 202.

[0042] The operation control information setting unit 206 sets the second operation control information, for which a setting request has been received by the operation control information receiving unit 205, in the information processing device 20. The second operation control information set by the operation control information setting unit 206 is referenced by the scheduling unit 203 described above in order to control the operation of the information processing device 20.

[0043] Here, the operation control information receiving unit 205 can also receive a request from the orchestration device to set the first operation control information, and the operation control information setting unit 206 may set the first operation control information in the information processing device 20. In this case, the first operation control information is referenced by the communication control unit 202 to control the operation of the information processing device 20.

[0044] Furthermore, some or all of the parts 201 to 206 shown in Figure 3 may be implemented by the computer of the information processing device 20 executing a predetermined program (i.e., software), by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0045] Figure 4 shows an example of the functional configuration of the orchestration device in a comparative example of this embodiment. Although omitted in Figure 1, in the comparative example of this embodiment, the orchestration device is communicatively connected to a plurality of communication transfer devices 10 and a plurality of information processing devices 20.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the orchestration device 30 includes a motion control information generation unit 301, a motion control information setting unit 302, and a communication unit 303.

[0047] The operation control information generation unit 301 generates first operation control information that defines the operation of the communication transfer device 10 and second operation control information that defines the operation of the information processing device 20. The first operation control information is generated, for example, when the first operation control information is not set for multiple communication transfer devices 10. Similarly, the second operation control information is generated, for example, when the second operation control information is not set for multiple information processing devices 20. Furthermore, the first and second operation control information may be generated when it becomes necessary to reconfigure the first and second operation control information, for example, when a new application is added to the information processing device 20. In the comparative example of this embodiment, the first and second operation control information is generated based on network processing and calculation processing delays, etc., assumed and determined by, for example, the administrator of the orchestration device 30.

[0048] The operation control information setting unit 302 requests the communication transfer device 10 to set the first operation control information generated by the operation control information generation unit 301, for example. The operation control information setting unit 302 also requests the information processing device 20 to set the second operation control information generated by the operation control information generation unit 301, for example.

[0049] The communication unit 303 transmits the first operation control information (including a frame) to the communication transfer device 10 in response to a request from the operation control information setting unit 302. The communication unit 303 also transmits the second operation control information (including a frame) to the information processing device 20 in response to a request from the operation control information setting unit 302.

[0050] Although Figure 4 shows a single communication unit 303 for convenience, such a communication unit 303 is provided for each communication port of the orchestration device 30. Specifically, the orchestration device 30 includes, for example, a communication unit 303 corresponding to a communication port connected to the communication transfer device 10 and a communication unit 303 corresponding to a communication port connected to the information processing device 20.

[0051] Furthermore, some or all of the parts 301 to 303 shown in Figure 4 may be implemented by the computer of the orchestration device 30 executing a predetermined program (i.e., software), by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0052] The first and second operation control information generated by the orchestration device described above will be explained below.

[0053] First, with reference to Figure 5, the first operation control information that defines the operation of the communication transfer device 10 will be explained.

[0054] For example, the TSN processing performed by the communication control unit 102 includes Enhancements for Scheduled Traffic (EST) and Per-Stream Filtering and Policing (PSFP) as defined in IEEE 802.1Q. In these processes, it is possible to control the transmission and reception of frames by opening and closing a gate for each communication unit 101 corresponding to a communication port. This gate opening and closing operation (gate control) is performed based on gate control information (gate control list).

[0055] Figure 5 shows an example of gate control information. In this gate control information, the opening and closing of the gate corresponding to each of the multiple queues where the frames to be transmitted and received are stored is set.

[0056] The gate control information shown in Figure 5 sets the open / closed state of the gates (hereinafter referred to as the queue gate state) corresponding to four entries (slots) from "T00" to "T03" and eight queues from "Q0" to "Q7". Note that queues "Q0" to "Q7" correspond to each of the eight traffic classes. In Figure 5, for example, queue "Q7" corresponds to the highest priority traffic class, and queue "Q0" corresponds to the lowest priority traffic class.

[0057] The gate state of a queue, which is set to open or closed for each gate, is represented by "o" and "C". "o" means the gate is open. "C" means the gate is closed. When the gate is open, transmission in the queue (transmission of frames stored in that queue) is permitted. On the other hand, when the gate is closed, transmission in the queue is not permitted. In other words, with this gate control information, it is possible to control the flow so that frames are allowed to pass through when the queue's gate is open, and not when the queue's gate is closed. In other words, by referring to the gate control information, it is possible to control the start timing of transfer (output start timing) of frames stored in the queue.

[0058] Furthermore, the gate control information includes a time interval representing the duration for which gate control corresponding to each entry continues (i.e., the opening and closing of the gate corresponding to each queue is set for each time interval). Specifically, Figure 5 shows that 1000ns is set as the time interval corresponding to entry "T00". In this case, the gate control corresponding to entry "T00" (the gate state corresponding to queues "Q0" to "Q7") will continue for 1000ns.

[0059] Here, according to the gate control information shown in Figure 5, each entry is switched to the next entry according to the time interval corresponding to that entry. For example, when the time interval corresponding to entry "T00" has elapsed, entry "T00" is switched to entry "T01". When an entry is switched in this way, the gate states of queues "Q0" to "Q7" are also switched in the same manner.

[0060] Specifically, during the time interval corresponding to entry "T00", queues "Q0" through "Q6" are closed, and queue "Q7" is open. When entry "T00" is switched to entry "T01", during the time interval corresponding to entry "T01", queues "Q3" through "Q7" are closed, and queues "Q0" through "Q2" are opened. The same applies to entries "T02" and beyond.

[0061] Once the cycle time of 10,000 ns has elapsed, one cycle of gate control is completed, and the process returns to the initial entry (in the example in Figure 5, entry "T00"), and the gate control is repeated.

[0062] The gate control information described above is an example of first operation control information that defines the operation of the communication transfer device 10.

[0063] As described above, the communication control unit 102 included in the communication transfer device 10 in the comparative example of this embodiment can control the operation of the communication transfer device 10 (network processing for transferring frames) based on gate control information (first operation control information).

[0064] Next, with reference to Figure 6, the second operation control information that defines the operation of the information processing device 20 will be described.

[0065] This section describes a case where multiple virtual machines, which perform information processing using virtual machine monitors (also known as virtualization software or hypervisors), are executed in the information processing device 20, and the scheduling of the execution of each of these multiple virtual machines is performed based on scheduling information. The scheduling information is information that indicates the schedule by which the processor (for example, the processing execution unit 204 realized by the CPU core) of the information processing device 20 executes processing on a per-virtual machine basis.

[0066] Figure 6 shows an example of scheduling information. While various scheduling methods exist, this example assumes the use of the ARINC 653 scheduling method.

[0067] The ARINC 653 scheduling scheme uses major and minor timeframes, with the major timeframe having a structure that includes at least one minor timeframe.

[0068] In the example shown in Figure 6, a major timeframe of 9ms in length is defined, and the execution of three virtual machines 1-3 is defined as a minor timeframe. In Figure 6, the hatched areas indicate the time it takes to execute each virtual machine (process).

[0069] Note that in Figure 6, for convenience, an example is shown where 1 ms is allocated to each minor timeframe. However, in a major timeframe, the time allocated to minor timeframes (the execution time of the minor timeframe) can be freely specified by offsetting it from the start timing of the major timeframe. In the following explanation, the division of the execution time of a minor timeframe (i.e., the length of the minor timeframe) will be referred to as a time slot.

[0070] By referring to this scheduling information, it is possible to repeatedly schedule the execution of virtual machines 1 to 3 in each time slot (minor time frame), with a major time frame consisting of time slots "0" to "8" forming one cycle.

[0071] The scheduling information described above is an example of second operation control information that defines the operation of the information processing device 20.

[0072] As described above, the scheduling unit 203 included in the information processing device 20 in the comparative example of this embodiment can control the operation of the information processing device 20 (calculation processing for controlling the edge device 2) based on scheduling information (second operation control information).

[0073] Furthermore, scheduling information is provided to each of the processing execution units 204 included in the information processing device 20. If we define an execution unit of an application program running on the information processing device 20 as a process, then scheduling information can be said to be information defining the schedule (task schedule) under which each CPU core (the processing execution unit 204 implemented by that core) executes computational processing on a process basis.

[0074] Furthermore, while Figure 6 conceptually illustrates scheduling information, this scheduling information is assumed to include the start time of the major timeframe, the length of the major timeframe, the start offset of each minor timeframe (offset from the start position of the major timeframe), the length of the minor frame (length of the time slot), and the correspondence between the virtual machines whose execution is defined in each minor timeframe. As shown in Figure 6, for example, an idle (state) where a virtual machine is waiting to be executed may be defined in the minor timeframe.

[0075] In this description, gate control information was explained as the first operation control information defining the operation of the communication transfer device 10, and scheduling information was explained as the second operation control information defining the operation of the information processing device 20. In this embodiment, it can be said that periodic operation and control operation are defined in the operation control information.

[0076] A periodic operation is a cycle of operations (processing) performed based on operation control information. In the communication transfer device 10, a periodic operation is, for example, the operation of performing gate control corresponding to all entries included in the gate control information shown in Figure 5, and corresponds to an operation performed during the cycle time. In the information processing device 20, a periodic operation is, for example, the operation of executing virtual machines defined in all minor timeframes in the scheduling information shown in Figure 6, and corresponds to an operation performed over the length of the major timeframe.

[0077] A control operation is an operation (process) performed during a periodic operation. In the communication transfer device 10, for example, the control operation is the operation to perform gate control corresponding to one entry included in the gate control information shown in Figure 6, and corresponds to the operation performed during the time interval corresponding to that entry. In the information processing device 20, for example, the control operation is the operation to execute a virtual machine defined in one minor time frame in the scheduling information shown in Figure 6, and corresponds to the operation performed during the time allocated to that minor time frame (during the time interval of the time slot).

[0078] Furthermore, the operation control information shall include the periodic operation time and the control operation time. The periodic operation time is the time during which the above-mentioned periodic operation is performed, and corresponds to the cycle time included in the gate control information and the length of the major time frame included in the scheduling information. The control operation time is the time allocated to the above-mentioned control operation, and corresponds to the time interval included in each entry in the gate control information and the time interval of each time slot included in the scheduling information (the time allocated to the minor frame).

[0079] For example, consider a control system 1 in which a robot arm deployed in a factory in the manufacturing industry is an edge device 2, and the robot arm is controlled to process products being transported by a belt conveyor. In such a control system 1, it is necessary to control the robot arm so that the automatically transported products can be processed within a predetermined time, and therefore real-time performance is required.

[0080] As described above, when the information processing device 20 is implemented as an edge cloud, the edge cloud is located on the premises of a factory or other facility where the edge device 2 is installed. Therefore, compared to a public cloud located externally, it has lower latency and is suitable for real-time processing (processing that requires real-time performance). Such real-time processing is achieved by running an application program corresponding to the edge device 2, which is the target of control, on the edge cloud, and includes network processing and computational processing performed to control the edge device 2. Furthermore, if the edge cloud (information processing device 20) is used to control the edge device 2, the network processing included in the real-time processing includes network processing (uplink) that transfers frames from the edge device 2 to the edge cloud and network processing (downlink) that transfers frames from the edge cloud to the edge device 2.

[0081] However, edge clouds have higher installation and operation costs compared to public clouds. In control system 1, a large number of edge devices 2 may be controlled. If control system 1 is built so that an application program corresponding to one edge device 2 runs on one edge cloud, then a large number of such edge clouds must be deployed, increasing the cost of building and operating control system 1. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the number of edge clouds deployed in control system 1 by making each edge cloud operate efficiently (i.e., allowing more application programs to run on that edge cloud).

[0082] On the other hand, if numerous application programs are run on a single edge cloud, processing specific to one application program may cause delays in processing for other application programs, potentially making it impossible to guarantee the real-time performance described above.

[0083] Therefore, this embodiment provides a mechanism to efficiently operate the control system 1 by improving the capacity of application programs in the edge cloud (increasing the number of application programs running on the edge cloud) while ensuring real-time performance.

[0084] The following describes the communication transfer device 10, information processing device 20, and orchestration device 30 provided in the control system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0085] Figure 7 shows an example of the functional configuration of the communication transfer device 10 in this embodiment. In Figure 7, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as those in Figure 2, and their detailed explanations are omitted. Here, we will mainly explain the parts that differ from those in Figure 2.

[0086] As shown in Figure 7, the communication transfer device 10 includes a capability information response unit 106 in addition to the communication unit 101, communication control unit 102, operation control information receiving unit 104, and operation control information setting unit 105 described in Figure 2.

[0087] The capability information response unit 106 receives inquiries from the orchestration device 30 via the communication unit 101 and the communication control unit 102.

[0088] The communication transfer device 10 performs network processing, such as transferring frames, as a process for controlling the edge device 2. When the capability information response unit 106 receives an inquiry from the orchestration device 30, it generates capability information representing the processing capability for the network processing. The capability information generated by the capability information response unit 106 in this way can be said to represent the capability of the communication transfer device 10 that can be provided to the control system 1 in the execution of the network processing of the communication transfer device 10.

[0089] As described above, the capability information generated by the capability information response unit 106 is transmitted to the orchestration device 30 via the communication control unit 102 and the communication unit 101 as a response to an inquiry from the orchestration device 30.

[0090] Furthermore, some or all of the capability information response unit 106 shown in Figure 7 may be implemented by the computer of the communication transfer device 10 executing a predetermined program (i.e., software), by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0091] Figure 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 20 in this embodiment. In Figure 8, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as those in Figure 3 described above, and their detailed explanations are omitted. Here, we will mainly explain the parts that differ from Figure 3.

[0092] As shown in Figure 8, the information processing device 20 includes a capability information response unit 207 in addition to the communication unit 201, communication control unit 202, scheduling unit 203, processing execution unit 204, operation control information receiving unit 205, and operation control information setting unit 206 described in Figure 3.

[0093] The capability information response unit 207 receives inquiries from the orchestration device 30 via the communication unit 201 and the communication control unit 202.

[0094] The information processing device 20 performs calculations using device data, for example, as a process for controlling the edge device 2. The capability information response unit 207 generates capability information representing the processing capability for the calculation when it receives an inquiry from the orchestration device 30. The capability information generated by the capability information response unit 207 in this way can be said to represent the capability of the information processing device 20 that can be provided to the control system 1 during the execution of the calculation process of the information processing device 20.

[0095] As described above, the capability information generated by the capability information response unit 207 is transmitted to the orchestration device 30 via the communication control unit 202 and the communication unit 201 as a response to an inquiry from the orchestration device 30.

[0096] Furthermore, part or all of the capability information response unit 207 shown in Figure 8 may be implemented by the computer of the information processing device 20 executing a predetermined program (i.e., software), by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0097] Figure 9 shows an example of the functional configuration of the orchestration device 30 in this embodiment. In Figure 9, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as those in Figure 4, and their detailed explanations are omitted. Here, we will mainly explain the parts that differ from those in Figure 4.

[0098] As shown in Figure 9, the orchestration device 30 includes a capability information collection unit 304 in addition to the operation control information generation unit 301, operation control information setting unit 302, and communication unit 303 described in Figure 4.

[0099] The capability information collection unit 304, via the communication unit 303, makes inquiries regarding the capabilities of the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 (processing capabilities related to network processing and computation processing).

[0100] The capability information collection unit 304 collects capability information, which is a response to an inquiry made by the capability information collection unit 304, from the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 303.

[0101] In this embodiment, capability information collected by the capability information collection unit 304 is passed to the operation control information generation unit 301, and the operation control information generation unit 301 generates first and second operation control information based on the capability information passed from the capability information collection unit 304.

[0102] The operation of the control system 1 according to this embodiment will be described below. Here, the process for generating the first and second operation control information will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0103] As described above, when the first and second operation control information is generated, the capability information collection unit 304 included in the orchestration device 30 acquires application-specific conditions for the processing (e.g., real-time processing) for controlling the edge device 2 executed in the control system 1 (step S1). The conditions acquired in step S1 are conditions for collecting capability information, and for example, the user may pre-register application-specific conditions in the storage unit (not shown) of the orchestration device 30, or the conditions may be dynamically acquired from the application to be operated. In addition, in step S1, for example, different conditions may be acquired by the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20.

[0104] Next, the capability information collection unit 304 queries the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 (step S2). In step S2, a query regarding the processing capability of network processing is made to the communication transfer device 10, and a query regarding the processing capability of computation processing is made to the information processing device 20. The queries in step S2 are made by transmitting a frame containing the conditions acquired in step S1 (hereinafter referred to as a query frame) from the orchestration device 30 (communication unit 303) to the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20.

[0105] When the process in step S2 is executed, the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 receive the query frame sent from the orchestration device 30 to make a query in step S2, and generate capability information in response to the query (step S3).

[0106] The capability information generated in step S3 will be described in detail below. First, when a query is made to the communication transfer device 10, the query frame transmitted from the orchestration device 30 is received by the communication unit 101 included in the communication transfer device 10. The capability information response unit 106 accepts the query from the orchestration device 30 by acquiring the query frame via the communication control unit 102.

[0107] In this case, the capability information response unit 106 extracts the specified conditions for processing to control the edge device 2 from the query frame and generates capability information representing the capabilities of the communication transfer device 10 that can be provided under those conditions.

[0108] Here, the conditions included in the query frame sent from the orchestration device 30 to query the communication transfer device 10 are conditions specified for network processing performed in the communication transfer device 10, and include, for example, the frame length of the frame transferred in the network processing (hereinafter referred to as the target frame). The frame length may be the maximum or minimum frame length used by the application being added.

[0109] Furthermore, the conditions may include, for example, information about the frame transmission period (transmission interval), such as the transmission period of a specific frame, the maximum value of the transmission period, and the minimum value of the transmission period.

[0110] Furthermore, the conditions may include information about the frame's transmission rate, such as a specific transmission rate value, a maximum transmission rate, and a minimum transmission rate.

[0111] Furthermore, the conditions include setting type information, such as whether to add a new target application while retaining existing settings (add) or to discard existing settings and add a new target application (new).

[0112] If the communication transfer device 10 transfers target frames based on such conditions (for example, frames with a maximum frame length of 100 bytes), then the delay that occurs when the target frames are transferred (hereinafter referred to as network processing delay) can be said to be an indicator of the processing capability of the communication transfer device 10 regarding network processing, and is influenced by the resources of the communication transfer device 10 (i.e., network resources) available for said network processing.

[0113] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the operation of the communication transfer device 10 is controlled based on the first operation control information described above, it can be said that the first operation control information is information that defines the network resources of the communication transfer device 10 used for network processing.

[0114] Therefore, in this embodiment, the capability information response unit 106 generates capability information, including network processing delay, based on the network resources of the communication transfer device 10 defined in the first operation control information.

[0115] Specifically, assuming that the first operation control information is the gate control information described in Figure 5 above, the gate state of each queue is set in the multiple slots that the gate control information has. In this case, if the period (time) during which the gate state of a given queue is "C" is increased (i.e., the number of slots with a gate state of "o" is decreased), frames stored in that queue cannot be transmitted while the gate state is closed, resulting in transmission at long intervals and a large network processing delay. On the other hand, if the period (time) during which the gate state of a given queue is "C" is decreased (i.e., the number of slots with a gate state of "o" is increased), frames stored in that queue will be transmitted at short intervals, resulting in a small network processing delay. For this reason, the capability information response unit 106 can generate capability information including the maximum and minimum values ​​of the network processing delay calculated based on the information of the multiple slots that the gate control information has (for example, the number of slots and the time interval). The maximum value here represents the maximum value within the range in which the delay can be guaranteed. The capability information generated by the capability information response unit 106 may include either the maximum or minimum value of the network processing delay.

[0116] In this embodiment, the network processing delay may include not only the delay caused by the frame transfer start timing controlled based on the gate control information (first operation control information) as described above, but also delays that occur when the frame passes through the gate, etc.

[0117] Here, capability information representing the processing capability of the communication transfer device 10 for network processing (hereinafter referred to as the capability information of the communication transfer device 10) has been described as being generated based on first operation control information (for example, information on multiple gate states and time intervals contained in gate control information). However, the capability information of the communication transfer device 10 may be generated based on other information. Specifically, the capability information of the communication transfer device 10 may be generated, for example, based on the network bandwidth (information) allocated to each communication port of the communication transfer device 10.

[0118] Furthermore, when an inquiry is made to the information processing device 20, the inquiry frame transmitted from the orchestration device 30 is received by the communication unit 201 included in the information processing device 20. The capability information response unit 207 accepts the inquiry from the orchestration device 30 by acquiring the inquiry frame via the communication control unit 202.

[0119] In this case, the capability information response unit 207 retrieves the specified conditions for processing to control the edge device 2 from the query frame and generates capability information representing the capabilities of the information processing device 20 that can be provided under those conditions.

[0120] Here, the conditions included in the query frame sent from the orchestration device 30 to query the information processing device 20 are conditions specified with respect to the computational processing to be performed in the information processing device 20, and include, for example, the number of processes corresponding to the execution unit of the application program (hereinafter referred to as the target program) that runs on the information processing device 20 to perform the computational processing.

[0121] Assuming that the information processing device 20 executes calculation processing according to each process of the target program based on these conditions, the delay that occurs when the calculation processing is executed (hereinafter referred to as the calculation processing delay) can be said to be an indicator of the processing capability of the information processing device 20 regarding the calculation processing, and is influenced by the resources of the information processing device 20 that are available for the calculation processing (i.e., the computing resources).

[0122] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the operation of the information processing device 20 is controlled based on the second operation control information described above, it can be said that the second operation control information is information that defines the computing resources of the information processing device 20 used for computation processing.

[0123] Therefore, in this embodiment, the capability information response unit 207 generates capability information, including a computation delay, based on the computation resources of the information processing device 20 defined in the second operation control information.

[0124] Incidentally, generally speaking, CPUs are used on a core-by-core basis, and each core is used as either a dedicated core or a shared core. A dedicated core is, for example, a core used exclusively for processing frames that require real-time processing. Only one or more target programs that require real-time processing are executed on this core. On the other hand, a shared core is a core shared by target programs that process multiple frames that do not require real-time processing. The information that determines which target program (process or virtual machine) is executed on which core is called scheduling information, and in this application, it refers to the second operation control information.

[0125] Furthermore, when a single dedicated core is shared by multiple applications (processes or virtual machines), it is controlled by scheduling information as shown in Figure 6, which is strictly divided by time. This scheduling information corresponds to a scheduling method for real-time performance and assumes that a single dedicated core is used by multiple virtual machines (i.e., the processing execution unit 204 executes processing on a virtual machine basis). This also falls under the second type of operation control information. In this case, if the number of time slots for executing calculation processing according to the target program is reduced (i.e., the number of time slots for which the calculation processing is not executed is increased), the calculation processing will be executed slowly, resulting in a larger calculation delay. On the other hand, if the number of time slots for executing calculation processing according to the target program is increased (i.e., the number of time slots for which the calculation processing is not executed is reduced), the calculation processing will be executed quickly, resulting in a smaller calculation delay. For this reason, the capability information response unit 207 can generate capability information including the maximum and minimum values ​​of the calculation delay calculated based on the schedule indicated by the scheduling information (the schedule in which each CPU core executes calculation processing on a process basis). The capability information generated by the capability information response unit 207 may include either the maximum or minimum value of the calculation processing delay.

[0126] In this embodiment, the calculation processing delay may include not only the delay caused by the calculation processing controlled based on the scheduling information (second operation control information) as described above, but also delays caused by the frame reception processing used in the calculation processing and the frame transmission processing containing the calculation processing results.

[0127] Here, the capability information representing the processing power of the information processing device 20 (hereinafter referred to as the capability information of the information processing device 20) is described as being generated based on the second operation control information (for example, a schedule in which multiple cores, indicated by scheduling information, execute computational processing in units of processes). However, the capability information of the information processing device 20 may be generated based on other information. Specifically, while the scheduling information described above allows for the understanding of the usage status of the CPU (one core) provided by the information processing device 20, the capability information of the information processing device 20 may be generated based on, for example, the number of multiple cores or the number of unused cores. Furthermore, the capability information of the information processing device 20 may be generated based on the number of dedicated cores or shared cores described above. Moreover, the capability information of the information processing device 20 may be generated based on, for example, the execution time (i.e., computational processing delay) measured when each core included in the CPU provided by the information processing device 20 actually executes computational processing according to each process of the target program.

[0128] As described above, once the processing in step S3 is executed, the capability information generated in step S3 is transmitted from the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 to the orchestration device 30 as a response to the inquiry made in step S2 (step S4).

[0129] In this embodiment, the processes described in steps S2 to S4 are performed for each of the multiple communication transfer devices 10 and the multiple information processing devices 20. According to this, the capability information collection unit 304 included in the orchestration device 30 can collect capability information for each of the multiple communication transfer devices 10 and the capability information for each of the multiple information processing devices 20 via the communication unit 303. The capability information collected by the capability information collection unit 304 in this manner is then passed to the operation control information generation unit 301.

[0130] Next, the motion control information generation unit 301 generates first and second motion control information based on the capability information received from the capability information collection unit 304 (step S5).

[0131] Now, the process of step S5 will be described. In the control system 1 according to this embodiment, if real-time processing is performed (i.e., the edge device 2 is controlled in real time), then the control system 1 must operate in such a way that it obtains the response necessary for controlling the edge device 2 within a range that does not exceed the control cycle of the edge device 2 (i.e., the response time is shorter than the control cycle).

[0132] Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, we assume a case where, for example, a predetermined application program runs on the information processing device 20 to perform calculation processing using device data transmitted from the edge device 2, and the edge device 2 is controlled based on the results of said calculation processing. In this case, the response time required to realize the control of the edge device 2 as described above corresponds to the sum of the network processing time (uplink) 1a required to transmit device data (including frames) from the edge device 2 to the information processing device 20, the calculation processing time 1b required to execute calculation processing in the information processing device 20, and the network processing time (downlink) 1c required to transmit the results of said calculation processing (including frames) from the information processing device 20 to the edge device 2. Note that the network processing time includes the time required for multiple communication transfer devices 10 to transfer frames between the edge device 2 and the information processing device 20.

[0133] Generally, the time allocated to each section (network processing time 1a, calculation processing time 1b, and network processing time 1c) is determined, for example, by the administrator (orchestrator) of the orchestration device 30. However, in this embodiment, first and second operation control information is generated based on the capability information of the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 such that the above-mentioned response time (network processing time 1a + calculation processing time 1b + network processing time 1c) is smaller than, for example, a control cycle (e.g., 10ms) set in advance in the control system 1.

[0134] Specifically, the capability information of the communication transfer device 10 represents the processing capability of the communication transfer device 10 regarding network processing, and includes, for example, the maximum and minimum values ​​that can guarantee the above-mentioned network processing delay (i.e., the range of network processing delay). Furthermore, the capability information of the information processing device 20 represents the processing capability of the information processing device 20 regarding calculation processing, and includes, for example, the maximum and minimum values ​​that can guarantee the above-mentioned calculation processing delay (i.e., the range of calculation processing delay).

[0135] According to this, if the operation control information generation unit 301 determines, for example, that it is not possible to reduce the network processing delay based on the capability information of the communication transfer device 10 (i.e., there is insufficient network resources and few surplus resources), it can generate second operation control information that reduces the computation processing delay to a degree that can guarantee real-time performance.

[0136] Furthermore, if the operation control information generation unit 301 determines, for example, that it is not possible to reduce the computation delay based on the capability information of the information processing device 20 (i.e., there is insufficient computational resources and few surplus resources), it can generate first operation control information that reduces the network processing delay to a degree that can guarantee real-time performance.

[0137] Since the response time changes according to the periodic operation time and control operation time included in the operation control information described above, in this embodiment, first and second operation control information may be generated in which the periodic operation time and control operation time are adjusted so that the response time is smaller than the control period.

[0138] In step S5 described above, first operation control information is generated for each of the multiple communication transfer devices 10, and second operation control information is generated for each of the multiple information processing devices 20.

[0139] When the process in step S5 is executed, the process of setting the first and second operation control information generated in step S5 is executed (step S6).

[0140] In this case, the operation control information setting unit 302 requests the communication transfer device 10 to set the first operation control information by transmitting the first operation control information to the communication transfer device 10 via the communication unit 303. Accordingly, the operation control information receiving unit 104 included in the communication transfer device 10 receives the request to set the first operation control information via the communication unit 101 and the communication control unit 102, and the operation control information setting unit 105 sets the first operation control information in the communication transfer device 10.

[0141] Similarly, the operation control information setting unit 302 requests the information processing device 20 to set the second operation control information by transmitting the second operation control information to the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 303. Accordingly, the operation control information receiving unit 205 included in the information processing device 20 receives the request to set the second operation control information via the communication unit 201 and the communication control unit 202, and the operation control information setting unit 206 sets the second operation control information in the information processing device 20.

[0142] By setting the first and second operation control information in this way, the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 operate based on the first and second operation control information, making it possible to achieve real-time performance in the control system 1.

[0143] As described above, the communication transfer device 10 and information processing device 20 according to this embodiment generate capability information representing the capabilities of the communication transfer device 10 and information processing device 20 that can be provided under specified conditions with respect to processing for controlling the edge device 2 (e.g., network processing and computation processing), and transmit the generated capability information. The communication transfer device 10 and information processing device 20 according to this embodiment receive an inquiry from the orchestration device 30 and transmit the capability information to the orchestration device 30 as a response to the inquiry. As a result, the orchestration device 30 can set operation control information that defines the operation of the communication transfer device 10 and information processing device 20 based on the capability information transmitted (collected) from the communication transfer device 10 and information processing device 20.

[0144] In this embodiment, by operating the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 based on first and second operation control information corresponding to the network processing capability of the communication transfer device 10 and the calculation processing capability of the information processing device 20, for example, it becomes possible to achieve efficient operation of the control system 1 while guaranteeing real-time performance.

[0145] For example, in IEEE 802.1Q, a mechanism is provided in which the communication transfer device 10, etc., responds with the delay it actually guarantees to the delay specified by the administrator of the orchestration device 30 (the delay guaranteed by the administrator in the control system 1). However, in such a mechanism, if the orchestration device 30 is to grasp the capabilities (range of network processing delay) of the communication transfer device 10, it is necessary to repeatedly communicate (query) between the communication transfer device 10 and the orchestration device 30. In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, by providing an interface for collecting capability information (for example, network processing delay and computation processing delay) from the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20, it becomes possible to easily collect capability information of the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 via this interface.

[0146] Furthermore, in this embodiment, based on the capability information collected from the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20, it is possible to flexibly determine the processing time (i.e., delay amount) allocated to each section, such as the network processing time (uplink), calculation processing time, and network processing time (downlink), and generate the first and second operation control information. In other words, in this embodiment, it is possible to grasp the surplus resources from the capability information and flexibly change the operation of the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20.

[0147] With this configuration, it is believed that the control system 1 can secure surplus resources by efficiently using the resources of the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 within a range where real-time performance can be guaranteed, and that these surplus resources can be used to run other application programs on the information processing device 20.

[0148] In other words, in this embodiment, it is possible to increase the number of application programs running on an edge cloud that can achieve real-time performance by processing at a location close to the user (i.e., to improve the capacity of application programs), thereby reducing the number of information processing devices 20 implemented as an edge cloud and lowering the operating costs of the edge cloud.

[0149] In this embodiment, capability information is described as being collected from the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20. However, the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 are examples of control devices used in the control system 1, for example, to control the edge device 2. This embodiment may also be configured to collect capability information from a control device different from the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20. For example, it may be a device (function) called CNC (Centrarized Network Configuration) or CUC (Centrarized User Configuration) as defined in IEEE 802.1Q. Alternatively, the orchestration device 30 may store the operation information of each device and use that information to respond with capability information for each device.

[0150] Furthermore, as described above, if the communication transfer device 10 performs network processing to transfer frames between the edge device 2 and the information processing device 20, then in this embodiment, the conditions specified for said network processing include the frame length of the frame, and the communication transfer device 10 generates capability information including the delay that occurs when a frame of said frame length is transferred.

[0151] The capability information of the communication transfer device 10 may be generated, for example, based on information about multiple slots contained in the gate control information, or it may be generated based on the network bandwidth allocated to the communication transfer device 10.

[0152] Furthermore, assuming that the information processing device 20 performs computational processing to control the edge device 2 as described above, in this embodiment, the conditions specified with respect to said computational processing include the number of application program processes running on the information processing device 20 to perform said computational processing, and the information processing device 20 generates capability information including delays that occur when the computational processing is executed according to each process of said application program. In addition, the conditions may also include computational processing amount information indicating the amount of computational processing. Computational processing amount information may include, for example, the number of steps in the program.

[0153] The capability information of the information processing device 20 may be generated, for example, based on a schedule in which multiple cores included in the CPU (processor) of the information processing device 20 execute computational processing in units of processes, or it may be generated based on the number of such cores. Furthermore, the number of cores used to generate the capability information of the information processing device 20 may be, for example, the number of dedicated cores (cores dedicated to processing frames that require real-time processing) or the number of shared cores (cores shared by processing frames that require real-time processing and frames that do not require real-time processing). Furthermore, the capability information of the information processing device 20 may be generated based on the execution time measured when each core included in the CPU of the information processing device 20 executes computational processing according to each process of the application program.

[0154] Furthermore, although this embodiment has been described as generating (collecting) capability information including, for example, maximum and minimum values ​​of delay (network processing delay and computation processing delay), the capability information including the maximum and minimum values ​​of delay may be collected from either the capability information of the communication transfer device 10 or the information processing device 20. Specifically, for example, if the capability information of the communication transfer device 10 includes the maximum and minimum values ​​of network processing delay and the computation processing delay is a fixed value, then first operation control information should be generated (set) to operate the communication transfer device 10 with a network processing delay that enables real-time performance in accordance with the computation processing delay. On the other hand, for example, if the network processing delay is a fixed value and the capability information of the information processing device 20 includes the maximum and minimum values ​​of computation processing delay, then second operation control information should be generated (set) to operate the information processing device 20 with a computation processing delay that enables real-time performance in accordance with the network processing delay. Thus, in this embodiment, for example, operation control information that defines the operation of the other communication transfer device 10 and information processing device 20 may be generated based on the capability information of one of the communication transfer device 10 and information processing device 20.

[0155] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if it is possible to generate operation control information for efficiently operating the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20 in the control system 1, then it is sufficient to generate capability information including at least one of the maximum and minimum values ​​of the delay.

[0156] Furthermore, the delays in this embodiment (network processing delay and computation processing delay) are just one example of indicators representing the capabilities of the communication transfer device 10 and the information processing device 20. In this embodiment, capability information including other indicators (at least one of the maximum and minimum values ​​of other indicators) may be generated.

[0157] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0158] 1...Control system, 2...Edge device, 10...Communication transfer device, 20...Information processing device, 30...Orchestration device, 101...Communication unit, 102...Communication control unit, 103...Communication transfer unit, 104...Operation control information receiving unit, 105...Operation control information setting unit, 106...Capability information response unit, 201...Communication unit, 202...Communication control unit, 203...Scheduling unit, 204...Processing execution unit, 205...Operation control information receiving unit, 206...Operation control information setting unit, 207...Capability information response unit, 301...Operation control information generation unit, 302...Operation control information setting unit, 303...Communication unit, 304...Capability information collection unit.

Claims

1. In a control device that performs processing for controlling edge devices, A generation means for generating capability information representing the capabilities of the control device that can be provided under specified conditions with respect to the aforementioned process, A transmission means for transmitting the generated capability information A control device equipped with the following.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the capability information includes at least one of the maximum and minimum values ​​of an index representing the capability of the control device.

3. The control device includes a communication transfer device that performs network processing to transfer frames between the edge device and an information processing device that performs computational processing to control the edge device, The above conditions include the frame length of the frame, The aforementioned indicator includes the delay that occurs when a frame of the aforementioned frame length is transmitted. The control device according to claim 2.

4. The system further comprises communication control means for controlling the start timing of outputting frames stored in a queue, based on gate control information having multiple entries that set the opening and closing of gates corresponding to each of the multiple queues at time intervals, The capability information is generated based on the gate's open / closed state and time interval information set in the gate control information. The control device according to claim 3.

5. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the capability information is generated based on the network bandwidth allocated to the communication transfer device.

6. The control device includes an information processing device that performs computational processing for controlling the edge device, The above condition includes the number of program processes running on the information processing device to perform the calculation process, The aforementioned indicator includes delays that occur when the calculation process is executed according to each process of the program. The control device according to claim 2.

7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the capability information is generated based on a schedule in which a plurality of cores included in the processor of the information processing device execute the calculation process in units of processes.

8. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the capability information is generated based on the number of cores included in the processor provided by the information processing device.

9. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the capability information is generated based on the number of cores dedicated to processing that requires real-time performance.

10. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the capability information is generated based on the number of cores shared by multiple processes that do not require real-time processing.

11. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the capability information is generated based on the execution time measured when each of the cores included in the processor of the information processing device performs a calculation process according to each process of the program.

12. The system further comprises a receiving means for receiving inquiries from an orchestration device that is communicably connected to the control device, The generation means generates the capability information in response to the received inquiry, The transmission means transmits the generated capability information to the orchestration device as a response to the query. The orchestration device generates operation control information that defines the operation of the control device based on the transmitted capability information. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A control system comprising a control device that performs processing for controlling edge devices, and an orchestration device that is communicatively connected to the control device, The orchestration apparatus includes query means for querying the control device, In response to the aforementioned inquiry, a generation means generates capability information representing the capabilities of the control device that can be provided under specified conditions with respect to the aforementioned process, The control device includes a transmission means for transmitting the generated capability information to the orchestration device as a response to the query, The orchestration apparatus includes a generation means that generates operation control information, which defines the operation of the control device, based on the transmitted capability information. A control system equipped with the following features.

14. A method performed by a control device that performs processing for controlling an edge device, A step of generating capability information representing the capabilities of the control device that can be provided under specified conditions with respect to the aforementioned process, The steps include: transmitting the generated capability information and A method that provides for this.

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