Intelligent Alarm Sensor Message Scheduling for Distributed Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed real-time computer systems, existing technologies face challenges in reliably and efficiently transporting alarm messages, especially during 'alarm storms' where numerous simultaneous alarms occur, requiring the communication system to handle a large load while ensuring timely reporting of alarm times within a specified real-time limit.
Innovation Solution
Intelligent alarm sensors send two types of timed messages: alert messages with a predetermined transport period and error detection messages with a longer predetermined period, including timestamps of alarm events within an observation interval that ends before message sending, and synchronizing message sending times to summarize multiple messages, using the TT Ethernet protocol and electronic signatures for data protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alarm messages are sent frequently to ensure reliable reporting during alarm storms, then reliability of alarm reporting is improved, but communication system load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic error detection messages sent at predetermined intervals to verify sensor functionality and detect failures. This periodic approach ensures reliable monitoring during alarm storms without requiring continuous communication, thereby maintaining reliability while controlling communication load.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary error detection and validation before alarm messages are generated during alarm storms. By pre-verifying sensor functionality and detecting potential failures in advance, the system ensures reliable alarm reporting without increasing communication load during critical events.
2Loss of information
If the alarm observation interval is extended to capture more alarm events, then completeness of alarm data is improved, but response time to report alarms increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the alarm observation interval parameters based on system conditions. By optimizing the interval length to be sufficient for capturing alarm events while maintaining predetermined timing constraints, the system achieves complete alarm data capture without excessive response delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic alarm message transmission at predetermined intervals, where each period captures a specific observation window of alarm events. This periodic structure ensures that alarm data is collected comprehensively within defined timeframes and reported systematically, balancing completeness with timely response.
3Reliability
If error detection messages are sent frequently to monitor sensor functionality, then detection of sensor failures is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Error detection messages are transmitted periodically at predetermined intervals rather than continuously. This periodic transmission maintains reliable sensor failure detection capability while significantly reducing bandwidth consumption compared to continuous monitoring approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements error detection at strategic intervals that provide sufficient monitoring coverage without excessive bandwidth usage. By applying partial monitoring at predetermined periods rather than continuous detection, the system achieves adequate failure detection while conserving communication resources.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the reliable transport of alarm messages in a distributed computer system, which comprises computer system components, in particular a plurality of components, wherein the components are node computers, distribution units, sensors, preferably intelligent sensors, and actuators, preferably intelligent actuators, and wherein all components have access to a global time of known precision, and wherein the node computers, intelligent sensors, and intelligent actuators exchange messages via the distribution units. It is provided that the computer system includes intelligent alarm sensors or that intelligent alarm sensors are assigned to the computer system, and wherein an intelligent alarm sensor sends two types of time-controlled messages: alarm messages with an a priori predetermined alarm transport period.and fault detection messages with an a priori predetermined fault detection period, and wherein an alarm message contains the timestamps of the occurrence of alarm events in an alarm observation interval, wherein the alarm observation interval ends immediately before the alarm message is sent and is at least twice as long as the alarm transport period, and wherein an alarm message is only sent if at least one timestamp of an alarm event is included in the alarm message, and wherein the periodic fault detection messages contain the current states of all alarms that are active immediately before the fault detection message is sent.