Industrial Automation Network Partitioning for Guaranteed QoS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in reliably managing message traffic with numerous short messages, which complicates the provision of quality of service parameters like bandwidth, latency, and availability for multiple users in communication networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and control unit that divide the communication network into partitions with predeterminable resource shares, ensuring quality of service parameters are guaranteed for each user, and dynamically manage system resources and routing functions to meet user service requirements, including real-time data streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the communication network is divided into partitions with predeterminable resource shares, then quality of service parameters are guaranteed for each user, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication network is divided into multiple partitions, with each partition assigned to a specific user and containing predetermined shares of system resources. This segmentation isolates resource allocation for each user, ensuring that quality of service parameters (bandwidth, latency, availability) are guaranteed within each partition without affecting other users. The control unit manages each partition independently, simplifying the verification of resource availability and service requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If system resources are dynamically managed to meet user service requirements, then adaptability to changing communication service requirements is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit dynamically manages system resources by verifying availability along identified paths within each partition when communication service requirements change. The predetermined resource shares in each partition can be reallocated dynamically based on user needs, allowing the network to adapt to changing service requirements (such as real-time data streams or varying bandwidth demands) while maintaining quality of service guarantees. This dynamic management is simplified by the partitioned structure, which isolates resource verification to specific partitions rather than the entire network.
3Reliability
If guaranteed quality of service parameters are determined for each end node pair, then communication reliability is improved, but loss of time in resource verification increases
Solution Approach 1:
System resources are divided into partitions with predetermined resource shares allocated to each user in advance. When a communication service request is made, the control unit only needs to verify whether the required resources are available within the specific partition assigned to that user, rather than verifying across the entire network. This preliminary organization of resources into partitions significantly reduces the time required for resource verification while maintaining communication reliability through guaranteed quality of service parameters.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to the invention, at least one control unit controls functions of a plurality of communication devices for operating a communication network, comprising a plurality of communication devices, for an industrial automation system. The communication network is subdivided into a plurality of partitions which each comprise a plurality of end nodes as service access points and predeterminable shares of system resources of communication devices. Guaranteeable service quality parameters, which may be mapped in a multi-dimensional service quality parameter matrix for each partition, are determined for data transmission within the partitions, in each case by a pair of end nodes and in a manner dependent on direction. Each partition is assigned uniquely in each case to a user together with the guaranteeable service quality parameters. Potentially available system resources and authorizations for the users are specified by the partition assigned in each case.