Service-Based Industrial Control Code Partitioning by Criticality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control applications for industrial plants are often partitioned based on physical process topology, leading to challenges in hardware maintenance, firmware updates, and limited utilization of cloud and edge-server capabilities due to reliability and response time requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method for segmenting control code into nano-services based on criticality, allowing deployment across a heterogeneous computing environment comprising PLCs, local edge clusters, and cloud platforms, optimizing performance and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control applications are implemented on dedicated on-premises hardware (PLCs), then reliability and response times are improved, but hardware maintenance complexity and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of control applications that can run on standardized hardware or cloud infrastructure. By virtualizing the control software and using containerization technologies, the system maintains the reliability of dedicated hardware while eliminating the need for physical PLCs, thereby reducing hardware maintenance complexity and operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical PLC hardware system with a software-based virtualization system. By substituting dedicated control hardware with virtualized control applications running on general-purpose servers or cloud platforms, the system achieves similar or superior reliability while dramatically simplifying maintenance and reducing hardware dependencies.
2Adaptability or versatility
If control code is partitioned into fine-grained code blocks, then adaptability and update capability are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments control applications into modular, fine-grained code blocks or microservices that can be independently developed, deployed, and updated. This segmentation enables high adaptability and update capability while the use of standardized interfaces and containerization technologies keeps system complexity manageable through automated orchestration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic code block partitioning where the granularity and structure of code segments can be adjusted based on operational requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize between fine-grained modularity for adaptability and coarser granularity for simplicity, depending on the specific control application needs.
3Ease of operation
If cloud-based or edge-server solutions are used, then operational costs and hardware dependencies are reduced, but reliability and response times deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different parts of the control system to run in different environments based on their specific requirements. Critical real-time control functions can execute locally on edge servers or premises infrastructure for high reliability, while less time-sensitive functions can run on cloud-based services for cost efficiency, creating a hybrid architecture that optimizes both reliability and operational costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for providing a service-based control application for an industrial plant includes automatically segmenting an initial control code for the industrial plant into a plurality of code blocks and automatically creating a plurality of services, each service implementing the functionality of one or more of the plurality of code blocks. The automatically creating of the plurality of services is carried out considering a similarity of a criticality assigned to each of the plurality of code blocks, such that code blocks having more similar criticality are more likely to be implemented within the same service.