Control Program State Migration for Live Automation Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
In automation systems, updating a control program while maintaining the current state of the automation system is challenging due to changes in the control program that disrupt the mapping between the control program and the global state, leading to invalid intermediate states and the need for system restarts.
Innovation Solution
A method for updating a control program by generating a migration function to map the data elements of the current control program to the updated control program, allowing seamless transition and avoiding system restarts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the control program is updated to include changes (renamed, removed, or added variables, changed data types), then the control program can achieve optimized operation, but the mapping between the control program and global state is disrupted, causing invalid intermediate states and requiring system restarts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing data migration of the global state before switching to the updated control program. The migration function is prepared in advance to map data elements from the old program to the new program, ensuring that when the program switch occurs, the global state is already consistent with the new program's data structure, preventing invalid intermediate states
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a migration function as an intermediary between the old and new control programs. This migration function acts as a mediator that transforms and maps data elements from the old program's data structure to the new program's data structure, ensuring compatibility and consistency during the transition without requiring system restarts
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cyclic execution of the control program is interrupted to perform data migration, then the control program can be updated with data mapping, but the system operation is temporarily halted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies continuity of useful action by performing the data migration during the cyclic execution of the control program rather than halting the system. The migration function is executed as part of the control cycle, allowing the system to maintain continuous operation while the global state is being migrated, thus minimizing operational interruption
Data Source
AI summary
A method for updating a control program of an automation system with data migration of a program state of the control program is provided. The method comprises generating a first migration function for mapping a first data element to a second data element, interrupting a cyclic execution of a first control program, determining a value of the first data element, where the determined value of the first data element describes a program state of the first control program at the time of the interruption, and mapping the value of the first data element to the second data element by executing a migration function.