Controller Module Orchestration for Flexible Redundant Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network control systems lack flexibility in deploying Application Modules (AMs), which are typically fixed in a 1:1 ratio with controller platforms, limiting scalability and requiring additional hardware for expansion, and inflexible in handling redundant configurations.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a Control Application Module Orchestrator (CAMO) enables dynamic deployment of AMs in flexible ratios (1:1, 1:N, N:N) across controller platforms, allowing multiple AMs to run on a single platform and rebalancing resources based on available processing and memory, using an I/O mesh network for shared resources and redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Application Modules are deployed in a fixed 1:1 ratio with controller platforms, then each controller platform hosts only one AM, but this limits scalability and requires additional hardware for expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables a single controller platform to host multiple Application Modules simultaneously, transforming the traditional one-to-one mapping into a one-to-many relationship. This multi-functionality allows the controller platform to serve multiple control functions without requiring additional hardware, thereby improving deployment flexibility while reducing hardware complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically allocates and redistributes Application Modules across controller platforms based on resource availability and operational requirements. The orchestrator can move AMs between controllers in real-time, enabling flexible scaling and load balancing without fixed hardware assignments, thus resolving the contradiction between deployment flexibility and hardware requirements
2Reliability
If redundant controller platforms are deployed for high availability, then system reliability improves, but the fixed 1:1 AM deployment ratio limits flexibility in handling redundant configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The orchestrator dynamically manages AM deployment across redundant controller platforms, allowing AMs to be moved between primary and backup controllers based on operational state and resource availability. This dynamic management enables flexible redundancy configurations where multiple AMs can share a backup controller, improving both reliability and configurability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows multiple backup Application Modules to be consolidated on a single controller platform, merging redundancy resources that were traditionally distributed one-to-one. This consolidation maintains system reliability while providing greater flexibility in redundancy configuration and reducing the number of required controller platforms
3Productivity
If multiple AMs are deployed on a single controller platform, then scalability improves without additional hardware, but resource management and load balancing become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The orchestrator acts as an intermediary layer between Application Modules and controller platforms, managing resource allocation, monitoring system state, and performing load balancing. This intermediary abstracts the complexity of multi-AM resource management, enabling scalable deployment while maintaining manageable system complexity through centralized coordination
Solution Approach 2:
The orchestrator continuously monitors resource consumption and system performance metrics from controller platforms hosting multiple AMs. Based on this feedback, it dynamically adjusts AM placement and resource allocation to optimize performance and maintain load balance, thereby enabling scalability while managing resource complexity through real-time adaptive control
Data Source
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AI summary
A network control system (200) within an industrial processing facility (IPF) includes a controller platforms coupled to one another by a private path redundancy network (170) providing a controller pool, each controller platform having at least one controller (211, 212, controller N, 218, 219, 261, 262) including computing hardware (171) and a memory (172). An application module (AM) pool (231, 232) includes a plurality of AMs, wherein the controller platforms are coupled by an input/output mesh network (140) to input/output devices (145) coupled to field devices (150) that are coupled to processing equipment (160) in the IPF. A control application module orchestrator (CAMO) (240) coupled to the plant-wide network is for dynamically deploying the AM's to the controller platforms, wherein the CAMO receives resource consumption attribute data regarding the controller platforms including a pool of available storage in the memory and processing resources available for the computer hardware. Based on the resource consumption attributes, the plurality of AMs are at least partially automatically deployed to the controller platforms.