Redundant Controller Rebuilding for Memory Leak Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing control systems in plant facilities face instability due to memory leaks, making it difficult to maintain reliability and real-time performance, especially when multiple applications need to be rebooted simultaneously, which complicates resource allocation and queue management.

Innovation Solution

A control device with a selecting unit that outputs arithmetic processing results from multiple applications and an application managing unit that identifies target applications for rebuilding, ensuring reliability by rebooting or reinstalling them before instability occurs, using a mechanism that maintains sufficient running applications to secure system reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple applications are rebooted simultaneously to address memory leaks, then software reliability is improved, but system stability deteriorates due to resource allocation complications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoftware reliabilityVSAvoidsystem stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by determining whether to reboot applications before actually performing the reboot. The control device evaluates the current state of multiple applications and decides on reboot targets in advance, ensuring that sufficient applications remain running to maintain system stability while addressing memory leak issues proactively

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If applications are rebooted as preventive maintenance before instability occurs, then operation stability is improved, but system complexity increases due to resource allocation management

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperation stabilityVSAvoidresource allocation management
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by enabling applications to perform self-determination regarding their reboot status. Each application's state is evaluated independently, and the control device makes autonomous decisions about which applications to reboot based on their individual states, reducing the complexity of centralized resource allocation management

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Duration of action of stationary object

If queue management is used to manage process rebooting, then service continuity is improved, but real-time performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidreal-time performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the reboot management function from a queue-based process into a dedicated control device that directly manages application states. This eliminates the intermediate queue management layer, enabling real-time decision-making about application reboots while maintaining service continuity through coordinated multi-application management

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4307119A1Control device, control system, control method, and control program
Publication Date: 2024.01.17 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP4307119A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4307119A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4307119A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a control device, a selecting unit 160 selects and outputs the arithmetic processing result based on the arithmetic processing results output from a plurality of controllers 141 to 143 performing predetermined arithmetic processing. An application managing unit 170 selects one or more of the controllers 141 to 143 as target controllers for rebuilding; determines whether or not the reliability of the output of the selecting unit 160 can be secured according to the arithmetic processing performed by the controllers other than the target controllers for rebuilding; and, when the reliability can be secured, carries out rebuilding of the target controllers for rebuilding.