Deploy Service Coordination for Synchronized Runtime Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
In automation systems, traditional end-to-end deploy mechanisms for configuration data to runtime services are not synchronized, leading to inefficiencies due to proprietary protocols and formats used by engineering tools, making coordinated deployment infeasible.
Innovation Solution
A deploy service acts as an intermediary between engineering services and runtime services, obtaining and forwarding configuration collections, receiving acknowledgments, and instructing services to apply configurations only when all can do so, enabling synchronized deployment with rollback or partial deployment options if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional end-to-end deploy mechanism is used, then each engineering tool can deploy configuration data independently, but synchronized deployment across multiple services becomes infeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a deploy service as an intermediary component that coordinates deployment across multiple engineering tools and runtime services. This deploy service receives configuration data from various engineering tools, manages the deployment process centrally, and ensures synchronized application across target services, thereby enabling coordination without requiring complex end-to-end connections between each tool and service
Solution Approach 2:
The deploy service serves multiple functions: it acts as a central coordinator for multiple engineering tools, manages configuration data from different sources, handles deployment to multiple runtime services, and provides rollback capabilities. This multi-functional approach allows a single component to handle the complexity of coordinated deployment across the entire system
2Productivity
If proprietary deploy protocols and data formats are used by each engineering tool, then each tool can operate independently, but synchronized deploy across multiple services becomes infeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The deploy service standardizes the interface parameters and data formats for configuration deployment. It defines a common protocol for receiving configuration data from engineering tools and sending deployment status to runtime services, transforming the varied proprietary formats into a unified standard that enables coordinated deployment while maintaining compatibility with different tools
3Ease of manufacture
If configuration collections are applied to RT services without checking readiness, then deployment process is simplified, but deployment reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The deploy service performs preliminary actions before applying configuration collections to runtime services. It first sends configuration data to target services for validation, checks their readiness and compatibility, and only then proceeds with the actual deployment. This preliminary validation ensures that configurations are applied only when services are ready, maintaining both simplicity and reliability
4Stability of the object's composition
If all configuration collections are deployed simultaneously to all RT services, then synchronized deploy is achieved, but rollback capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The deploy service segments the deployment process into distinct phases and tracks the status of each configuration collection separately. It divides the overall deployment into individual deployable units, allowing selective rollback of specific configurations or services without affecting the entire system. This segmentation enables both synchronization control and granular rollback capability
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a deploy service for coordinated deploy to RT services in an automation system. The method includes, from each of a plurality of engineering services, obtaining at least one configuration collection, each configuration collection being addressed to a specific one of the RT services. The method also includes forwarding each of the obtained configuration collections to the RT service to which it is addressed. The method also includes, for each of the configuration collections, in response to the forwarding thereof, receiving an acknowledgement from the RT service to which it was forwarded, indicating that the RT service is able to apply the configuration collection. The method also includes, in response to receiving the acknowledgements for all of the configuration collections, instructing each of the RT services from which the acknowledgements were received to apply the configuration collections.