Enterprise Configuration Database for Multi-Site Process Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial process control and automation systems face challenges in integrating multiple sites of an enterprise due to the Purdue model's limitations, leading to security issues, increased latency, and inflexibility when using cloud-based or virtualized computing resources, and managing configuration changes across diverse hardware and software models.
Innovation Solution
A compute fabric architecture that abstracts higher-level business logic from specific hardware, using containerized components for flexible and secure process control, monitoring, and configuration, with a centralized configuration database supporting dual-mode configuration across multiple sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a centralized configuration database is implemented to manage configuration changes across multiple sites, then configuration management efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges configuration management across multiple geographically distributed sites into a single centralized configuration database. This allows configuration changes to be made once and propagated to all sites, eliminating the need for separate configuration management at each location and significantly improving configuration management efficiency while the system handles complexity internally.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized configuration database acts as an intermediary between control system administrators and the distributed control systems at multiple sites. It provides a unified interface for configuration management and automatically distributes configuration data to the appropriate sites, reducing the complexity burden on users while maintaining centralized control.
2Loss of energy
If cloud-based computing resources are used for process control, then resource costs are reduced, but security issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system architecture into edge computing devices deployed at each site and centralized cloud-based computing resources. The edge devices handle local real-time control and data processing, while the cloud resources provide centralized configuration management, historical data storage, and analytics. This segmentation allows the system to leverage cost-effective cloud resources while maintaining security through local edge devices that directly control the process.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the Purdue model is used for system architecture, then system structure is standardized, but flexibility and latency are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic configuration capabilities that allow the control system architecture to adapt to different operational requirements. The centralized configuration database enables runtime configuration changes without requiring system shutdown or reconfiguration of the physical architecture. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain the standardized Purdue model structure while achieving flexibility through software-based configuration that can be modified in response to changing process requirements.
4Reliability
If multiple sites are managed separately as independent control systems, then system autonomy is maintained, but integration and configuration management become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal centralized configuration database that serves multiple functions across different sites and control systems. This single database structure can manage configuration data for any number of geographically distributed sites, providing both local autonomy and centralized management capabilities. The database is designed to handle diverse configuration requirements while maintaining a unified management interface, making configuration management easier without compromising site autonomy.
Data Source
AI summary
An enterprise engineering and configuration system includes a common configuration database and support services stored in and executed in a compute fabric of an enterprise. The configuration database and support services use and implement a common configuration data schema to support the configuration of hardware and software in the compute fabric and at multiple different sites or physical locations of the enterprise even when different control and automation systems are used at these different sites or physical locations. The configuration system enables implementing hardware or software configuration changes to various different sites or locations of an enterprise either centrally from a configuration device connected directly to the compute fabric of the enterprise or locally from any physical location or site of the enterprise, while maintaining a single integrated enterprise configuration database that stores configuration data for each of the multiple sites of the enterprise. This configuration system is flexible as it enables engineering and configuration changes to be made by users anywhere in the enterprise for any of the sites of the enterprise and across different sites of the enterprise.