Industrial Infrastructure Design Optimization via MILP
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for designing industrial infrastructure components are inadequate for handling hierarchical architectures, leading to inefficiencies in communication, maintainability, extensibility, and adaptability, particularly in industrial environments where applications are distributed across heterogeneous compute nodes with varying capabilities and network properties.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using mixed integer optimization (MILP) to optimize the design of infrastructure components, minimizing the number of required computing nodes and connections while considering capability-specific and transmission-specific resource capacities, ensuring seamless data exchange and efficient resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hierarchical automation structure according to ISA-95 is used, then system robustness and predictability are improved, but adaptability and flexibility for production changes deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the infrastructure into heterogeneous compute nodes with different capability profiles, allowing independent selection and optimization of nodes for specific application workloads. This segmentation enables the system to maintain hierarchical structure benefits while improving adaptability through flexible node composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces capability-specific resource capacity parameters and transmission-specific resource capacity parameters as variable characteristics of compute nodes and connections. By optimizing infrastructure design based on these variable parameters, the system achieves both robustness and adaptability to changing production requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heterogeneous hardware and software are used in industrial infrastructure, then system functionality and capability are improved, but communication homogeneity and maintainability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces communication protocols as intermediaries that translate between different capability-specific and transmission-specific protocols. This intermediary layer enables heterogeneous components to communicate effectively while maintaining protocol consistency, thereby improving maintainability without sacrificing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs compute nodes and connections with universal interfaces that can handle multiple capability-specific and transmission-specific protocols. This multi-functionality allows heterogeneous hardware and software to work together while maintaining communication homogeneity through standardized interaction patterns.
3Productivity
If infrastructure components are designed to support predetermined applications, then application execution capability is improved, but infrastructure flexibility for future extensions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the infrastructure with dynamic characteristics, where compute nodes can be selectively activated or deactivated based on current application demands. Connections can be dynamically routed through different paths. This dynamic design enables the infrastructure to support current applications efficiently while remaining flexible for future extensions.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the infrastructure into independent compute nodes with distinct capability profiles, the system allows selective deployment of nodes based on future extension requirements. This modular segmentation enables the infrastructure to maintain high application execution capability for current uses while preserving extensibility for future applications.
4Quantity of substance
If the number of computing nodes and connections is reduced, then infrastructure costs are minimized, but system capability and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the number and configuration of compute nodes and connections by changing resource capacity parameters. Instead of uniformly increasing infrastructure capacity, the system adjusts capability-specific and transmission-specific parameters to match actual application demands, achieving cost minimization while maintaining required reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by selectively deploying compute nodes and connections only where and when needed, rather than providing full capacity everywhere. This partial deployment reduces infrastructure costs while maintaining system capability through strategic placement of resources based on application requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention claims a method for designing infrastructure components of an industrial infrastructure on which software components of one or more applications with a predetermined set of such applications are to be executed, wherein the infrastructure components are formed from a predetermined set of computing nodes (C) and/or a predetermined set of network nodes (N), wherein the software components exchange and/or transfer data with each other via interfaces (I01 to I03, I13), wherein the computing nodes are each connectable or connected to at least one computing node and/or network node via a connection, which is at least part of a communication network belonging to the infrastructure, to which at least one of the computing nodes is connected,wherein the computing nodes each have capabilities depending on their capability-specific resource capacities and the connections each have transmission-specific resource capacities, wherein each software component of an application is assigned to only one computing node on which it can be executed taking into account the capability-specific resource capacities, and that for each interface between at least two of these assigned software components, one connection or several connections coupled in series via one or more network nodes is or are selected taking into account the transmission-specific resource capacities, characterized in that the said infrastructure with its infrastructure components is designed in such an optimized manner that the number of computing nodes required to execute the software components of the predetermined set of applications,as well as the consumption of their capability-specific resource capacities and the number of selected connections as well as the use of transmission-specific resource capacities are minimized.