Industrial System Configuration Management via Service Abstraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control systems face challenges in interoperability and consistency among products from different vendors, leading to complex integration and management issues, where engineers must focus on technical details rather than application-level concerns, and there is a lack of smooth transition for changes in system configurations, affecting the system's ability to provide higher-level information and reduce configuration complexity.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing and developing industrial systems by collecting and processing intelligence to generate configuration units that define the industrial system's functionality, using a configuration component to produce configuration records and a service generator to expose specific functionality, along with a management component that responds to queries and requests for updates, and a design component that identifies operational improvements and generates solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple products from different vendors are integrated into an industrial automation system, then the system's functionality and capabilities are improved, but the interoperability and consistency between components deteriorate, leading to complex integration and management issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal service-oriented architecture where configuration records and services provide consistent functionality across multiple vendor products. The configuration component generates standardized configuration records that can be used with different hardware platforms, and the service generator creates uniform service interfaces that abstract away vendor-specific details, enabling one service to work with multiple different product types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces configuration records and services as intermediary layers between the control application and the diverse hardware components. These intermediaries standardize the interface between software and hardware, translating vendor-specific component details into a unified configuration model that simplifies integration and management of multi-vendor systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If engineers focus on underlying technical details such as implementation and glue logic, then the integration of components is achieved, but the focus on application level concerns and functional requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the integration process into distinct phases: configuration record generation, service generation, and deployment. The configuration component handles the technical integration details by generating configuration records, while the service generator handles service interface creation. This segmentation allows engineers to focus on functional requirements at the service level while the technical integration is automated through the configuration and service generation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service through automated configuration record generation and service generation. The configuration component automatically generates configuration records from system information, and the service generator automatically creates service interfaces based on configuration records. This automation eliminates the need for engineers to manually handle technical integration details, freeing them to focus on application-level functional design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system configuration is changed to improve functionality, then the system's capability is enhanced, but the transition smoothness and configuration management become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic configuration management where the configuration component continuously monitors system changes and automatically generates updated configuration records. The service generator dynamically creates or updates services based on the current configuration state. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to functional changes while automatically managing the configuration complexity, making it easier to operate despite enhanced capabilities.
4Reliability
If control engineers deal with nonfunctional requirements such as DCOM, TCP, and transaction rates, then the technical integration is addressed, but the design of functional requirements providing direct value is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses configuration records and services as intermediaries that encapsulate nonfunctional requirements. Technical details such as communication protocols and transaction rates are handled at the configuration record level, while services provide a clean interface for functional requirement design. This allows control engineers to address technical integration concerns through automated configuration generation while focusing on high-level functional design at the service level.
Data Source
AI summary
System(s), apparatus(es) and method(s) are provided for to managing and developing an industrial system included in the industrial environment. Intelligence related to a configuration of the industrial system is collected and processed to generate information related to operational condition(s) of the industrial system. Intelligence can be collected actively or passively: In active collection, a platform that collects the intelligence retrieves configuration record(s) from the industrial system, whereas in passive collection, the platform received one or more configuration records from the industrial automation system. Collected intelligence is cast into a set of configuration units that defines industrial system and functionality thereof. In addition, a set of services configured to convey specific functionality associated with at least one configuration unit is composed. At least a portion of the generated information can be supplied to the industrial system or one or more components thereof in accordance with a policy configured by the industrial automation system.