IT Topology Specification from Engineering Data and Rule Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional engineering workflows for process automation systems are laborious, error-prone, and incompatible with standard IT mechanisms, making it difficult to generate accurate and efficient IT topology specifications, especially for migrating to new technologies and estimating costs manually.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for automatically generating IT topology specifications using machine-readable data from traditional engineering artifacts like P&IDs, I/O lists, and control narratives, optimizing the data with pre-defined rules to create abstract and specific technology instance data, and enabling automatic cost estimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional engineering workflows are used to generate IT topology specifications, then the process follows established procedures, but the manual effort is laborious and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically generating IT topology specifications from engineering artifacts without requiring manual intervention. The automated workflow extracts data from P&IDs, I/O lists, and control narratives, then generates the specification independently, eliminating manual effort while maintaining high reliability through systematic processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes with automated computational processes. Instead of engineers manually creating IT topology specifications, the system uses automated data extraction, transformation, and generation mechanisms that substitute human labor with algorithmic processing, reducing both time and errors
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional engineering workflows are used, then existing processes are maintained, but they are incompatible with standard IT mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that bridges traditional engineering workflows and standard IT mechanisms. This intermediary automatically transforms engineering data from P&IDs, I/O lists, and control narratives into IT topology specifications that are compatible with standard IT mechanisms, enabling interoperability without requiring complex manual adaptation
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves universality by creating a multi-functional automated workflow that handles multiple engineering artifacts (P&IDs, I/O lists, control narratives) and generates standardized IT topology specifications. This universal approach allows the same process to work across different engineering contexts and IT environments, improving adaptability while simplifying complexity
3Productivity
If manual cost estimation is performed, then experience-based judgment is used, but the process cannot be automated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service cost estimation by automatically calculating IT equipment costs based on the generated topology specification. Instead of relying on manual experience-based judgment, the system independently computes cost estimates from the structured IT topology data, enabling automation while maintaining precision through systematic calculation methods
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for automatic generation of a specification for an IT topology of a control system, the method comprising: creating (S1) a system structure from a machine-readable data defining production process requirements and generating specification data of the IT topology based on the extracted system structure; optimizing (S2) the generated specification data of the IT topology by utilization of pre-defined rules and generating abstract aggregated IT topology data based on the optimized specification data; and instantiating (S3) and mapping the abstract aggregated IT topology data to specific technology instance data.