Industrial Plant OT-IT Dependency Tracing for Root Cause Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial plants face challenges in diagnosing and remediating faults due to the complex interdependencies between operation technology (OT) and information technology (IT) in distributed control systems, where manual tracking of dynamic changes is impractical and identifying root causes is time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method to determine the dependencies of OT equipment on IT equipment within an industrial plant, using system specifications and discovery mechanisms to create a representation of the IT landscape, allowing for automated analysis and troubleshooting by identifying potential causes in the IT domain for OT equipment issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If manual tracking of dynamic changes in IT landscape is performed, then completeness of dependency information may be maintained, but diagnostic time and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically discovering and storing IT landscape dependencies in advance of fault occurrences. The dependency discovery mechanism proactively maps relationships between IT components and OT equipment, creating a ready-to-use dependency model that eliminates the need for manual tracking during actual diagnostic operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical tracking methods with automated electronic discovery mechanisms. Software agents and discovery protocols automatically probe the IT infrastructure, dynamically identify dependencies, and update the dependency model without human intervention, substituting manual information gathering with automated electronic processes.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive dependency analysis is performed across entire IT landscape, then root cause identification accuracy improves, but analysis complexity and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dependency discovery mechanism segments the analysis by focusing on specific IT components and their direct dependencies on OT equipment. Rather than analyzing the entire IT landscape simultaneously, the system divides the problem into manageable segments by component type and dependency scope, reducing overall complexity while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by tailoring the depth and scope of dependency analysis to each specific IT component and its criticality to OT operations. High-criticality components receive more detailed analysis while less critical components receive streamlined assessment, optimizing resource allocation and reducing unnecessary complexity in the overall analysis system.
3Reliability
If dynamic changes in IT landscape are manually monitored, then dependency accuracy is maintained, but operational effort and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dependency discovery mechanism operates autonomously without requiring manual intervention. Software agents self-probe the IT infrastructure, automatically detect changes in the IT landscape, update dependency relationships, and maintain accuracy through self-service operations. This eliminates the need for manual monitoring while preserving dependency reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where the dependency discovery mechanism regularly probes the IT landscape, detects changes, and updates the dependency model accordingly. This automated feedback mechanism ensures dependency accuracy is maintained dynamically without manual effort, as the system continuously adapts to changes in the IT environment.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer-implemented method (100) for determining the dependency of a given piece (2) of operational technology, OT, equipment in a given industrial plant (1) on information technology, IT, equipment (4), comprising the steps of: • querying (110), from a distributed control system, DCS, of the industrial plant (1), which of a plurality of controllers (3) is responsible for the piece of OT equipment (2); • determining (120), from a representation (4a) of the information technology, IT, landscape of the industrial plant (1), pieces (4) of IT equipment on which the correct functioning of the controller (3) is dependent; and • determining (130) these pieces (4) of IT equipment as the subset (5) of the IT landscape on which the given piece of OT equipment (2) depends.