Management Controller PROFINET Integration for OT Server Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of solutions for integrating servers and other traditional IT compute resources within an industrial automation control (OT) environment, limiting the ability to manage and configure these resources effectively within OT networks.
Innovation Solution
The method involves loading a driver stack for an industrial automation control communication protocol, such as PROFINET, into a management controller of a server, connecting it to an IAC network, and performing operations to integrate the management controller into the IAC network as a remotely manageable resource, including discovering and configuring the management controller resources like network interface cards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional IT assets are integrated into OT networks, then interoperability and operational efficiency are enhanced, but device complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The management controller is equipped with multiple communication protocol stacks (both IT protocols like TCP/IP and OT protocols like PROFINET, Ethernet/IP) enabling it to function across both IT and OT networks simultaneously. This multi-functionality allows a single device to bridge the two previously separate domains, enhancing interoperability without requiring multiple specialized devices
Solution Approach 2:
The management controller serves as an intermediary device between IT networks and OT control networks. By loading appropriate driver stacks for different protocols, it mediates communication between these heterogeneous systems, enabling IT assets to be managed within OT environments while reducing direct integration complexity
2Ease of operation
If management controller is integrated into IAC network with driver stack, then remote manageability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The driver stack for the industrial automation control protocol is pre-loaded into the management controller before integration into the IAC network. This preliminary configuration ensures that the controller is immediately capable of communicating using OT protocols upon network integration, enabling remote manageability without requiring complex post-deployment configuration steps
Solution Approach 2:
The management controller autonomously manages its own configuration and communication protocols by loading the appropriate driver stack internally. This self-service capability reduces the need for external configuration complexity while maintaining ease of remote operation, as the controller can independently establish communications using both IT and OT protocols
Data Source
AI summary
A disclosed method includes loading a driver stack for an industrial automation control (IAC) communication protocol into a management controller of a server, connecting the management controller to an IAC network interconnect, and communicating with the driver stack to perform operations for integrating the management controller into the IAC network as a remotely manageable resource of the IAC network. The integrating may include discovering the management controller, obtaining configuration information from the management controller, indicative of a configurable management controller resource, and configuring a setting of the resource. The configurable management controller resource may be a network interface card (NIC) and the configurable setting may be an Internet protocol (IP) address of the NIC. In at least some embodiments, the driver stack is a PROFINET stack and performing the operations includes Discovery and Basic Configuration Protocol (DCP) requests and responses.