Redundant Configuration Construction Without Stopping Computing Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In power generation plants, momentary stoppages of control computation for tens or hundreds of milliseconds can cause serious situations like power failures or accidents, and existing methods for constructing redundant configurations require stopping computing processing, which is not acceptable.
Innovation Solution
A computing device with a detection unit to identify a newly added device and a construction processing unit that transmits initial state information and periodic change differences to ensure a redundant configuration is built without stopping active computing processing, using a primary and secondary server setup with virtual OS to maintain consistent states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full copy process is performed to copy all data stored in memory of operating subsystem to memory of newly added subsystem, then redundant configuration can be constructed, but computing processing must be temporarily stopped which causes momentary stoppage unacceptable in power generation plants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a full copy of memory data from the operating subsystem to the newly added subsystem before switching to incremental updates. This initial complete copy establishes a baseline redundant configuration, after which only change differences need to be transmitted, enabling the system to achieve redundancy without stopping computing processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action through incremental copy processes that repeatedly transmit only the change differences (data that have changed since the last copy) from the operating subsystem to the newly added subsystem. This periodic transmission of updates maintains data consistency while allowing the operating subsystem to continue computing processing without interruption.
2Stability of the object's composition
If operating control device is temporarily stopped to copy change difference during full copy process, then data consistency between redundant devices is achieved, but control computation stoppage causes serious situations like power failure or accident
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuity of useful action by allowing the operating control device to continue computing processing throughout the redundant configuration construction. Instead of stopping the device, the system continuously transmits change differences incrementally, maintaining both data consistency and uninterrupted control computation, thereby eliminating the risk of power failure or accidents.
3Reliability
If state information is repeatedly transmitted with change differences during construction processing, then redundant configuration is successfully constructed without stopping computing processing, but transmission time and communication overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the change differences (data that have changed since the last copy) from the operating subsystem's memory and transmits only these extracted portions to the newly added subsystem. This extraction approach minimizes transmission data volume compared to sending complete memory contents repeatedly, reducing communication overhead and transmission time while still achieving data consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device for configuring a redundant system includes: a detection unit configured to detect another computing device newly added to the redundant system during operation of the computing device; and a construction processing unit configured to execute construction processing for constructing a redundant configuration with the other computing device. The construction processing unit includes a first transmission unit for identifying construction start state information, and transmitting the construction start state information to the other computing device, and a second transmission unit for repeatedly performing identification of a change difference that arises in the state information as a result of computing processing of the computing device performed after identifying the construction start state information, from a time when the construction start state information was identified or a time when a previous timing was reached, and transmission of the change difference to the another computing device.