Redundant Controller Link Setup via Name Service Protocol
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face issues with communication link interruptions and delays due to concurrent demands for short and large data frames in Ethernet-based networks, leading to system disturbances and faults, especially in high-availability control systems where setting up connections to redundantly operated controllers is inconvenient and error-prone.
Innovation Solution
A method for setting up communication links between redundantly operated controllers in industrial automation systems, where one controller is active and the other is in reserve, using device identifiers and name service protocols to automatically establish connections without requiring explicit knowledge of the active controller, utilizing protocols like Discovery and Basic Configuration Protocol (DCP) or Multicast DNS, allowing for automatic retrieval and storage of device names and addresses in a Domain Name System.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If Ethernet-based communication networks transmit both short data frames with realtime requirements and large user data frames concurrently, then network resource utilization increases, but transmission delays and loss of realtime data frames occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication network into two separate networks: a first communication network for short data frames with realtime requirements, and a second communication network for large user data frames. This segmentation prevents resource contention between different traffic types, ensuring that realtime transmissions are not delayed by large data transfers while still allowing both types of communication to occur with high resource utilization in各自的 networks.
2Ease of operation
If manual configuration of communication links to redundantly operated controllers is implemented, then connection setup is possible, but development efforts increase and errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service automation where the system automatically configures communication links to redundantly operated controllers without requiring manual intervention. The automated configuration system retrieves device names and addresses, establishes communication parameters, and manages link setup autonomously, thereby reducing both development efforts and potential configuration errors while maintaining ease of operation.
3Reliability
If communication link interruptions are handled by repeating service requests, then communication reliability is maintained, but additional workload and system disturbances increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing redundant communication paths and pre-configuring backup links before interruptions occur. When a communication link interruption is detected, the system can immediately switch to the pre-prepared alternative path without needing to repeat service requests, thereby maintaining communication reliability while avoiding the additional workload and system disturbances that would result from request repetition.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for setting up communication links to redundantly operated controllers in an industrial automation system, in which a first controller is in an active operating state for controlling or regulating a technical process, and a second controller is in a reserve operating state, from which it is placeable into an active operating state in the event the first controller fails, where the first/second controllers respectively store a device identifier associated with the first/second controllers, information about associations between device names and communication network addresses of the first/second controllers is provided in accordance with a name service protocol within at least one subnetwork associated with the first/second controllers, and where retrieval of a piece of address or name information for one of the two controllers involves automatically providing the piece of address or name information to setup a communication link to the other controller based on the respective device identifier.