SCU Patch Auditing for ICS Connectivity and Performance Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control systems face challenges in determining the success of firmware or software patches on supervisory control units (SCU), as existing methods lack automation for checking connectivity and performance issues post-patch, often requiring manual checks and lacking uniformity in status determination.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that automatically captures status information before and after a software or firmware patch, compares the data to identify deviations, and generates an audit report, allowing for automated actions to address any issues detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual checking methods are used to determine post-patch system status, then flexibility in checking individual devices is maintained, but the time and labor required increases significantly and completeness of checking cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-verification by automatically capturing its own status information before and after patching, comparing the data, and generating audit reports without requiring external manual intervention. The SCU and patch management system work together to autonomously determine patch success and identify any connectivity or performance deviations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automated feedback loops where status information is continuously captured, compared between pre and post-patch states, and used to generate actionable audit reports. This feedback mechanism enables automatic detection of connectivity loss, device disconnections, and performance deviations, eliminating the need for manual checking while providing comprehensive verification.
2Reliability
If comprehensive manual checking of all connected devices is performed after patching, then complete system verification is achieved, but the complexity and resource requirements of the process increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical checking processes with automated electronic data capture and comparison systems. Instead of physically or manually verifying each device connection, the system uses automated status information capture, database storage, and algorithmic comparison to verify system integrity, significantly reducing process complexity while maintaining comprehensive verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patch management system performs multiple functions through a single automated process: it captures pre-patch status, applies the patch, captures post-patch status, compares the data, generates audit reports, and identifies deviations. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate manual checking procedures for different aspects of system verification.
3Productivity
If no automated audit system is implemented, then system simplicity is maintained, but the ability to detect and respond to post-patch issues is severely limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures status information before patching is applied, storing it in a database for later comparison. This preliminary data capture enables post-patch auditing by providing a baseline against which to measure changes, allowing the system to automatically identify any deviations caused by the patch without requiring additional manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated audit system continuously monitors system status by capturing and comparing pre and post-patch information, providing immediate feedback on patch success or failure. The system generates audit reports that highlight connectivity loss, device disconnections, and performance deviations, enabling rapid detection and response to post-patch issues.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for maintaining computer software of a supervisory control unit (SCU) of an industrial control system (ICS) configured to control equipment of a facility. The method includes capturing status information for the SCU and equipment that indicates at least performance of the SCU and the equipment, and connectivity of the SCU with the equipment. The method includes patching the computer software automatically to update, change, fix, or improve the computer software. The method includes capturing corresponding status information for the SCU and equipment and performing an audit of the ICS after the patch in which the status information and the corresponding status information are compared to identify any deviations in the performance or the connectivity of the equipment resulting from the patch. The method includes generating an audit report of the ICS that indicates any of the deviations that satisfy a reporting threshold.