Virtualized Control Resource Switching for Punctual Operations

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional control systems face challenges in maintaining punctuality when using virtual machines, as computer resources cannot be strictly managed, leading to difficulties in satisfying application requirements.

Innovation Solution

A control system that includes a metric acquisition unit, preparation unit, and switching unit to detect failures, prepare substitute candidates, and switch to a selected computer resource with optimal metrics, ensuring punctuality by managing resource availability and state matching.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a virtual machine is used as a control system, then resource flexibility and scalability are improved, but punctuality and reliability of control operations deteriorate due to inability to strictly manage computer resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource flexibilityVSAvoidpunctuality of control

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting failures in advance (first stage) and preparing substitute computer resources before they are actually needed. The preparation unit creates standby resources and maintains their internal states, so when a failure occurs in the second stage, switching can happen immediately without delay, thus maintaining punctuality while using virtual machines.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The preparation unit copies the internal state of the failed computer resource to the selected substitute candidate. This copying mechanism ensures that the substitute resource can immediately take over without needing to reinitialize or reload data, enabling fast switching that meets punctuality requirements while maintaining the flexibility of virtual machine-based control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If strict management of computer resources is implemented, then punctuality of control operations is improved, but resource flexibility and scalability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepunctuality of controlVSAvoidresource flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting failures in advance (first stage) and preparing substitute computer resources before they are actually needed. The preparation unit creates standby resources and maintains their internal states, so when a failure occurs in the second stage, switching can happen immediately without delay, thus maintaining punctuality while using virtual machines.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The preparation unit copies the internal state of the failed computer resource to the selected substitute candidate. This copying mechanism ensures that the substitute resource can immediately take over without needing to reinitialize or reload data, enabling fast switching that meets punctuality requirements while maintaining the flexibility of virtual machine-based control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Loss of time

If substitute computer resources are prepared in advance, then switching speed during failure is improved, but system complexity and resource overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveswitching timeVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The preparation unit copies the internal state of the failed computer resource to the selected substitute candidate. This copying mechanism ensures that the substitute resource can immediately take over without needing to reinitialize or reload data, enabling fast switching that meets punctuality requirements while maintaining the flexibility of virtual machine-based control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

When a failure is resolved after a substitute is selected, the preparation unit withdraws the preparation for the selected computer resource. This allows the system to recover and reuse resources, reducing overhead when failures don't persist and preventing permanent allocation of standby resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP4726553A1Control system, control method, and control service provision system

Publication Date: 2026.04.15 HITACHI LTD

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AI summary

A control system 110 includes a diagnosis unit 32 configured to acquire a metric of a computer resource used to control a controlled object 120 and a device management unit 31 configured to detect a failure in a computer resource based on the metric, prepare a plurality of substitute candidates for a failed computer resource, and select a computer resource that substitutes for the failed computer resource from among the substitute candidates based on metrics about the plurality of substitute candidates. Furthermore, the device management unit 31 switches from the failed computer resource to the selected computer resource. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the control system, a control method, and a control service delivery system that can satisfy a punctuality requirement required by an application even when the computer resources cannot be strictly managed.