Virtual Control Unit Deployment Templates for Reliable Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing virtual control units across machines from different manufacturers in industrial automation facilities is challenging due to the separation of software and hardware, leading to difficulties in integrated machine control and operation.
Innovation Solution
A method and software artifact for managing virtual control units involve generating deployment templates with criteria for compute nodes, instantiating these units on appropriate nodes, and validating their deployment using attestation to ensure reliable and flexible operation, enabling dynamic reconfiguration and high availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If virtual control units are implemented separately from hardware in a compute environment, then automation functions can be flexibly managed and dynamically reconfigured, but managing operation of machines from different manufacturers becomes challenging and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal management system that can handle virtual control units from different manufacturers through a common interface and standardized protocols. The system uses a unified deployment template format that can describe virtual control units regardless of their original manufacturer, enabling multi-vendor machine operation through a single management platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary management system that acts as a mediator between diverse virtual control units and the compute environment. This intermediary layer standardizes communication and management interfaces, allowing reliable operation of machines from different manufacturers by translating various vendor-specific control unit interfaces into a unified management framework.
2Adaptability or versatility
If virtual control units are dynamically instantiated on compute nodes, then flexibility and dynamic reconfiguration are improved, but ensuring valid deployment and maintaining integrity becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs preliminary action by using deployment templates that define all necessary deployment criteria and validation rules before virtual control units are instantiated. These templates pre-specify compute node requirements, resource allocations, and validation conditions, enabling automated verification of deployment validity without complex runtime checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the management system continuously monitors and validates the state of instantiated virtual control units against their deployment templates. This feedback loop ensures that dynamic instantiations maintain integrity by comparing actual deployment states with expected states defined in the templates, automatically detecting and reporting deviations.
3Ease of operation
If multiple manufacturers' machines are managed through a unified system, then ease of operation improves, but the complexity of handling different software approaches increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal management architecture that can operate multiple manufacturers' machines through a single interface. The system uses standardized deployment templates and common management protocols that work across different vendor-specific virtual control units, enabling unified operation without requiring separate management systems for each manufacturer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary management layer that handles the complexity of integrating different manufacturers' software approaches. This intermediary system translates vendor-specific control interfaces into a unified management framework, shielding operators from underlying software differences while maintaining ease of operation across multi-manufacturer environments.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, template, and method of managing virtual control units in an industrial automation facility are provided. The industrial automation facility includes machines. The method includes generating templates including deployment criteria for the virtual control units. Each of the virtual control units is capable of controlling at least one of the machines. The virtual control units are mapped to one or more compute nodes based on the deployment criteria. The virtual control units are instantiated on the mapped compute nodes when the controlled machines are in operation. The method includes validating that the instantiation of the virtual control units is in accordance with the templates using an attestation that confirms determined deployment parameters after deployment of the virtual control units. The machines perform the industrial process, according to control commands received from at least one of the virtual control units, when the virtual control units are validly instantiated.