Management system for a control system, gateway device, server device, management method, gateway method, and management process execution method

• US 10,225,133 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Sakakura, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US15/118,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0246 Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections

Abstract

A gateway transmits a communication switch request to a communication control unit by HTTP communication. The communication switch request serves to switch connection with a data center from HTTP communication to WebSocket communication. The communication control unit, when the communication switch request is received from the gateway, switches communication with the gateway device to WebSocket communication. A mobile terminal transmits a management execution request requesting execution of a management process of a PLC, to the data center. The communication control unit transmits a session establishing request requesting establishment of a session with the PLC, to the gateway by WebSocket communication based on the received management execution request.

Claims

1. A management system comprising:

a gateway device connected to a controller;

a server device configured to

receive a management execution request requesting execution of a management process for managing the controller,

generate, based on the received management execution request, designation information designating the controller, and

transmit a session establishing request with the designation information being included therein, requesting establishment of a session with the controller, to the gateway device; and

a terminal device to communicate with the server device, the terminal device transmitting the management execution request to the server device,

wherein the gateway device transmits a communication switch request by a first communication scheme, the communication switch request serving to switch connection with the server device, from the first communication scheme of transmitting a request to the server device unidirectionally to a second communication scheme of transmitting/receiving a request to/from the server device mutually,

wherein the server device, when the communication switch request is received from the gateway device, switches communication with the gateway device to the second communication scheme, and transmits the session establishing request to the gateway device by the second communication scheme,

wherein the server device further includes a program storage unit to store a plurality of programs which execute different processes individually, and

wherein the terminal device transmits a request requesting execution of the management process, as the management execution request, the management process using at least one of the plurality of programs stored in the program storage unit.

2. The management system according to claim 1,

wherein the gateway device, when the session establishing request is received from the server device, establishes a session in which the server device and the controller communicate with each other by the second communication scheme, and

wherein the server device executes the management process against the controller through the session established by the gateway device.

3. The management system according to claim 1, wherein an execution context part is created in the program storage unit, the execution context part executing at least one of the plurality of programs based on the management execution request transmitted from the terminal device.

4. The management system according to claim 3, wherein the execution context part establishes a session necessary for executing at least one of the plurality of programs.

5. The management system according to claim 4, wherein the server device further includes an authentication unit to generate, when the session is established, a re-encryption key for encrypting data to be accessed in the established session, by a functional encryption, and to distribute the generated re-encryption key to the execution context part.

6. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the server device further includes a program registration unit to register a program with the program storage unit.

7. The management system according to claim 1,

wherein the gateway device transmits the communication switch request to the server device, and transmits an instrument identifier identifying the controller, and instrument attribute information indicating an attribute of the controller, to the server device,

wherein the server device includes an instrument information storage unit to store the instrument identifier and the instrument attribute information in correlation to each other, the instrument identifier and the instrument attribute information being transmitted from the gateway device,

wherein the terminal device transmits the management execution request including an attribute of the controller, to the server device, and

wherein the server device searches the instrument information storage unit based on the attribute included in the management execution request, of the controller, acquires the instrument identifier corresponding to the attribute included in the management execution request, of the controller, and transmits the session establishing request requesting establishment of a session with the controller identified by the instrument identifier, by treating the acquired instrument identifier as the designation information, to the gateway device.

8. The management system according to claim 7,

wherein the gateway device transmits the communication switch request to the server device, and further transmits the instrument identifier and instrument position information which indicates a position of the controller, to the server device,

wherein the instrument information storage unit further stores the instrument identifier and the instrument position information in correlation to each other,

wherein the terminal device transmits the management execution request including information indicating the position of the controller, to the server device, and

wherein the server device searches the instrument information storage unit based on the attribute included in the management execution request, of the controller, and on the information indicating the position of the controller, and acquires the instrument identifier corresponding to the attribute of the controller and to the information indicating the position of the controller.

9. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the gateway device accepts an execution permission request permitting execution of the management process by the server device, and when the execution permission request is accepted, transmits the communication switch request.

10. The management system according to claim 4,

wherein the first communication scheme is hypertext transfer protocol communication, and

wherein the second communication scheme is WebSocket communication.

11. The management system according to claim 1,

wherein the server device includes a plurality of server devices constituting a multiple system, and

wherein the gateway device transmits the communication switch request to a nearest server device among the plurality of server devices.

12. The management system according to claim 1,

wherein the server device includes a plurality of virtual machines constituting a multiple system,

the plurality of virtual machines sharing a virtual shared storage,

the virtual shared storage including a plurality of physical data storages, and

wherein each of the plurality of virtual machines synchronizes the plurality of physical data storages.

13. A management system comprising:

a terminal device configured to

transmit a gateway function execution request and a communication switch request by a first communication scheme, the gateway function execution request serving to execute a function of a gateway device which is connected to a server device and connected to a controller, the gateway device being connected to the server device by the first communication scheme of transmitting a request to the server device unidirectionally,

mediate communication between the server device and the controller, the communication switch request serving to switch connection with the server device from the first communication scheme to a second communication scheme of transmitting/receiving a request to/from the server device mutually,

wherein the server device, when the gateway function execution request and the communication switch request are received from the terminal device, switches communication with the terminal device to the second communication scheme,

wherein the terminal device transmits a management execution request requesting execution of a management process of managing the controller, to the server device,

wherein the server device receives the management execution request from the terminal device, and transmits a session establishing request to the gateway device by the second communication scheme, the session establishing request requesting establishment of a session with the controller based on the received management execution request,

wherein the server device includes a program storage unit to store a plurality of programs which execute different processes individually, and

wherein the terminal device transmits a request requesting execution of the management process, as the management execution request, the management process using at least one of the plurality of programs stored in the program storage unit.

14. A gateway device comprising:

a controller connecting unit to be connected to a controller;

a request transmission unit, connected to a server device, to transmit a communication switch request by a first communication scheme, the communication switch request serving to switch connection with the server device, from the first communication scheme of transmitting a request unidirectionally to a second communication scheme of transmitting/receiving a request to/from the server device mutually; and

a session securing unit which, when a session establishing request is transmitted by the second communication scheme from the server device that has received a management execution request requesting execution of a management process against the controller, from a terminal device, the session establishing request requesting establishment of a session with the controller based on the management execution request, establishes a session in which the server device and the controller communicate with each other by the second communication scheme,

wherein the server device includes a program storage unit to store a plurality of programs which execute different processes individually, and

wherein the terminal device transmits a request requesting execution of the management process, as the management execution request, the management process using at least one of the plurality of programs stored in the program storage unit.

15. A server device comprising:

a program storage unit to store a plurality of programs which execute different processes individually,

a communication control unit which, when a communication switch request is transmitted by a first communication scheme from a gateway device connected by the first communication scheme of transmitting a request unidirectionally, the communication switch request serving to switch connection with the gateway device, from the first connection scheme to a second communication scheme of transmitting/receiving a request to/from the gateway device mutually, switches communication with the gateway device to the second communication scheme, and

a management control unit which, when a management execution request requesting execution of a management process of managing a controller connected to the gateway device, is received from a terminal device, transmits a session establishing request to the gateway device by the second communication scheme, the session establishing request requesting establishment of a session with the controller based on the received management execution request, and executes the management process against the controller through the session established by the gateway device,

wherein the terminal device transmits a request requesting execution of the management process, as the management execution request, the management process using at least one of the plurality of programs stored in the program storage unit.

16. A management method comprising:

by a gateway device connected to a server device and connected to a controller, transmitting a communication switch request by a first communication scheme, the communication switch request serving to switch connection with the server device, from the first communication scheme of transmitting a request unidirectionally to a second communication scheme of transmitting/receiving a request to/from the server device mutually;

by the server device, when the communication switch request is received from the gateway device, switching communication with the gateway device to the second communication scheme;

by a terminal device, transmitting a management execution request requesting execution of a management process of managing the controller, to the server device; and

by the server device, receiving the management execution request from the terminal device, and transmitting a session establishing request requesting establishment of a session with the controller based on the received management execution request, to the gateway device by the second communication scheme,

wherein the server device includes a program storage unit to store a plurality of programs which execute different processes individually, and

wherein the terminal device transmits a request requesting execution of the management process, as the management execution request, the management process using at least one of the plurality of programs stored in the program storage unit.

17. A gateway method comprising:

by a request transmission unit of a gateway device connected to a server device and connected to a controller, transmitting a communication switch request by a first communication scheme, the communication switch request serving to switch connection with the server device, from the first communication scheme of transmitting a request unidirectionally to a second communication scheme of transmitting/receiving a request to/from the server device mutually; and

when a session establishing request is transmitted by the second communication scheme from the server device that has received, from a terminal device, a management execution request requesting execution of a management process against the controller, the session establishing request requesting establishment of a session with the controller based on the management execution request;

by a session securing unit of the gateway device, establishing a session in which the server device and the controller communicate with each other by the second communication scheme,

wherein the server device includes a program storage unit to store a plurality of programs which execute different processes individually, and

wherein the terminal device transmits a request requesting execution of the management process, as the management execution request, the management process using at least one of the plurality of programs stored in the program storage unit.

18. A management process execution method comprising:

when a communication switch request is transmitted from a gateway device by a first communication scheme, the gateway device being connected by the first communication scheme of transmitting a request unidirectionally, the communication switch request serving to switch connection with the gateway device, from the first scheme to a second communication scheme of transmitting/receiving a request to/from the server device mutually;

by a communication control unit of a server device which is connected to the gateway device connected to a controller and which is connected to a terminal device, switching communication with the gateway device to the second communication scheme; and

when a management execution request requesting execution of a management process of managing the controller is received from the terminal device;

by a management control unit, transmitting a session establishing request requesting establishment of a session with the controller, to the gateway device by the second communication scheme based on the received management execution request; and

executing the management request against the controller through the session established by the gateway device,

wherein the server device includes a program storage unit to store a plurality of programs which execute different processes individually, and

wherein the terminal device transmits a request requesting execution of the management process, as the management execution request, the management process using at least one of the plurality of programs stored in the program storage unit.