Configuration system for network appliances, and a method for reconfiguration of appliances

• US 20040098172A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Korbacher, Catherine, Deck, Bernhard, Rudolf, Paul, Crevatin, Mario, Zuger, Hans-Peter
• Application Number:
  US10/702,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098172A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

The invention relates to a configuration system for configuration of appliances in networks, for example substation control technology, having at least one appliance to be configured and having elements which are configured in a specific manner, and configuration means for reconfiguration of the appliance on the basis of received new configuration information; and a configuration server, which is connected via a network to the at least one appliance to be configured and which has composition means for creation of new configuration information for the appliance to be configured and means for determination of the present configuration of the at least one appliance to be configured. The invention likewise relates to a corresponding configuration method.

Claims

1. A configuration system for configuration of appliances in voltage networks having

at least one appliance to be configured and having elements which are configured in a specific manner, and

configuration means for reconfiguration of the appliance on the basis of received new configuration information;

and

a configuration server, which is connected via a communication network to the at least one appliance to be configured and which has composition means for creation of new configuration information for the appliance to be configured and means for determination of the present configuration of the at least one appliance to be configured.

2. The configuration system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the present configuration has a description of primary appliances which are associated with the appliance to be configured.

3. The configuration system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the appliance to be configured also has a means for provision of up-to-date configuration information.

4. The configuration system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the means for provision of the configuration information has a memory for storage of the configuration information.

5. The configuration system as claimed in one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the means for provision of the configuration information is a program object, which runs on a CPU, for determination of the configuration of the elements of the appliance to be configured, and for creation of configuration information.

6. The configuration system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the means for determination of the present configuration has a memory for storage of configuration information at least about the appliance to be configured.

7. The configuration system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the composition means have a program object, which runs on a CPU, for determination of the configuration of the appliance to be configured and for creation of new configuration information on the basis of the configuration information about the appliance to be configured.

8. The configuration system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the appliance to be configured is a substation appliance or a substation.

9. A method for reconfiguration of appliances in a network of appliances and configuration servers comprising the following steps:

determination of the present configuration of the appliance to be reconfigured;

creation of new configuration information which is suitable for the appliance and satisfies changed requirements for the appliance, on the basis of the present configuration and the requirements;

transmission of the new configuration information to the appliance to be configured; and

reconfiguration of the appliance on the basis of the new configuration information.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the present configuration has a description of primary appliances which are associated with the appliance to be configured.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the present configuration is determined by reading up-to-date configuration information which is stored on the configuration server.

12. The method as claimed in claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the determination of the present configuration comprises the following steps:

checking an identification designation for the appliance to be configured;

checking configuration change information for the appliance to be configured;

if the configuration change information indicates that the configuration of the appliance to be configured has not changed, and that the configuration information on the configuration server thus corresponds to the present configuration of the appliance to be configured;

reading of the up-to-date configuration information, which is stored on the configuration server, on the basis of the identification designation;

or, if the configuration change information indicates that the configuration of the appliance to be configured has changed, and thus that the configuration information on the configuration server does not correspond to the present configuration of the appliance to be configured;

reading up-to-date configuration information which is stored on the appliance to be configured.

13. The method as claimed in claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the determination of the present configuration comprises the following steps:

reading of configuration information, which is stored on the appliance to be configured, about the present configuration.

14. The method as claimed in one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the creation of new configuration information comprises the following steps:

determination of the desired new configuration of the appliance to be configured;

comparison of the requirements needed by the desired new configuration for the appliance to be configured with the actually available configuration capabilities of the appliance on the basis of the up-to-date configuration information; and

generation of new configuration information, which makes the desired new configuration match as well as possible the configuration capabilities of the appliance;

or

determination of any compatibility between the desired new configuration and the configuration capabilities of the appliance, and generation of new configuration information on the basis of the desired configuration;

or

determination of any incompatibility between the desired new configuration and the configuration capabilities of the appliance and emission of a warning.