Comparing a configuration diagram to an actual system

• US 20060156294A1
• Filed: 01/10/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Shah, Mohammed Kamran, Fuller, David W. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,987,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

System and method for determining differences and/or matches between a configuration diagram and an actual system. First information is received regarding a configuration diagram comprising a first plurality of nodes and graphically representing a first system, and second information is received regarding an actual system comprising a plurality components. At least a portion of the nodes may correspond to hardware devices, programs, and/or configuration data of the first system, and may be interconnected. The first and second information is analyzed to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system, e.g., between hardware, software, configuration, and/or connectivity, e.g., by traversing the configuration diagram or a data structure representing the diagram, and/or traversing the actual system or a data structure representing the actual system. An indication of the differences and/or matches is displayed on a display device, e.g., textually, or graphically, e.g., via a merged configuration diagram.

Claims

1. A computer-accessible memory medium storing program instructions for comparing a configuration diagram to an actual system, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to perform:

receiving first information regarding a configuration diagram, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein the configuration diagram graphically represents a first system comprising a first plurality of components;

receiving second information regarding an actual system, wherein the actual system comprises a second plurality of components;

analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system; and

displaying an indication of the differences and/or matches on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a subset of the nodes of the configuration diagram correspond to components in the first system, and wherein the components comprise one or more of:

hardware devices;

programs; and

configuration data.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein one or more of the first plurality of nodes correspond to hardware devices in the first system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of nodes comprise:

one or more nodes corresponding to hardware devices in the first system; and

one or more nodes corresponding to programs in the first system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system corresponds to another actual system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system corresponds to a system specification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system corresponds to a virtual system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system does not correspond to an actual system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual system comprises one or more of:

hardware devices;

programs; and

configuration data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual system comprises:

one or more hardware devices; and

one or more programs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein actual system comprises one or more hardware devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the second configuration diagram comprise one or more of:

differences and/or matches between hardware devices comprised in the first system and the actual system;

differences and/or matches between programs comprised in the first system and the actual system; and

differences and/or matches between configuration data comprised in the first system and the actual system,

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of nodes and/or at least a subset of the components of the actual system are interconnected, and wherein the differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system further comprise:

differences and/or matches in interconnectivity of components comprised in the first system and the actual system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said differences in interconnectivity of components comprised in the first system and the actual system comprise differences in one or more of:

physical connectivity between components;

data flow between components;

signal flow between components;

dependencies between components; and

calling relationships between components.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said differences between hardware devices comprised in the first system and the actual system comprise differences in one or more of:

number and types of the hardware devices;

sub-components of the hardware devices; and

configuration of the hardware devices.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said differences between programs comprised in the first system and the actual system comprise differences in one or more of:

software versions;

number and types of programs;

sub-components of the programs;

source code of the programs;

deployment of the programs; and

configuration of the programs.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the configuration diagram comprises one or more of:

the configuration diagram;

a graph of the configuration diagram;

a description of the configuration diagram; and

a data structure specifying the configuration diagram.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the actual system comprises one or more of:

a second configuration diagram representing the actual system;

a graph of the actual system;

a description of the actual system; and

a data structure specifying the actual system.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system comprises:

traversing the configuration diagram to determine the differences and/or matches.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system further comprises:

traversing the actual system to determine the differences and/or matches;

or

traversing a representation of the actual system to determine the differences and/or matches.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying an indication of the differences and/or matches on a display device comprises one or more of:

displaying a textual description of each of said differences and/or matches;

displaying the configuration diagram and highlighting at least a subset of the differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system; and

displaying a merged configuration diagram representing at least a subset of a union of the first and actual systems and highlighting the differences and/or matches between the first and actual systems.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said displaying the merged configuration diagram further comprises one or more of:

graphically indicating the matches and differences and/or matches between the first and actual systems in the merged configuration diagram; and

displaying a textual description of matches and differences and/or matches between the first and actual systems.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing comprises:

creating one or more data structures which include information regarding the first plurality of nodes in the configuration diagram and the components in the actual system;

wherein said determining differences and/or matches comprises comparing the one or more data structures to determine the differences and/or matches.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more data structures each comprise directed graphs comprising a plurality of vertices connected by edges, wherein each of the vertices represents a respective component in a respective one of the first and actual systems.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving second information regarding the actual system comprises:

querying the actual system to determine the plurality of components; and

receiving the second information regarding the actual system in response to said querying.

26. The method of claim 25, the method further comprising:

receiving user input indicating a network address of the actual system; and

establishing an association with the actual system over a network in response to said receiving user input;

wherein said querying the actual system is performed via said association.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a first configuration diagram, the method further comprising:

generating a second configuration diagram based on the second information regarding the actual system;

wherein said analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system comprises;

analyzing the first configuration diagram and the second configuration diagram to determine the differences and/or matches.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system is performed in accordance with specified difference and/or match criteria.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein specified difference and/or match criteria comprise one or more of:

tolerance;

category;

cost;

performance; and

specified subsets of the configuration diagram and/or the actual system for said analyzing.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying the difference and/or match criteria.

31. The method of claim 30,

wherein the user input specifying the difference and/or match criteria comprises user input specifying a portion of the configuration diagram;

and

wherein said analyzing and said displaying are performed with respect to the specified portion of the configuration diagram.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving user input initiating said analyzing and said displaying, wherein said analyzing and said displaying are performed in response to said initiating.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

storing diff/merge information for each of a plurality of actions performed by the user and/or by the method; and

receiving user input invoking one or more undo operations based on the stored diff/merge information, wherein the one or more undo operations correspond respectively to one or more of the plurality of actions.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving user input invoking one or more redo operations based on the stored diff/merge information, wherein the one or more redo operations correspond respectively to one or more of the one or more undo operations.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined differences comprise one or more components represented in the configuration diagram but missing from the actual system, the method further comprising:

searching for the one or more components based on the determined differences, wherein the one or more components are operable to be included in the actual system.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

indicating the one or more components on the display device.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

initiating acquisition of the one or more components.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving information for purchase of the one or more components.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said initiating acquisition of the one or more components is performed:

automatically;

or

in response to user input requesting purchase of the one or more components.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

downloading one or more software components to a client computer system for deployment to the actual system.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

automatically deploying the one or more software components to the actual system.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

automatically arranging delivery of the one or more components for inclusion in the actual system.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system and the actual system each comprise one or more of:

an industrial automation system;

a process control system; and

a test and measurement system.

44. A system for comparing a configuration diagram to an actual system, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory medium coupled to the processor; and

a display device;

wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive first information regarding a configuration diagram, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein the configuration diagram graphically represents a first system comprising a first plurality of components;

receive second information regarding an actual system, wherein the actual system comprises a second plurality of components;

analyze the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system; and

display an indication of the differences and/or matches on the display device.

45. A system for comparing a configuration diagram to an actual system, the system comprising:

means for receiving first information regarding a configuration diagram, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein the configuration diagram graphically represents a first system comprising a first plurality of components;

means for receiving second information regarding an actual system, wherein the actual system comprises a second plurality of components;

means for analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system; and

means for displaying an indication of the differences and/or matches on a display device.

46. A computer-implemented method for comparing a configuration diagram to an actual system, the method comprising:

receiving first information regarding a configuration diagram, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein the configuration diagram graphically represents a first system comprising a first plurality of components;

receiving second information regarding an actual system, wherein the actual system comprises a second plurality of components;

analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system; and

displaying an indication of the differences and/or matches on a display device.

47. A computer-accessible memory medium storing program instructions for comparing a configuration diagram to an actual system, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to perform:

receiving first information regarding a configuration diagram, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a first plurality of nodes, wherein the configuration diagram graphically represents a first system, wherein one or more of the first plurality of nodes correspond to hardware devices in the first system;

receiving second information regarding an actual system, wherein the actual system comprises one or more hardware devices;

analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system; and

displaying an indication of the differences and/or matches on a display device.

48. The memory medium of claim 47, wherein the first system and/or the actual system each comprises a measurement system.

49. A computer-accessible memory medium storing program instructions for comparing a configuration diagram to an actual system, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to perform:

receiving first information regarding a configuration diagram, wherein the configuration diagram comprises a first plurality of nodes, wherein the configuration diagram graphically represents a first system, wherein one or more of the first plurality of nodes correspond to hardware devices in the first system;

receiving second information regarding an actual system, wherein the actual system comprises one or more hardware devices;

analyzing the first and second information to determine differences and/or matches between the configuration diagram and the actual system; and

displaying the determined differences and/or matches on a display device.

50. The memory medium of claim 49, wherein the first system and/or the actual system each comprises a measurement system.