System and method for automatically replacing nodes in a network

• US 20060159007A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Frutiger, Theo, Coogan, James J., Cherny, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element

Abstract

A tool is provided for use when replacing devices in an automatically controlled distributed processing system. In one embodiment a network management tool reestablishes all or a portion of the logical connections formerly provided to a bound node where a replacement device is or will be located. The network management tool compares data associated with the logical connections of the bound node and data associated with the logical connections for the replacement device to determine proper logical connection. The network management tool identifies network variables associated with the bound node that are not associated with the replacement device and deletes those network variables from other devices on the network if the network variable is not useful in the network after the replacement device is bound.

Claims

1. A computerized method of configuring a network after replacing a node comprising:

storing a plurality of network variables associated with a first node;

obtaining a plurality of network variables associated with a replacement device for the first node;

comparing the stored plurality of network variables to the obtained plurality of network variables;

identifying a network variable from the stored plurality of network variables that does not match a network variable from the obtained plurality of network variables;

identifying an entry in the configuration table of a second node for the identified network variable; and

deleting the entry in the configuration table of the second node for the identified network variable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of storing comprises the step of storing at least one configuration network variable associated with the node;

the step of identifying a network variable comprises identifying at least one configuration network variable from the stored plurality of network variables that does not match a network variable from the obtained plurality of network variables;

the step of identifying an entry comprises identifying an entry in the configuration table of the second node for the identified at least one configuration network variable; and

the step of deleting comprises deleting the entry in the configuration table of the second node for the identified at least one configuration network variable.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a network management database to reflect the deletion of the entry in the configuration table of the second node for the identified network variable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing further comprises storing a configuration table associated with the first node, an address table associated with the first node and a domain table associated with the first node, the method further comprising:

modifying the stored configuration table of the first node by deleting an entry in the stored configuration table for the identified network variable;

modifying the stored address table of the first node by deleting an entry in the stored address table associated with the identified network variable; and

writing the modified configuration table, the modified address table and the stored domain table to a replacement device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of obtaining comprises the step of:

obtaining at least some of the plurality of network variables associated with the replacement device through the network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

providing a plurality of heating, ventilation and air conditioning system devices, the devices operably connected and controllable by the network, each of the plurality of heating, ventilation and air conditioning system devices represented as a node on the network, and wherein the step of obtaining a plurality of network variables comprises the step of;

obtaining at least some of the plurality of network variables associated with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

providing a plurality of (i) building automation devices, (ii) home automation devices, (iii) industrial automation devices, (iv) transportation automation devices, or (v) utility automation devices, the devices operably connected and controllable by the network, each of the plurality of (i) building automation devices, (ii) home automation devices, (iii) industrial automation devices, (iv) transportation automation devices, or (v) utility automation devices represented as a node on the network, and wherein the step of obtaining a plurality of network variables comprises the step of;

obtaining at least some of the plurality of network variables associated with a (i) building automation device, (ii) home automation device, (iii) industrial automation device, (iv) transportation automation device, or (v) utility automation device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a stored network variable and an obtained network variable that match; and

configuring a logical connection between the matched network variables.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a result of the comparison;

receiving an acceptance input; and

configuring a logical connection after the result has been accepted.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of displaying comprises the step of;

displaying the network variable from the stored plurality of network variables that was identified as not matching a network variable from the obtained plurality of network variables.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

performing a resolution analyses for the network variable from the stored plurality of network variables that was identified as not matching a network variable from the obtained plurality of network variables; and

displaying the results of the resolution analyses.

12. A tool for use with an automatically controlled distributed processing system comprising;

a storage media device storing instructions to;

store at least one entry from the address table of a first device in the network;

store an entry from the configuration table of the first device that corresponds to the at least one stored address table entry and identifies a node network variable;

identify the network variables to be passed to or from a device that is not bound to the network;

compare the node network variable with the identified device network variables;

identify the node network variable as unmatched if the node network variable does not match any of the identified device network variables;

identify the node corresponding to the at least one entry in the address table of the first device if the node network variable is identified as unmatched; and

delete an entry in the address table and an entry in the configuration table of the identified node that correspond to the unmatched node network variable.

13. The tool of claim 12, wherein the tool is operable to read at least some of the network variables of the unbound device from an external interface file.

14. The tool of claim 13, wherein the tool is operable to provide a result of the comparison for display.

15. The tool of claim 12, wherein the storage media further stores instructions to:

identify the node network variable as matched if the node network variable matches at least one of the identified device network variables; and

write the at least one stored entry from the address table of the first device and the stored entry from the configuration table of the first device that corresponds to the at least one stored address table entry to the unbound device if the node network variable is identified as matched.

16. The tool of claim 12, wherein the node network variable and the device network variables comprise formatted network variables comprising a plurality of data fields.

17. The tool of claim 16, wherein the tool is further programmed to:

accept from a user a first set of network variable data fields, such that when the first set of data fields in a node network variable is the same as the first set of data fields in a device network variable, the tool treats the node network variable as a match with the device network variable.

18. The tool of claim 12, wherein the tool is further programmed to:

store all of the entries from the address table of the first device in the network;

store each of the entries from the configuration table of the first device that correspond to each of the stored address table entries and identify a node network variable;

compare each of the node network variables with the identified device network variables;

identify each of the device network variables as matched if the device network variable matches any of the node network variables;

identify a device network variable as a mandatory device network variable;

determine if the mandatory device network variable is not matched; and

notify a user if the mandatory device network variable is not matched.

19. A computerized method of configuring a heating, ventilation and cooling network comprising:

storing a network variable associated with a first bound node;

determining that the stored network variable is not used by a replacement device for the first bound node;

determining if a one-to-one relationship is defined for the first bound node and a second node in the network concerning the stored network variable; and

deleting an entry in the address table of the second node in the network associated with the stored network variable if a one-to-one relationship is defined.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining if the stored network variable is sent to a receiving group by a sending node, wherein the first bound node is a member of the receiving group;

determining if any nodes other than the first bound node are configured to receive the stored network variable; and

deleting an entry in the address table of the sending node if no nodes other than the first bound node are configured to receive the stored network variable.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining if the stored network variable is sent to a first receiving group of nodes by the first bound node;

determining if a second node in the network is configured to send the stored network variable to the first receiving group of nodes; and

deleting an entry in the address table of each node in the first receiving group if no nodes other than the first bound node are configured to send the stored network variable.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining if the stored network variable is sent to a second receiving group by a sending node, wherein the first bound node is a member of the second receiving group;

determining if any nodes in the second receiving group other than the first bound node are configured to receive the stored network variable; and

deleting an entry in the address table of the sending node if no nodes in the second receiving group other than the first bound node are configured to receive the stored network variable.