Distributed database in an industrial automation environment

• US 20060259160A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Hood, Gavan W., Hall, Kenwood H., Kappelhoff, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31101 Configuration file with format of relevant messages for different equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31166 Access data by name, object, stored in list, database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31324 Distributed real time knowledge, database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31334 Database with devices, configuration, of plant
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A distributed database system within an industrial automation environment comprises a plurality of associated programmable logic controllers, wherein each of the programmable logic controllers includes data relating to one of a process and a device. Furthermore, the data within the plurality of programmable logic controllers can conform to a hierarchically structured data model, which, for example, can be based upon ISA S95, ISA S88, OMAC, or any suitable combination thereof. A reception component receives and services a request for data that is located within at least one of the programmable logic controllers.

Claims

1. A distributed database system within an industrial automation environment comprising the following computer-executable components:

a plurality of associated programmable logic controllers, each of the programmable logic controllers includes data relating to one of a process and a device, the data within the plurality of programmable logic controllers conforms to a hierarchically structured data model; and

a reception component that receives and services a request for data that is located within at least one of the programmable logic controllers.

2. The database system of claim 1, further comprising an archiving component that automatically archives data from within at least one of the programmable logic controllers a pre-defined amount of time after creation of the data.

3. The database system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring component that facilitates transfer of data from a first programmable logic controller to a second programmable logic controller upon available data storage in the first programmable logic controller reaching a pre-defined threshold.

4. The database system of claim 1, further comprising a directory structure that maintains pointers to data residing within the plurality of programmable logic controllers.

5. The database system of claim 1, further comprising a proxy component that facilitates utilizing at least one of a legacy and a third party programmable logic controller within the database system.

6. The database system of claim 5, the proxy component comprises a mapping component that maps data from the one of the legacy and the third party programmable logic controller from a first data format to data that conforms to the hierarchically structured data model.

7. The database system of claim 5, the proxy component comprises a bridging component that converts data from the one of the legacy and the third party programmable logic controller from a first network to a second network.

8. The database system of claim 7, the second network is CIP.

9. The database system of claim 1, further comprising a security component that ensures that an entity requesting the data is authorized to received the data.

10. The database system of claim 1, further comprising a filtering component that filters data from the plurality of programmable logic controllers based at least in part upon one or more of identity of an entity requesting the data and versioning information associated with the requested data.

11. The database system of claim 1, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon one or more of ISA S95, ISA S88, OMAC, and a combination thereof.

12. The database system of claim 1, further comprising an interface component that facilitates provision of access to the data within the plurality of programmable logic controllers from a remote location.

13. The database system of claim 12, the interface component facilitates accessing the data by way of the Internet.

14. The database system of claim 1, further comprising an aggregation component that aggregates related data from within the plurality of programmable logic controllers and stores the aggregated data in a same location.

15. The database system of claim 1, further comprising a subscription component that enables operators to subscribe to the database system.

16. The database system of claim 15, further comprising a distribution component that automatically distributes a subset of the data to a subscriber based at least in part upon parameters associated with the subscription.

17. The database system of claim 15, further comprising a notification component that automatically notifies a subscriber regarding newly created data based at least in part upon parameters associated with the subscription.

18. The database system of claim 17, further comprising a scheduling component that utilizes a schedule associated with the subscriber in connection with notifying the subscriber.

19. The database system of claim 1, further comprising an interface component that generates a uniform view of the data within the plurality of programmable logic controllers.

20. A method for utilizing a plurality of programmable logic controllers as a distributed database comprising the following computer-executable acts:

communicatively associating the plurality of programmable logical controllers; and

providing a unified view of data within the plurality of programmable logic controllers, the data conforms to a hierarchically structured data model.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising servicing a request for a subset of the data within at least one of the plurality of programmable logic controllers.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising authenticating an initiator of the request prior to servicing the request.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising filtering data associated with the request based at least in part upon user identity.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising mapping data so that it conforms to the hierarchically structured data model.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising converting data formatted in accordance with a first network protocol to data formatted in accordance with a second network protocol.

26. The method of claim 25, the second network protocol is CIP.

27. A distributed database system for utilization in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

means for providing direct access to content of a plurality of programmable logic controllers, the content includes data that conforms to a hierarchically structured data model; and

means for searching the content.

28. The distributed database system of claim 27, further comprising means for transferring data between programmable logic controllers based at least in part upon available storage capacity associated therewith.

29. The distributed database system of claim 27, further comprising means for archiving data relating to at least one of the plurality of programmable logic controllers.

30. The distributed database system of claim 27, further comprising means for mapping data that does not conform to the hierarchically structured data model to data that conforms to the hierarchically structured data model.