Internet friendly proxy server extending legacy software connectivity

• US 20070074280A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Callaghan, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,281,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

An industrial automation proxy server comprises an interface that receives data related to legacy software, where the data is associated with a legacy protocol. Additionally, the industrial automation proxy server includes a protocol transformation component that converts the data associated with the legacy protocol to a disparate protocol. Furthermore, the industrial automation proxy server can include a routing component that redirects the data to a remote device over an internet connection.

Claims

1. A industrial automation proxy server, comprising:

an interface that receives data related to legacy software, the data is associated with a legacy protocol; and

a protocol transformation component that converts the data associated with the legacy protocol to a disparate protocol.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an industrial automation device that executes the legacy software.

3. The system of claim 2, the industrial automation device is one of a programmable logic controller, a numeric controller, a robotic controller, a smart device, a factory device, and a personal computer.

4. The system of claim 1, the interface transmits the data in the disparate protocol to a remote device via an internet connection.

5. The system of claim 1, the interface intercepts an output associated with the legacy software.

6. The system of claim 1, the legacy protocol is incompatible with transmission over an internet connection.

7. The system of claim 1, the legacy protocol is incompatible with tunneling through a firewall.

8. The system of claim 1, the legacy protocol is CIP.

9. The system of claim 1, the disparate protocol is compatible with at least one of transmission over an internet connection and tunneling through a firewall.

10. The system of claim 1, the disparate protocol is at least one of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), HTTPS, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), RSA, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), and web services.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a routing component that redirects the data to a remote device over an internet connection.

12. The system of claim 11, the routing component redirects the data, which was originally direct to a non-routable port by the legacy software, to a disparate port that supports web based communications.

13. The system of claim 11, the routing component redirects the data, which was originally direct to an internal, non-routed private address, to a remote IP address associated with the remote device.

14. The system of claim 13, the routing component utilizes a lookup table to identify the remote IP address based on the internal, non-routed private address.

15. The system of claim 11, the routing component utilizes a one to one relationship between a particular industrial automation device employing the legacy software and an IP address associated with the remote device.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising an encryption component that encrypts the data for transmission.

17. The system of claim 16, the encryption component utilizes at least one of private key encryption, public key encryption, symmetric key encryption, ECC, DES, SHA-1, RSA, and AES.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component that administers security associated with the proxy server.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filtering component that selectively filters data based at least in part upon at least one of user identity, user location, and remote device location.

20. A system that enables legacy software to connect to remote devices in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

an industrial automation device that utilizes legacy software that provides data with a legacy protocol; and

a proxy server that intercepts the data and converts the data into a disparate protocol that complies with communications over an internet connection.

21. The system of claim 20, the proxy server is a software layer installed upon the industrial automation device.

22. The system of claim 20, the proxy server is a network based application that executes on a network infrastructure component.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising a remote device that connects directly to the internet and directly utilizes the data in the disparate protocol.

24. The system of claim 23, the remote device facilitates at least one of decrypting the data and utilizing the data in the disparate protocol.

25. The system of claim 20, the remote device is located behind a firewall.

26. A method for utilizing a legacy application with devices located remotely in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

receiving data in an original protocol associated with a legacy application;

converting the data to a disparate protocol that supports connectivity via internet communications to a remote device; and

transmitting the data to the remote device.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining whether the legacy application is directing the data to a non-routable port; and

routing the data to a disparate port when the legacy application directs the data to the non-routable port.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining whether the legacy application is directing the data to an internal, non-routed private IP address; and

routing the data to a remote IP address associated with the remote device when the legacy application directs the data to the internal, non-routed private IP address.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving data with the remote device; and

unsecuring the data with the remote device.

30. The method of claim 29, unsecuring the data comprises at least one of decrypting the data received with the remote device, converting the data in the disparate protocol back to the original protocol, and removing the data from an encapsulation.

31. The method of claim 26, the disparate protocol is at least one of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), HTTPS, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), RSA, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), and web services.

32. The method of claim 26, the original protocol is CIP.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising configuring a system for proxy behavior by at least one of logging into the system and providing information via a secure mechanism.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising configuring the remote device by including configuration information with a payload of the transmitted data.

35. A proxy server in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

means for receiving data related to legacy software that is formatted according to a legacy protocol; and

means for converting the data associated with the legacy protocol to a disparate protocol.