System and method for automatically creating, installing and configuring functionalities in a distributed network

• US 20070078059A1
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Dix, Marcel, Schemat, Peter, Stich, Christian
• Application Number:
  US10/575,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078059A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 505/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for automatic generation, installation, verification and configuration of functionality that is stored in installation, verification and/or configuration files for system components that are located in a distributed network. The system includes a knowledge-based system design tool comprising a user interface, a design logic unit, a data management unit, a design database and an installation tool. System options are selected on the user interface for the design logic unit and the data management; system information for the data management unit is stored in the design database; the design logic unit generates designs for the system structure from the systems options of the user interface and supplies designs to the data management unit; and the data management unit generates and configures software packages from the systems options of the user interface, the system information of the design database and the designs for the system structure that have been generated in the design logic unit and then transmits software packages to the installation tool.

Claims

1. A system for automatically creating, installing, verifying and configuring functionalities, stored in installation, verification and/or configuration files, for system components, arranged in a distributed network, using a knowledge-based system planning tool which comprises a user interface a planning logic unit a data management unit a planning database and an installation tool, where

selected system options in the user interface are selected for the planning logic unit and the data management unit,

the planning database stores system information for the data management unit,

the planning logic unit produces plans for the system structure from the system options in the user interface and supplies them to the data management unit,

the data management unit generates and configures software packages from the system options in the user interface, from the system information in the planning database and from the plans for the system structure which are produced in the planning logic unit, and

transfers the software packages to the installation tool.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, in that wherein functionalities stored in installation, verification and/or configuration files are software packages.

3. The system as claimed in 1, claim 1, wherein the data management unit interacts with a change unit in order to update the planning data stored in the planning database and/or the plans produced by the planning logic unit.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system options selected in the user interface comprise information about the system structure and the system types.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the software packages are system component data and setup data for the system components.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a data generator is provided in the data management unit for producing the software packages.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the installation tool automatically checks the software packages taking account of rules, stipulations and dependencies among the system components.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the installation tool provides the software packages for transmission, installation and configuration for the respective system components.

17. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the data management unit interacts with a change unit in order to update the planning data stored in the planning database and/or the plans produced by the planning logic unit.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the system options selected in the user interface comprise information about the system structure and the system types.

9. A method for automatically creating, verifying, installing and configuring functionalities, stored in installation, verification and/or configuration files, for system components, arranged in a distributed network, using a knowledge-based system planning tool which comprises a user interface, a planning logic unit, a data management unit, a planning database and an installation tool, where

system options selected using the user interface are provided for the planning logic unit and the data management unit,

the data management unit uses an integrated data and rule manager to provide conditioned planning data,

the planning database is used to store system information for the data management unit,

which the planning logic unit uses to produce plans for the system structure from the system options in the user interface and from planning data from the data management unit of the and are supplied to the data management unit,

the data management unit is used to generate and configure software packages from the system options in the user interface, from the system information in the planning database and from the plans for creating the system structure which are produced in the planning logic unit and to transfer them to the installation tool.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the functionalities stored in installation, verification and/or configuration files are in the form of software packages.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a change unit is used to update the planning data stored in the planning database and/or the plans produced by the planning logic unit.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the user interface is used to store information about the system structure and the system types.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the software packages are used to store system component data and setup data for the system components.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the software packages are generated using a data generator.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the installation tool automatically checks the software packages taking account of rules, stipulations and dependencies among the system components.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the generated software packages are provided for transmission, installation and configuration for the respective system components, and are automatically installed, checked and configured in a prescribed order and manner.

19. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a change unit is used to update the planning data stored in the planning database and/or the plans produced by the planning logic unit.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the user interface is used to store information about the system structure and the system types.