DYNAMIC VERSIONING UTILIZING MULTIPLE CONTROLLER ENGINE INSTANCES TO LIMIT COMPLICATIONS

• US 20080208365A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Govindaraj, Subbian, Staron, Raymond J., Hall, Kenwood H., Kretschmann, Robert J., Rischar, Charles M., Grgic, Richard J., Vasko, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25064 Update component configuration to optimize program execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates deploying data within an industrial environment. A controller can execute with a real-time operating system such that the controller can include two or more controller engine instances executing as processes on the controller. An update component that can dynamically deploy a portion of data to the industrial environment, the portion of data can be isolated within a controller engine instance for testing prior to exposing such portion of data outside the controller engine instance execution space.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates updating data within an industrial environment, comprising:

a controller that executes with a real-time operating system such that the controller can include two or more controller engine instances executing as processes on the controller; and

an update component that dynamically deploys a portion of data to the industrial environment, the portion of data is isolated within a controller engine instance for testing prior to exposing such portion of data outside the controller engine instance execution space.

2. The system of claim 1, the portion of data is provided by at least one of a user, an entity, a group, a facility, an enterprise, a business, a factory, a collection of machines, a collection of computers, a collection of users, a programmer, a machine, a computer, a disparate industrial environment, a third-party, a vendor, the Internet, a network, a disparate network not affiliated with the industrial environment, or an evaluation of an industrial environment to ascertain data needs.

3. The system of claim 1, the portion of data relates to an entity within the industrial environment, the entity is a controller, a controller engine instance, a device, a portion of a process, or a portion of an application.

4. The system of claim 1, the portion of data is versioning data, firmware data, a portion of an update, a portion of a patch, a portion of updated software, a portion of updated firmware, a portion of code, a portion of data that corrects a defect, disparate data in comparison to existing data within the industrial environment, application updates, process updates, or an upgrade related to data within the industrial environment.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a detect component that evaluates the industrial environment to identify at least one of the following:

a portion of data existent within the industrial environment;

a portion of data within the industrial environment that can be updated;

or a portion of data within the industrial environment that includes an update corresponding to such portion of data.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a distributed controller engine instance that concurrently executes on a portion of the controller and a portion of a disparate controller within the industrial automation environment.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data resource that includes the portion of data, the data resource is at least one of a vendor, a third-party, a service, a third-party service, a service provider, a manufacturer, a device-maker, a process-maker, an application-maker, a company, a web-service, a website, a database, an email, a data store, a local service, or a remote party.

8. The system of claim 1, the update component tests the portion of data on at least one of the following:

an isolated controller engine instance substantially similar to a target controller engine instance that is exposed to the industrial environment;

an isolated controller engine instance generated to replicate a target controller engine instance to which the portion of data is to be utilized;

an existent controller engine instance within the industrial environment;

or a secondary controller engine instance utilized as a redundant back-up for a primary controller engine instance.

9. The system of claim 1, the update component employs at least one of the following:

a dynamic hand-off for the portion of data from an isolated controller engine instance to a non-isolated controller engine instance that has execution space exposed to the industrial environment;

a direct install and exposure of the portion of data to the industrial environment including a manipulation to the portion of data indicated from testing;

or a dynamic exchange of control between an isolated controller engine instance with the portion of data and a controller engine instance exposed within the industrial environment.

10. The system of claim 1, the update component implements an approval period prior to the deployment and exposure of the portion of data to the industrial environment, the approval period verifies a result associated with testing.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a balance component that allocates a load related to the industrial environment to at least one of a controller or a controller engine instance.

12. The system of claim 11, the update component employs testing with a portion of data related to the load, the testing is isolated to execution space associated with the load.

13. The system of claim 1, the update component deploys the portion of data to a controller engine instance within the industrial environment based upon a hierarchical representation of devices, the hierarchical representation of devices is based at least in part upon one of a proprietary standard or an industry standard which can be at least one of ISA S95, or ISA S88.

14. The system of claim 13, the hierarchical representation is based at least in part upon the partitioning utilized by a balance component.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component that defines at least one of a security level, an authorization, or a privilege that corresponds to at least one of the controller engine instance, the portion of data, or an isolated controller engine instance.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a search component that facilitates querying data associated with at least one of the controller, the controller engine instance, the controller engine instance priority, or data related to the industrial automation environment.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a log component that tracks data related to at least one of the controller, the controller engine instance, the portion of data, an isolated controller engine instance, or identified data existent within the industrial environment.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bridge component that provides a first network protocol utilized to carry data from the update component and configures the data for transmittal over a second network protocol.

19. The system of claim 18, the bridge component bridges multiple communication networks.

20. The system of claim 18, the first network protocol is at least one of Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), Fieldbus, Profibus, Hart, Modbus, ASI-bus, or Foundation Fieldbus.

21. The system of claim 20, the second network protocol is at least one of Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), Fieldbus, Profibus, Hart, Modbus, ASI-bus, or Foundation Fieldbus.

22. A method that facilitates dynamically deploying data within an industrial environment, comprising:

employing a controller with a real time operating system in an industrial environment;

executing at least one or more controller engine instances on the controller, the controller engine instance executes as a process on the controller;

utilizing at least one controller engine instance to manage at least one of a device or a portion of a process within the industrial environment;

deploying a portion of data within an isolated controller engine instance; and

testing such portion of data on the isolated controller engine instance prior to exposing the portion of data outside the isolated controller engine instance.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

evaluating the industrial environment to identify existing data utilized therewith;

receiving the portion of data based at least in part upon the evaluation; and

utilizing the portion of data within the industrial environment.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

dynamically handing-off for the portion of data from an isolated controller engine instance to a non-isolated controller engine instance that has execution space exposed to the industrial environment;

directly installing and exposing the portion of data to the industrial environment including a test-based manipulation to the portion of data; and

dynamically exchanging control between an isolated controller engine instance with the portion of data and a controller engine instance exposed within the industrial environment.

25. A computer-implemented system that facilitates implementing a portion of data within an industrial environment, comprising:

means for employing a controller within an industrial environment, the controller includes a real time operating system;

means for executing two or more controller engine instances as processes on the controller;

means for dynamically deploying a portion of data to the industrial environment; and

means for isolating the portion of data within a controller engine instance for testing prior to exposing such portion of data outside the controller engine instance execution space.