Configuration Management System for power monitoring and protection system devices

• US 20100031076A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square D Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Square D Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Wan, Steven, Wynans, Art
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3062 where the monitored property is the power consumption power management in a computing system G06F1/3203

Abstract

A method of analyzing configuration parameters of IEDs across one or more networks in an electrical system and automatically determines whether any anomalies exist in the configuration parameters for a selected group of IEDs. A list of all IEDs in the electrical system along with configuration templates including firmware and program versions maintained in a master list are stored in central database on a server communicatively coupled to the IEDs through the networks. Configuration parameter values from the IEDs and from any newly added IEDs are scanned and compared against the configuration templates. Anomalies in the parameter values are identified and highlighted to the user, who may decide to accept the anomaly as expected or change the anomalous parameter value for one IED or a group of IEDs. The master list is updated with any user-approved changes to parameter values. Periodic polling of configuration parameters is also supported.

Claims

1. A method of managing configuration parameters associated with a plurality of intelligent electronic devices in a power monitoring system, comprising:

storing a list of the plurality of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in a database;

storing in the database a master list of configuration parameters and their associated parameter values for each of the plurality of IEDs;

receiving an indication of a selected configuration parameter;

responsive to the receiving, querying the database for the selected configuration parameter to produce a set of the plurality of IEDs each having the selected configuration parameter;

automatically analyzing the parameter values associated with the selected configuration parameter for each IED in the set of IEDs to determine whether at least one anomalous parameter value exists for any IED in the set of IEDs;

if the automatically analyzing determines that the at least one anomalous parameter value exists, receiving an indication as to whether to modify the at least one anomalous parameter value; and

responsive to the indication as to whether to modify the at least one anomalous parameter value being an indication to modify the at least one anomalous parameter value, modifying the at least one anomalous parameter value in the master list to produce a modified parameter value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one anomalous parameter value is determined by comparing each of the parameter values associated with the selected configuration parameter with a corresponding parameter value in a configuration template stored on the database, and, if the corresponding parameter value differs from the parameter value associated with the selected configuration parameter, flagging the associated IED for the selected configuration parameter as having at least one anomalous parameter value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one anomalous parameter value is determined by determining whether any parameter value for any IED in the set of IEDs differs from other parameter values for other IEDs in the set of IEDs, and, if so, flagging the parameter value that differs as the at least one anomalous parameter value.

4. The method of claim 1, responsive to the indication as to whether to modify the at least one anomalous parameter value being an indication not to modify the at least one anomalous parameter value, updating the master list to include an indication that the at least one anomalous parameter value is not an anomalous parameter value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the modified parameter value to the associated IED to cause the modified parameter value to be stored in the associated IED.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on a video display the at least one anomalous parameter value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a signal over a first network to which at least some of the plurality of IEDs are connected, the signal being formatted according to a first communications protocol supported by the at least some of the IEDs;

receiving via the first network responses from the at least some of the IEDs;

instructing via the first network the at least some of the IEDs to transmit their configuration parameters and associated parameter values; and

receiving via the first network from the at least some of the IEDs their configuration parameters and associated parameter values.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

communicating a signal over a second network to which at least others of the plurality of IEDs are connected, the signal being formatted according to a second communications protocol, which differs from the first communications protocol, supported by the at least others of the IEDs;

receiving via the second network responses from the at least others of the IEDs;

instructing via the second network the at least others of the IEDs to transmit their configuration parameters and associated parameter values; and

receiving via the second network from the at least others of the IEDs their configuration parameters and associated parameter values.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one anomalous parameter value is a plurality of anomalous parameter values, each associated with different ones of the plurality of IEDs, the method further comprising:

receiving an indication of a second modified parameter value;

modifying the master list such that the parameter values for the different ones of the IEDs are modified to correspond to the second modified parameter value; and

causing the second modified parameter value to be communicated to each of the different ones of the IEDs.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to the causing the second modified parameter value to be communicated, interrogating each of the different ones of the IEDs to verify that the parameter value associated with the selected configuration parameter corresponds to the second modified parameter value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the indication of the selected configuration parameter includes receiving an indication of a group of IEDs, wherein the set of IEDs includes the group of IEDs.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically polling the plurality of IEDs to receive one or more configuration parameter values and determining whether the received one or more configuration parameter values have changed relative to the master list.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting whether one or more new IEDs have been added to the power monitoring system, and, responsive to the detecting, receiving new parameter values from the one or more new IEDs;

automatically analyzing the new parameter values associated with the selected configuration parameter to determine whether any of the new parameter values are anomalous relative to the parameter values associated with the selected configuration parameter.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in the database a list of versions of firmware or software that is in each of at least some of the plurality of IEDs; and

automatically determining whether any of the versions of firmware or software are outdated, and, if so, causing a new version of firmware or software to be downloaded to at least one of the plurality of IEDs having an outdated version of the firmware or software.