HOSTING REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICES

• US 20110022626A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Bliss, Ronald, Reichard, Douglas J., Govindaraj, Subbian, Brandes, Russell, Plache, Kenneth, Kalan, Michael, Jasper, Taryl, Kretschmann, Robert J., Staron, Raymond, Jarrett, James Harry, Seger, Daniel B. III, Hall, Kenwood
• Granted Patent: US 9,058,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13063 Synchronization between modules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23389 Modular program, each process has corresponding program module
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31196 SOAP, describes available services and how to call them remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33148 CLS client server architecture, client consumes, server provides services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Aspects describe an apparatus, method and system for constructing an application in an industrial automation system. An identification component can receive at least one requirement of the application. Based upon the at least one requirement, the identification component can select at least one service that satisfies the at least one requirement. The at least one service can be associated with at least one operational requirement. The identification component can match at least one host to the at least one service by matching the at least one operational requirement with at least one capability of the at least one service.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store information about a plurality of services that execute as a plurality of functions in an industrial automation environment, the plurality of services comprising a plurality of operational requirements;

an identification component stored in the memory and executed by a processor, wherein the identification component is configured to;

receive a description of an application in an industrial automation system;

determine at least one requirement of the application according to the description;

search the memory for at least one service from the plurality of services that satisfies the at least one requirement, wherein the at least one service comprises a plurality of operational requirements; and

match at least one of a plurality of hosts to the at least one service, wherein the at least one of the plurality of hosts comprises at least one capability meeting the at least one of the plurality of operational requirements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of services comprises at least a first implementation with a first operational requirement and a second implementation with a second operational requirement.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first implementation corresponds to a first level of a hierarchical data model employed within the industrial automation environment and the second implementation corresponds to a second level of a hierarchical data model employed within the industrial automation environment.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first operational requirement comprises a first language and the second operational requirement comprises a second language.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification component is further configured to deploy the at least one of the plurality of services with the at least one of the plurality of hosts.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification component is further configured to display a list of the plurality of hosts and receive a selection of the at least one host.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification component is further configured to select the at least one host from the plurality of hosts based at least in part on a language requirement of an implementation of the at least one service.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification component is further configured to select the at least one host from the plurality of hosts based at least in part on metadata related to an implementation of the at least one service.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification component is further configured to select the at least one host from the plurality of hosts based at least in part on an analysis of the at least one of the plurality of capabilities.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a description of an application for an industrial automation environment, wherein the description comprises at least one feature;

identifying at least one of a plurality of services in a directory stored in memory meeting the at least one feature, wherein the at least one of the plurality of services comprises at least one operational requirement; and

matching at least one of a plurality of hosts to the at least one service, wherein the at least one of the plurality of hosts comprises at least one capability satisfying the at least one operational requirement.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the plurality of services comprises at least a first implementation with a first operational requirement and a second implementation with a second operational requirement.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first implementation corresponds to a first level of a hierarchical data model employed within the industrial automation environment and the second implementation corresponds to a second level of a hierarchical data model employed within the industrial automation environment.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first operational requirement comprises a first language and the second operational requirement comprises a second language.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising deploying the at least one of the plurality of services with the at least one of the plurality of hosts.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting the at least one of the plurality of hosts from a list of the plurality of hosts.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the selecting further comprises selecting the at least one of the plurality of hosts based at least in part on a language requirement of an implementation of the at least one service.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the selecting further comprises selecting the at least one of the plurality of hosts based at least in part on metadata related to an implementation of the at least one service.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the selecting further comprises selecting the at least one of the plurality of hosts based at least in part on an analysis of the at least one of a plurality of capabilities.

19. A system, comprising:

a plurality of services stored in memory, wherein the plurality of services execute as a plurality of functions in an industrial automation environment and comprise a plurality of operational requirements;

an identification component stored in the memory and executed by a processor, wherein the identification component is configured to;

receive at least one feature of an application in an industrial automation environment;

search the memory for at least one service from the plurality of services corresponding to the feature, wherein the at least one service comprises a plurality of operational requirement; and

match at least one of a plurality of hosts to the at least one service, wherein the at least one of the plurality of hosts comprises at least one capability meeting at least one of the plurality of operational requirements.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the identification component is further configured to select the at least one of the plurality of hosts from the plurality of hosts based at least in part upon an implementation of the at least one service.