DEPLOYING A CONFIGURATION FOR MULTIPLE FIELD DEVICES

• US 20110191500A1
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Kostadinov, Vladimir Dimitrov, Piper, Charles Wilson, Odayappan, Jayamani, Tegnell, Johan Ingemar
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25061 Configuration stored in central database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for deploying a configuration in a process control system wherein at least a portion of the configuration is deployed to a set of field devices. Initially the set of deployment packages are stored within a configuration storage. Thereafter, deployment is initiated on the set of deployment packages from the configuration storage. In response to the initiating deployment step, an automated cascaded deployment is commenced to the set of connected field devices. The automated cascaded deployment includes first deploying the sets of deployment packages to a set of control module assemblies. The method furthermore includes second deploying the received portions of the set of deployment packages to a set of I/O module assemblies. The set of I/O module assemblies maintain and pass the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to sets of field devices.

Claims

1. A method for deploying a set of deployment packages, corresponding to a configuration for a process control system, to a set of connected field devices, the method comprising the steps of:

storing the set of deployment packages within a configuration storage;

initiating deployment of the set of deployment packages from the configuration storage; and

in response to the initiating deployment step, commencing an automated cascaded deployment of the set of deployment packages to the set of connected field devices comprising the substeps of;

first deploying the sets of deployment packages, to a set of control module assemblies;

first maintaining, by the set of control module assemblies, received portions of the set of deployment packages to facilitate distribution of the received portions of the set of deployment packages to identified field devices;

second deploying, in parallel by the control module assemblies, the received portions of the set of deployment packages to a set of I/O module assemblies, the I/O module assemblies being communicatively connected to sets of field devices;

second maintaining, by the set of I/O module assemblies, received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to facilitate forwarding of the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to the communicatively connected sets of field devices; and

third deploying, by the set of I/O module assemblies, the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to the communicatively connected sets of field devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the field devices are Foundation Fieldbus devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the deployment package corresponds to a device block.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the device block is a function block.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of I/O module assemblies include scanning logic to detect a target field device for a deployment package, and in response commence downloading information associated with the deployment package to the target field device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of I/O module assemblies include scanning logic to detect a target field device for a deployment package, and a persisting storage for buffering a deployment package, of the sub-portions of the set of deployment packages, in response to a failure to detect the presence of a target field device for the deployment package.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first maintaining step comprises persisting received portions of the set of deployment packages after performing the second deploying step;

and

re-deploying, by a control module assembly to an I/O module assembly, a deployment package to an I/O module assembly based upon a persisted one of the received portions of the set of deployment packages.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second maintaining step comprises persisting received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages after performing the third deploying step;

and

re-deploying, by an I/O module assembly to a field device, a deployment package to a field device based upon a persisted one of the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing a deployment status notification from the target field device to the station via interposed ones of the set of I/O module assemblies and the set of control module assemblies.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

providing a display depicting a current status of a deployment operation, the display including a hierarchically arranged set of nodes in a collapsible tree user interface representing at least a portion of the configuration of the process control system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the deployment package identifies a deployment path through an identified control module assembly, I/O module assembly, and field device.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initially placing the received sub-portions in a non-operational state on the field devices;

monitoring whether the received sub-portions can enter an operational state; and

entering an operational state upon receiving a notification to leave the non-operational state, the notification being automatically propagated via at least the control module assemblies and I/O module assemblies in a cascaded manner.

13. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed on a computer system facilitate deploying a set of deployment packages, corresponding to a configuration for a process control system, to a set of connected field devices, the deploying the set of deployment packages comprising the steps of:

storing the set of deployment packages within a configuration storage;

initiating deployment of the set of deployment packages from the configuration storage; and

in response to the initiating deployment step, commencing an automated cascaded deployment of the set of deployment packages to the set of connected field devices comprising the substeps of;

first deploying the sets of deployment packages, to a set of control module assemblies;

first maintaining, by the set of control module assemblies, received portions of the set of deployment packages to facilitate distribution of the received portions of the set of deployment packages to identified field devices;

second deploying, in parallel by the control module assemblies, the received portions of the set of deployment packages to a set of I/O module assemblies, the I/O module assemblies being communicatively connected to sets of field devices;

second maintaining, by the set of I/O module assemblies, received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to facilitate forwarding of the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to the communicatively connected sets of field devices; and

third deploying, by the set of I/O module assemblies, the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to the communicatively connected sets of field devices.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the set of I/O module assemblies include scanning logic to detect a target field device for a deployment package, and in response commence downloading information associated with the deployment package to the target field device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the set of I/O module assemblies include scanning logic to detect a target field device for a deployment package, and a persisting storage for buffering a deployment package, of the sub-portions of the set of deployment packages, in response to a failure to detect the presence of a target field device for the deployment package.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the second maintaining step comprises persisting received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages after performing the third deploying step;

and

re-deploying, by an I/O module assembly to a field device, a deployment package to a field device based upon a persisted one of the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising computer executable instructions for:

providing a deployment status notification from the target field device to the station via interposed ones of the set of I/O module assemblies and the set of control module assemblies.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 further comprising computer-executable instructions for:

providing a display depicting a current status of a deployment operation, the display including a hierarchically arranged set of nodes in a collapsible tree user interface representing at least a portion of the configuration of the process control system.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising computer executable instructions for:

initially placing the received sub-portions in a non-operational state on the field devices;

monitoring whether the received sub-portions can enter an operational state; and

entering an operational state upon receiving a notification to leave the non-operational state, the notification being automatically propagated via at least the control module assemblies and I/O module assemblies in a cascaded manner.

20. A networked process control system that supports deploying, in a cascaded parallel manner, a set of deployment packages, corresponding to a configuration for a process control system, to a set of connected field devices, the networked process control system comprising:

a station, at a top level of a cascaded deployment path to the set of connected field devices, the control station including a configuration storage and executable procedures for;

storing the set of deployment packages,

initiating an automated cascaded deployment of the set of deployment packages from the configuration storage, and

first deploying, at a top tier of a cascaded deployment paths to field devices, the sets of deployment packages to a set of control module assemblies;

a control module assembly, at a second level of the cascaded deployment path, the control module assembly including a first deployment storage and first deployment logic for;

first maintaining, by the set of control module assemblies, received portions of the set of deployment packages to facilitate distribution of the received portions of the set of deployment packages to identified field devices, and

second deploying, in parallel with other ones of the set of control module assemblies, the received portions of the set of deployment packages to a set of I/O module assemblies, the I/O module assemblies being communicatively connected to sets of field devices;

an I/O module assembly, at a third level of the cascaded deployment path, the I/O module assembly including a second deployment storage and second deployment logic for;

second maintaining, by the set of I/O module assemblies, received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to facilitate forwarding of the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to the communicatively connected sets of field devices, and

third deploying, by the set of I/O module assemblies, the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to the communicatively connected sets of field devices.

21. A method for deploying a set of deployment packages, corresponding to a configuration for a process control system, to a set of connected field devices, the method comprising the steps of:

storing the set of deployment packages within a configuration storage;

initiating deployment of the set of deployment packages from the configuration storage; and

in response to the initiating deployment step, commencing an automated cascaded deployment of the set of deployment packages to the set of connected field devices comprising the substeps of;

first deploying the sets of deployment packages, to a set of control module assemblies;

first maintaining, by the set of control module assemblies, received portions of the set of deployment packages to facilitate distribution of the received portions of the set of deployment packages to identified field devices;

second deploying, in parallel by the control module assemblies, the received portions of the set of deployment packages to field devices.