Controller Cluster and Method for Operating the Controller Cluster

• US 20200136853A1
• Filed: 10/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schlittenbauer, Markus, Gerlach, Hendrik
• Granted Patent: US 11,032,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0425 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC

Abstract

A controller cluster for controlling a technical device with a redundant first automation device and second automation device, wherein a virtual network interface controller is arranged in the automation devices between a first network interface controller and a protocol stack, and wherein the network interface controller administers a cluster hardware address in addition to a standard hardware address and thus the controller cluster, despite there being two automation devices, presents itself externally as one device.

Claims

1. A controller cluster for controlling a technical device, comprising:

a bus system;

a first automation device including a first control program for controlling the technical device and a first network interface controller with a first standard hardware address, which is connected to the bus system;

a second automation device including a second control program for controlling the technical device and a second network interface controller with a second standard hardware address, which is connected to the bus system, the first and the second control programs being formed such that said first and second controls programs implement the same control tasks for the technical device;

a first virtual network interface controller arranged between the first network interface controller and a first protocol stack of the first automation device; and

a second virtual network interface controller arranged between the second network interface controller and a second protocol stack of the second automation device, the first and second network interface controllers being configured to administer a cluster hardware address;

wherein the first protocol stack is accessible via the first standard hardware address and the first protocol stack is only accessible via the first virtual network interface controller via the cluster hardware address when said controller is switched to active and the second protocol stack is accessible via the second standard hardware address and the second protocol stack is only accessible via the second virtual network interface controller via the cluster hardware address when said controller is switched to active.

2. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first redundancy manager within the first automation device and a second redundancy manager within the second automation device;

wherein the first and second redundancy managers are interconnected via a synchronization connection and are configured to switch the first virtual network interface controller to active and to switch the second virtual network interface controller to inactive or switch the second virtual network interface controller to active and to switch the first virtual network interface controller to inactive.

3. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second redundancy managers are configured to perform supervision of the functions on their respective automation devices or on the functions executing therein and, when a malfunction is recognized, configured to switch a respective active virtual network interface controller to inactive and to switch a corresponding inactive virtual network interface controller to active.

4. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronization connection is configured as a dedicated redundant line.

5. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 3, wherein the synchronization connection is configured as a dedicated redundant line.

6. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronization connection is configured as a communication channel with Layer-2 Ethernet frames and is made via the bus system.

7. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 3, wherein the synchronization connection is configured as a communication channel with Layer-2 Ethernet frames and is made via the bus system.

8. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second protocol stacks each includes a standard interface for data traffic from standard applications and a cluster interface for data traffic from cluster applications in each case.

9. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second protocol stacks have a routing manager, which is configured to route data traffic from standard applications via the standard interface and to route data traffic from cluster applications via the cluster interface.

10. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second protocol stacks includes a cluster services programming interface and a standard services programming interface.

11. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second protocol stacks includes a cluster services programming interface and a standard services programming interface.

12. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller cluster comprises a high-availability, redundant automation system for automation applications for which an availability of an automation device is of highest priority, said controller cluster being configured for access by a client to be shown as a single system.

13. The controller cluster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bus system includes a first bus segment, a second bus segment and a third bus segment;

wherein the first automation device is connected via a first switch to a first port on the first bus segment and to a second port on the second bus segment and the second automation device is connected via a second switch to a first port on the second bus segment and to a second port on the third bus segment; and

wherein the first switch includes a switch FDB which influenced to forwarding the data traffic for the cluster hardware address to the second switch.

14. A method for operating a controller cluster for controlling a technical device, a first automation device and a second automation device being operated redundantly on a bus system, a first control program executing on the first automation device and a second control program executing on the second automation device to control thee technical device, the first and the second control programs being formed such that said first and second control programs each perform the same control tasks for the technical device, and the first automation device being operated via a first network interface controller with a first standard hardware address on the bus system and the second automation device being operated via a second network interface controller with a second standard hardware address on the bus system, the method comprising:

operating a first virtual network interface controller between the first network interface controller and a first protocol stack of the first automation device;

operating a second virtual network interface controller between the second network interface controller and a second protocol stack of the second automation device;

operating the first and second network interface controllers with a cluster hardware address on the bus system;

accessing the first protocol stack via the first standard hardware address, the first protocol stack only being accessible via the first virtual network interface controller via the cluster hardware address when said controller is switched to active; and

accessing the second protocol stack via the second standard hardware address, the second protocol stack only being accessible via the second virtual network interface controller via the cluster hardware address when said controller is switched to active.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

operating a first redundancy manager in the first automation device; and

operating a second redundancy manager in the second automation device;

wherein the first and second redundancy managers are interconnected via a synchronization connection and are configured to switch the first virtual network interface controller to active and to switch the second virtual network interface controller to inactive or switch the second virtual network interface controller to active and to switch the first virtual network interface controller.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first and second redundancy managers supervise functions on their respective first and second automation devices or on the functions executing therein and, when a malfunction is recognized on an automation device, switch the active virtual network interface controller to inactive and switch a corresponding inactive virtual network interface controller of another automation device to active.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the synchronization connection is operated as a communication channel with Layer-2 Ethernet frames and is set up via the bus system and the network interface controllers.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the synchronization connection is operated as a communication channel with Layer-2 Ethernet frames and is set up via the bus system and the network interface controllers.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and second protocol stacks are each operated with a standard interface for data traffic from standard applications and with a cluster interface for data traffic from cluster applications, outgoing data traffic being accordingly routed via the corresponding interface;

and

wherein data traffic from cluster applications is either blocked or forwarded depending on a status of the virtual network interface controller, data traffic from standard applications always being sent independently thereof, an appropriate application of the corresponding standard hardware address additionally being provided.