Version control and audit trail in a process control system

• US 6,449,624 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jundt, Larry Oscar, Hammack, Stephen Gerard, Lucas, J. Michael, Dove, Andrew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/420,182
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 707/203, 707/100, 717/11, 700/83, 700/29, 713/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23291 Process, graphic programming of a process, text and images
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25078 Store in ram a second program adapted to local conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A system useful for controlling a process includes a computer-readable medium and a processor in communication with the computer-readable medium. The system further includes a first database and a second database. The first database stores first data representative of a first configuration of the process, while the second database stores second data representative of a second configuration of the process. A configuration routine of the system is stored in the computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor to facilitate a modification of the first configuration of the process. A version control routine of the system is stored in the computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor to store in the second database third data indicative of the modification of the first configuration of the process.

Claims

1. A configuration management system for tracking the configuration of process control system formed by a plurality of process control elements, the configuration management system comprising:

a computer-readable medium;

a processor in communication with the computer-readable medium;

a first database that stores first data representative of a first configuration of the process control system;

a second database that stores second data representative of a second configuration of the process control system;

a configuration routine stored in the computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor to facilitate a modification of the first configuration of the process control system; and

a version control routine stored in the computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor to store in the second database third data indicative of the modification of the first configuration of the process control system.

2. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the first database comprises a configuration database such that the first configuration of the process control system corresponds with a current configuration version.

3. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the second database comprises a version control database such that the second configuration of the process control system corresponds with a past configuration version.

4. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second configurations of the process control system comprise first and second pluralities of process items, respectively; and

each process item of the first and second pluralities of process items has a respective item configuration such that

the first configuration of the process control system comprises the item configuration of each process item of the first plurality of process items, and

the second configuration of the process control system comprises the item configuration of each process item of the second plurality of process items.

5. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the version control routine monitors the modification of the first configuration of the process control system to gather the third data.

6. The configuration management system of claim 5, wherein the version control routine monitors the modification of the first configuration of the process control system by imposing a check-out/check-in procedure on the configuration routine.

7. The configuration management system of claim 6, wherein the check-out/check-in procedure is automatic.

8. The configuration mangaement system of claim 7, wherein the configuration routine is adapted to enable a user to choose between an automatic check-out/check-in procedure and a manual check-out/check-in procedure.

9. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the configuration routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to make changes to a first process control element and to propagate changes to other process control elements that are affected by the changes made to the first process control element.

10. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the process control elements includes an associated version and the process control system includes an associated version and wherein the versions are stored in one of the first and second databases.

11. The configuration management system of claim 10, wherein the version control routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to recall previous versions of the process control elements and to restore the process control elements to the pervious versions.

12. The configuration management system of claim 10, wherein the version control routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to determine a version of a plurality of process control elements operating in the process control system.

13. The configuration management system of claim 10, wherein the version control routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to determine differences between two versions of a process control element and to display the differences to a user.

14. The configuration management system of claim 10, wherein the version control routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to determine differences between two versions of the process control system and to display the differences to a user.

15. The configuration management system of claim 10, wherein the data representative of the versions of the process control elements are stored in a relational database format.

16. The configuration management system of claim 10, wherein the data representative of the versions of the process control elements are stored in an object oriented format.

17. The configuration management system of claim 10, wherein one of the first and second databases stores an associated name and history for one or more of the process control elements.

18. The configuration management system of claim 17, wherein the configuration routine enables a user to change names associated with process control elements and wherein the configuration routine associates histories of the process control elements with the changed names of the process control elements.

19. The configuration management system of claim 10, wherein the version control routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to recall previous versions of the process control system and to restore the process control system to the previous version.

20. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the version control routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to store the third data indicative of the modification of the first configuration of the process control elements in an extensible markup language (XML) format.

21. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the configuration routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to detect the presence of new items to the process control system.

22. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the configuration routine is adapted to be executed by the processor to track identities of persons who made changes to the process control system.

23. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the process control system executes batch processes and wherein the version control routine is adapted to determine versions of the process control elements that were used during the batch processes.

24. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the configuration routine and the version control routine may be executed while the process control system is operating.

25. The configuration management system of claim 1, wherein the configuration routine and the version control routine may be selectively enabled and disabled without regard to a state of the process control system.

26. A process control system having process control elements, comprising:

a computer having a processor;

a process configuration application adapted to be implemented by the processor to establish a versions of the process control system and the process control elements; and

a version control system in communication with the process configuration application to record and control modifications to the versions of the process control system and the process control elements.

27. The process control system of claim 26, wherein the process configuration application and the version control system are integrated such that the recordation and control of the modification to the versions of the process control system and the process control elements occurs in a manner transparent to a user.

28. The process control system of claim 26, wherein the modification to the versions of the process control system and the process control items are recorded and controlled in an automated manner.

29. The process control system of claim 26, wherein the version control system stores data indicative of prior versions of the process control system and the process control elements.

30. The process control system of claim 29, wherein the version control system includes a comparison tool that provides a user interface for displaying differences between the version of the process control elements and the prior version of the process control elements.

31. The process control system of claim 30, wherein the user interface displays the difference graphically.

32. The process control system of claim 29, wherein the version control system includes a rollback tool to replace versions of the process control elements with the prior version of the process control elements.

33. The process control system of claim 32, wherein the rollback tool automatically determines whether any subordinate control elements of the process control elements have been deleted.

34. The process control system of claim 26, further comprising a process controller to which data reflective of the process control elements are downloaded wherein the version control system stores information indicative of the version of the process control elements to reflect when the data reflective of the process control elements is downloaded to the process controller.

35. The process control system of claim 26, further comprising a process controller to which data reflective of the process control elements is downloaded for implementation wherein the data includes information indicative of the version of the process control elements such that a process operator with access to the process controller may be informed of the version of the process control elements currently being implemented.

36. A method of controlling a process control system having a process control elements, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a configuration of the process having a first version of the process control system and the process control elements;

controlling a modification of the configuration of the process control system and the process control elements to create a second version of the process control system and the process control elements; and

recording information associated with the modification of the configuration of the process control system and the process control elements.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the recording step is performed in a transparent manner.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the controlling and recording steps are performed in an automated manner.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of providing a user interface for displaying differences between the first version of the process control elements and the second version of the process control elements.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the user interface displays the differences graphically.

41. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of replacing the second version of the process control elements with the first version of the process control elements.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the replacing step comprises the step of determining whether any subordinate items of the process control elements have been deleted.

43. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of storing information indicative of a downloaded version of the process control elements to reflect when data reflective of the process control elements is downloaded to a process controller.

44. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of downloading to a process controller information indicative of a current versions of the process control elements such that a process operator with access to the process controller may be informed of the current version of the process control elements.