Apparatus and method for sharing configuration data among a plurality of devices

• US 7,509,324 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Burr, John Ronald, Melius, Jeffrey Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tim T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gortayo; Dangelino N
• Application Number:
  US10/711,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/201, 707/203, 707/104, 707/1, 707/10, 707/100, 707/200, 713/1, 700/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system includes a network and a producer device in communication with the network. The producer device includes instructions to transmit a data sample to a consumer device via the network and to receive a request from the consumer device to send configuration information. The configuration information relates to the data sample. The producer device also includes instructions to transmit the configuration information to the consumer device via the network. A method includes transmitting a data sample from a producer device to a consumer device via a network, receiving a request at the producer device to send configuration information to the consumer device, and transmitting the configuration information to the consumer device via the network. A computer program product includes a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method, which includes transmitting a data sample from a producer device to a consumer device via a network, receiving a request at the producer device to send configuration information to the consumer device, and transmitting the configuration information to the consumer device via the network.

Claims

1. A system for sharing configuration information among a plurality of devices, the system comprising:

a network;

a plurality of consumer devices in communication with the network; and

a plurality of producer devices in communication with the network the plurality of producer devices able to communicate with the plurality of consumer devices via the network, each of the plurality of producer devices including an active configuration information protocol having an active incrementable CONFIG ID corresponding to an active data that is independent of configuration information protocol of other producer devices without a common database of configuration information protocol or a central configuration information repository that when provided to one of the plurality of consumer devices allow the receiving consumer device to properly configure the corresponding active data received from the producer device from which the configuration information protocol was received, one of the plurality of producer devices having configuration information that can be different than the configuration information in another of the plurality of producer devices, the consumer device configured to compare the active incrementable CONFIG ID to a previously obtained incrementable CONFIG ID that corresponds to a previously obtained configuration information protocol, each of the plurality of consumer devices able to automatically request the active configuration information protocol from one of the plurality of producer devices in response to a mismatch between the active incrementable CONFIG ID and the previously obtained incrementable CONFIG ID detectable by the consumer, the one of the plurality of the producer devices being responsive to the request without alteration of data or configuration information produced from the one of the plurality of producer devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein configuration information protocol includes one or more of data type, encoding, location, array length a signature, a time stamp, data size, an away element index, cardinality, an offset, and an address of a data sample.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein configuration information protocol includes default values.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein configuration information protocol includes a first configuration and a second configuration, the second configuration being unique in comparison to configurations of all other producer devices, the producer device transmits the data sample having the first configuration and a version of the first configuration and at least one of an indication that the second configuration is pending and a version of the second configuration.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the producer device receives a request from the consumer device to send the configuration information protocol in response to the at least one of the indication that the second configuration is pending and the version of the second configuration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein configuration information protocol includes a first configuration and a second configuration, the second configuration being unique in comparison to configurations of all other producer devices, the producer device transmits at least one of the data sample having the first configuration, a version of the first configuration, an indication that the second configuration is pending, and a version of the second configuration.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the producer device receives a request from the consumer device to send the configuration information protocol in response to the at least one of the indication that the second configuration is pending and the version of the second configuration.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumer device detects a mismatch in the CONFIG ID via the network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the producer device receives an instruction from external source to change configuration information protocol from a first configuration to a second configuration.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the producer device instructs the consumer device via the network that a change in configuration information protocol is pending.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the producer device maintains a first configuration for a predetermined time and creates a second configuration.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the producer device transmits the second configuration to the consumer device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the producer device implements the second configuration and the consumer device responds and implements the second configuration.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes at least one of an local area network, a wide area network, a global network, a virtual private network, an intranet, an Ethernet local area network with internet protocol.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein configuration information protocol is stored in the producer device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein an incrementable CONFIG ID is time stamped.

15. A method for sharing configuration information among a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

transmitting a active incrementable CONFIG ID from a producer device to a consumer device via a network;

comparing the active incrementable CONFIG ID and a previously obtained incrementable CONFIG ID that was previously obtained by the consumer;

detecting a mismatch between the active incrementable CONFIG ID and the previously obtained CONFIG ID;

receiving a request at the producer device from the consumer device when a mismatch is detected by the consumer device to send an active configuration information to the consumer device, the active configuration information relating to an active data sample; and

automatically transmitting the active configuration information, without modifying the configuration information as a result of the request, stored in the producer device that is independent of configuration information stored in any other producer device and that is not from a common database of configuration information or a central configuration repository from the producer device to the consumer device via the network in response to receiving the request from the consumer device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving an instruction at the producer device to change configuration information from a first configuration to a second configuration.

17. The method of claim 16, instructing the consumer device via the network that the change in configuration information is pending.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising maintaining the first configuration at the producer device for a predetermined time and creating the second configuration at the producer device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the second configuration to the consumer device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising implementing the second configuration at the producer device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising implementing the second configuration at the consumer device in response to the producer device implementing the second configuration.

22. A computer program product for sharing configuration information among a plurality of devices, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

transmitting a active incrementable CONFIG ID from a producer device to a consumer device via a network;

comparing the active incrementable CONFIG ID and a previously obtained incrementable CONFIG ID that was previously obtained by the consumer;

detecting a mismatch between the active incrementable CONFIG ID and the previously obtained CONFIG ID;

receiving a request at the producer device from the consumer device when a mismatch is detected by the consumer device to send the active configuration information to the consumer device, the active configuration information relating to an active data sample; and

automatically transmitting the active configuration information stored in the producer device, without modifying the configuration information as a result of the request, the configuration information being independent of configuration information stored in any other producer device and that is not from a common database of configuration information or a central configuration repository from the producer device to the consumer device via the network in response to receiving the request from the consumer device.