System, apparatus and method for mixed mode communication on a single network

• US 7,843,897 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Inventors: LaDow, Peter S., Casebolt, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jayanti K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyllie; Christopher T
• Application Number:
  US11/554,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20080101251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/235, 370/401, 370/466, 709/224, 709/228
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Provided is a system, apparatus, and method for evaluating a variety of protocols on a computer network which includes a plurality of network devices. The network devices are adapted to communicate messages on the computer network using their respective protocols. The present invention system, apparatus and method are associated with one of the network devices. The present invention system, apparatus and method are further adapted to identify the various protocols on the network and analyze each message on the network to determine the protocol associated with the message. In another aspect of the present invention, the system and apparatus are adapted to determine whether to communicate a message to the associated network device based on this identification and analysis the message. The present invention embodiments allow for mixed mode communication on a single network.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating a message on a single network, said network including a plurality of network devices communicating messages using various different protocols, wherein a portion of each message includes a specific sequence, the system comprising:

a plurality of network devices; and

a protocol evaluation apparatus coupled to one of the network devices, said protocol evaluation apparatus including a first protocol identifier module associated with a specific messaging protocol, a second protocol identifier module associated with another specific messaging protocol and a claim control module,

said first protocol identifier module configured to evaluate the sequence of a portion of a message on the network, wherein the first protocol identifier module transmits the message to the claim control module if the sequence of the portion of the message on the network is in accordance with the specific messaging protocol associated with the first protocol identifier module, and wherein the first protocol identifier module signals the second protocol identifier module to evaluate the message if the sequence of the portion of the message on the network is not in accordance with the specific messaging protocol of the first protocol identifier module,

said second protocol identifier module configured to evaluate the sequence of a portion of the message if signaled by the first protocol identifier module, wherein the second protocol identifier module transmits the portion of the message to the claim control module if the sequence of the portion of the message on the network is in accordance with the specific messaging protocol associated with the second protocol identifier module,

said claim control module configured to claim the portions of the message transmitted by either the first protocol identifier module or the second protocol identifier module and transmit the claimed portions of the message to the network device of the associated protocol coupled to the protocol evaluation apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the message is at least an octet of data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each protocol identifier module evaluates the portion of the message on a frame-by-frame basis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the protocol evaluation apparatus further includes a data buffer for storing portions of messages to be evaluated.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the protocol evaluation apparatus further includes a timer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the portion of the message includes a time element associated with the sequence associated therewith, and wherein said protocol evaluation apparatus transmits the message to the network device if the sequence of the portion of the message including the time element is in accordance with the specific messaging protocol associated with either the first or second protocol identifier module.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said claim control module is configured to transmit the end of a claimed portion of the message due to a time delay during which portions of the claimed message are not received.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific messaging protocol is associated with a specific encryption protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific messaging protocol is associated with a messaging protocol used in an electric power system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the specific messaging protocol is selected from the group consisting of HAYES, SMI, DNP, AGA, SEL, DDF, MODBUS, IEC-61850, PROFIBUS, and unstructured messaging protocols .

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of a local area network, a wide area network, and a SCADA system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the protocol evaluation apparatus is part of the network device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the specific messaging protocol associated with the first protocol identifier is more complex than the specific messaging protocol associated with the second protocol identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the specific messaging protocol associated with the first protocol identifier has higher priority than the specific messaging protocol associated with the second protocol identifier.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is evaluated by each protocol identifier module until a portion of the message is claimed by the claim control module.

16. An apparatus for evaluating a message on a single network, said network including a plurality of devices communicating messages using various different protocols, wherein a portion of each message includes a specific sequence, the apparatus associated with one of the network devices and comprising:

a first protocol identifier module associated with a specific messaging protocol, a second protocol identifier module associated with another specific messaging protocol, and a claim control module;

said first protocol identifier module associated with a specific messaging protocol, said first protocol identifier module configured to evaluate the sequence of a portion of a message on the network, wherein the first protocol identifier module transmits the portion of the message to the claim control module if the sequence of the portion of the message on the network is in accordance with the specific messaging protocol associated with the first protocol identifier module, and wherein the first protocol identifier module signals the second protocol identifier module to evaluate the message if the sequence of the portion of the message on the network is not in accordance with the specific messaging protocol of the first protocol identifier module;

said second protocol identifier module configured to evaluate the sequence of a portion of the message if signaled by the first protocol identifier module, wherein the second protocol identifier module transmits the portion of the message to the claim control module if the sequence of the portion of the message on the network is in accordance with the specific messaging protocol associated with the second protocol identifier module, and

said claim control module configured to claim the messages transmitted by either the first protocol identifier module or the second protocol identifier module and transmit the claimed portions of messages to the network device of the associated protocol.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the specific messaging protocol associated with the first protocol identifier is more complex than the specific messaging protocol associated with the second protocol identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the specific messaging protocol associated with the first protocol identifier has higher priority than the specific messaging protocol associated with the second protocol identifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the portion of the message is at least an octet of data.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each protocol identifier module evaluates the portion of the message on a frame-by-frame basis.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a data buffer for storing a number of messages to be evaluated.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a timer.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the portion of the message includes a time element associated with the sequence associated therewith.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, said claim control module further configured to transmit the end of a claimed portion of the message due to a time delay during which portions of the claimed message are not received.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein one of the specific messaging protocols is associated with a specific encryption protocol.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the specific messaging protocols are associated with a messaging protocol used in an electric power system.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the specific messaging protocols are selected from the group consisting of HAYES, SMI, DNP, AGA, SEL, DDF, MODBUS, IEC-61850, PROFIBUS, and unstructured messaging protocols.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of a local area network, a wide area network, and a SCADA system.

29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the evaluation apparatus is part of the network device.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the message is evaluated by each protocol identifier module until a portion of the message is claimed by the claim control module.