Maintaining data consistency between integrated applications

• US 7,958,092 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Svensson, Erik, Kostic, Tatjana, Gulli, Lorenzo, Werner, Thomas, Vetter, Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): MYINT, DENNIS Y
• Application Number:
  US11/984,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20080133613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 707/201, 707/656, 707/659
• US Class Current: 707/656
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores

Abstract

The present disclosure facilitates the interoperability between different local applications. Related local data objects are referenced via global objects or reference containers within a global data model or a global address space of an integration solution. The present disclosure assumes that the integration solution is per default in a consistent state, e.g., an engineered or initially configured global address space is regarded as consistent, and all software components that operate within this space assume that the information they access is valid and likewise consistent. The local applications are the only components that can interact with the global address space and introduce invalidations, they are continuously monitored for changes. Invalidation and subsequent synchronization or restoration of consistency is performed upon a particular triggering event related to a change in a local application object (such as an insertion or removal of an object or a modification of an attribute thereof) or related to a changing application or adapter status (component shutdown/startup).

Claims

1. A method of maintaining data consistency among different integrated local applications of an automation solution for a utility, the utility comprising a number of physical assets, the automation solution comprising:

a global data access service including global objects within a global data model; and

the different integrated local applications,

wherein each of the different integrated local applications is within a corresponding local data model and includes respective local objects,

wherein a first local application and a second local application having respective first local objects and second local objects are included among the different integrated local applications,

wherein at least some of the local objects of the integrated local applications are related,

wherein the first local objects of the first local application are related to the second local objects of the second local application,

wherein related local objects among the local objects of the different integrated local applications are referenced via the global objects within the global data model,

wherein the automation solution comprises, for each of the integrated local applications, a corresponding adapter for translating between the local data model of the local application and the global data model, and

wherein the method comprises;

in the absence of any change to a local object among the local objects or to a status of a local application among the local applications or the corresponding adapter, assuming the local objects to be consistently representing physical assets of the utility;

in the case of a change to a local object among the local objects or to a status of a local application among the local applications or the corresponding adapter, invalidating any global object among the global objects referencing to said local object or to all the local objects of said local application; and

for each of the invalidated global objects, restoring data consistency among all referenced local objects.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the change to the local object among the local applications comprises inserting or deleting the object, or modifying an attribute of the object, and

wherein the method comprises detecting said change, via an interface of said local application, by the corresponding adapter.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising:

reporting the change by the adapter to an integrity service;

notifying a directory service for the invalidating of the global objects to be invalidated;

notifying a synchronization service for the restoring of the data consistency among the referenced local objects.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the change to the status of the local application among the local applications or the corresponding adapter comprises a startup or shutdown of the local application or the adapter, and

wherein the method comprises comparing, by the corresponding adapter, all local objects of said local application with an object instance base.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising:

reporting the change by the adapter to an integrity service;

notifying a directory service for the invalidating of the global objects to be invalidated; and

notifying a synchronization service for the restoring of the data consistency among the referenced local objects.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first local object among the first local objects of the first local application and a second local object among the second local objects of the second local application model the same physical asset of the utility.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the utility is a power utility comprising the physical assets, and

wherein the physical assets comprise at least one of transformers, breakers, and stations of the power utility.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the global objects within the global data model are initially configured by an engineering tool.

9. A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to claim 1.

10. A system for maintaining data consistency, comprising:

different integrated local applications of an automation solution for a utility, the utility having a number of physical assets; and

a global data access service including global objects within a global data model,

wherein each of the different integrated local applications is within a corresponding local data model and includes respective local objects,

wherein a first local application and a second local application having respective first local objects and second local objects are included among the different integrated local applications,

wherein at least some of the local objects of the integrated local applications are related,

wherein the first local objects of the first local application are related to the second local objects of the second local application,

wherein related local objects among the local objects of the different integrated local applications are referenced via the global objects within the global data model, and

wherein the system further comprises;

for each of the integrated local applications, a corresponding adapter for translating between the local data model of the local application and the global data model; and

a processor configured to;

in the absence of any change to a local object among the local objects or to a status of a local application among the local applications or the corresponding adapter, assume the local objects to be consistently representing physical assets of the utility,

in the case of a change to a local object among the local objects or to a status of a local application among the local applications or the corresponding adapter, invalidate any global object among the global objects referencing to said local object or to all the local objects of said local application, and

for each of the invalidated global objects, restore data consistency among all referenced local objects.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the utility is a power utility comprising the physical assets, and

wherein the physical assets comprise at least one of transformers, breakers, and stations of the power utility.

12. A method of maintaining data consistency among different integrated local applications of an automation solution for a utility, the utility comprising a number of physical assets, the automation solution comprising:

a global data access service including global objects within a global data model; and

the different integrated local applications,

wherein each of the different integrated local applications is within a corresponding local data model and includes respective local objects,

wherein a first local application and a second local application having respective first local objects and second local objects are included among the different integrated local applications,

wherein at least some of the local objects of the integrated local applications are related,

wherein the first local objects of the first local application are related to the second local objects of the second local application,

wherein related local objects among the local objects of the different integrated local applications are referenced via the global objects within the global data model,

wherein the automation solution comprises, for each of the integrated local applications, a corresponding adapter for translating between the local data model of the local application and the global data model, and

wherein the method comprises;

in the case of a startup or shutdown of a local application among the local applications or the corresponding adapter, comparing, by the corresponding adapter, all local objects of said local application with an object instance base,

invalidating any global object among the global objects referencing to a local object of said local application that was found, by said comparison, to differ; and

for each of the invalidated global objects, restoring data consistency among all referenced local objects.