Incremental association of metadata to production data

• US 8,086,649 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chand, Sujeet, Briant, Stephen C., Hall, Kenwood H., Hood, Gavan W., Baier, John J., Kalan, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baoquoc
• Application Number:
  US12/795,250
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates utilizing metadata appended to data related to an industrial automation environment with a controller that is associated with a hierarchically structured data model. An interface component can facilitate receipt of data associated with at least one of an instruction set, a configuration, and a collection. An append component can affix metadata to at least one of the instruction set, the configuration, and the collection, wherein the metadata conforms to a hierarchically structured data model.

Claims

1. A data management utility for use in an industrial automation environment, the environment having at least one industrial controller that processes a data object stored in the industrial controller, the data object storing at least one of collected data related to the automation environment or configuration data for the industrial controller, the utility comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive the data object stored in the industrial controller;

associate metadata with the data object, wherein the metadata relates to a hierarchically structured data model associated with the industrial controller and implements a common definition of data related to the industrial automation environment, wherein the hierarchically structured data model represents at least a physical hierarchical location within the industrial automation environment that includes at least one tag and at least one device, wherein the physical hierarchical location is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, or an output within a subcell; and

validate the metadata utilizing a template and at least one of a discoverable service or a set of services.

2. The data management utility of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to log manipulation of the metadata.

3. The data management utility of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the metadata to a search component.

4. The data management utility of claim 3, wherein the search component is configured to perform a search based on the metadata.

5. The data management utility of claim 3, wherein the search component is configured to perform a search based on the data stored in the data object.

6. The data management utility of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the metadata to a log component.

7. The data management utility of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the metadata to a presentation component.

8. A method that facilitates data management in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

employing one or more processors executing computer executable instructions embodied on one or more computer readable storage mediums to perform the following acts;

receiving a data object stored in an industrial controller and storing data collected from the industrial automation environment;

associating metadata with the data object, wherein the metadata relates to a hierarchically structured data model associated with the industrial controller and implements a common definition of data related to the industrial automation environment, wherein the hierarchically structured data model represents at least a physical hierarchical location within the industrial automation environment that includes at least one tag and at least one device, wherein the physical hierarchical location is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, or an output within a subcell; and

validating the metadata utilizing a template and at least one of a discoverable service or a set of services.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising logging manipulation of the metadata.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the metadata to a search component.

11. The method claim 8, further comprising searching the metadata based on a physical location.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting the data to a user.

13. A method that facilitates data management in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

employing one or more processors executing computer executable instructions embodied on one or more computer readable storage mediums to perform the following acts;

creating configuration data for an industrial controller;

associating metadata with the configuration data, wherein the metadata relates to a hierarchically structured data model associated with the industrial controller and implements a common definition of data related to the industrial automation environment, wherein the hierarchically structured data model represents at least a physical hierarchical location within the industrial automation environment that includes at least one tag and at least one device, wherein the physical hierarchical location is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, or an output within a subcell; and

validating the metadata utilizing a template and at least one of a discoverable service or a set of services.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising presenting the metadata to a user.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the metadata to a search component.

16. The method claim 13, further comprising searching the metadata based on a physical hierarchical location.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising presenting the configuration data to a user.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising distributing the configuration data to the first industrial controller.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising distributing the configuration data to another industrial controller.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising logging manipulation of the metadata.