Management and development of an industrial environment

• US 9,217,998 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Plache, Kenneth, Seger, Daniel B. III, Staron, Raymond, Kretschmann, Robert J., Jasper, Taryl, Jarrett, James Harry, Brandes, Russell, Bliss, Ronald, Kalan, Michael, Govindaraj, Subbian, Hall, Kenwood, Reichard, Douglas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp, Chad
• Application Number:
  US12/893,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700/19, 700/20, 700/28, 700/209, 709200-203, 709/224, 710/100, 705 265- 272
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31395 Process management, specification, process and production data, middle level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

System(s), apparatus(es) and method(s) are provided for to managing and developing an industrial system included in the industrial environment. Intelligence related to a configuration of the industrial system is collected and processed to generate information related to operational condition(s) of the industrial system. Intelligence can be collected actively or passively: In active collection, a platform that collects the intelligence retrieves configuration record(s) from the industrial system, whereas in passive collection, the platform received one or more configuration records from the industrial automation system. Collected intelligence is cast into a set of configuration units that defines industrial system and functionality thereof. In addition, a set of services configured to convey specific functionality associated with at least one configuration unit is composed. At least a portion of the generated information can be supplied to the industrial system or one or more components thereof in accordance with a policy configured by the industrial automation system.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory comprising computer-executable code instructions; and

at least one processor functionally coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the computer-executable code instructions to implement components comprising;

a configuration component configured to retrieve one or more configuration records from an industrial system and create at least one configuration unit that defines functionality of the industrial system based on the one or more configuration records, wherein the one or more configuration records contain at least identity information that identifies one or more industrial devices of the industrial system and one or more security profiles of the one or more industrial devices; and

a design component configured to identify an area of operational improvement for the industrial system based on analysis of the one or more configuration records, wherein the area of operational improvement comprises at least one device or service determined to be performing outside a defined performance metric; and

a service generator configured to create, based on the area of operational improvement, a service that exposes at least a subset of the functionality defined by the at least one configuration unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration unit comprises at least one data structure that characterizes the industrial system logically.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the configuration component is further configured to generate the at least one data structure based on a set of rules that are specific to the industrial system, and the at least one data structure is one of a data tree or a relational table.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration component is further configured to create another configuration unit in response to receipt of an update of a configuration record related to the industrial system and conveyed by a first configuration unit of the at least one configuration unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the service is configured to generate a view of the at least one data structure that represents at least the subset of the functionality.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the service is further configured to generate the view in response to reception of signaling that conveys occurrence of a defined event related to operation of a service provider platform that includes the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the service is further configured to generate the view in response to generation of or an update to the at least one configuration unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the view of the at least one data structure is at least one of a logical view that represents a functional feature represented by at least one data structure or a hardware view that represents a physical aspect of the industrial system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration unit comprises an interface component that provides at least the subset of the functionality associated with the at least one configuration unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the service is further configured to generate an inventory of physical features that enable functionality associated with the interface component.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the service is further configured to expose at least one physical feature that enables functionality of the interface component.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the components further comprise a management component configured to respond to a query from the industrial system requesting information regarding an availability of an update for at least one functional element of the industrial system.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the management component is further configured to perform a comparison of at least one of the one or more configuration records with data associated with development of the at least one functional element, and deliver a response to the industrial system based on a result of the comparison.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the management component is further configured to acquire the data associated with the development of the at least one functional element from at least one repository related to a service provider platform other than a service provider platform that includes the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the response comprises a report that specifies whether an update is available for the at least one functional element.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the management component is further configured to generate an inventory of a current or last-known configuration of the industrial system based on the one or more configuration records and to identify at least one difference between the current or last-known configuration and a previous configuration of the industrial system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the inventory is directed to a physical aspect of the industrial system or a software aspect of the industrial system.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the management component is further configured to acquire the one or more configuration records from the industrial system in accordance with a defined access policy associated with the industrial system, and the one or more configuration records comprise a source of at least one of data or metadata associated with generation of the inventory.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the design component is further configured to generate an inventory of a current or last-known configuration of the industrial system based on the one or more configuration records and identify the area of operational improvement based at least in part on a result of an analysis of the current or last-known configuration.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the design component is further configured to generate a report that discloses the area of operational improvement and at least one related solution based on the result of the analysis, and wherein the at least one related solution comprises one or more of a recommended hardware update or a recommended software update.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the design component is further configured to direct the report to an entity associated with the industrial system in accordance with a policy that defines one or more settings for delivery of the report.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the design component is further configured to generate a recommended solution for the area of operational improvement.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the design component is further configured to instruct the service generator to create a composite service based on the recommended solution, and wherein the composite service comprises two or more services, including the service, available to the industrial system or developed by a service provider platform that includes the apparatus.

24. A method, comprising:

collecting, by a system comprising a processor, configuration records related to an industrial automation system, wherein the configuration records specify at least one of an identity of one or more industrial devices comprising the industrial automation system and security profiles of the one or more industrial devices;

generating configuration units that define functionality of the industrial automation system based on the configuration records;

detecting an area of operational improvement in the industrial automation system based on analysis of the configuration records, wherein the area of operational improvement relates to a device or service identified as performing outside a defined performance metric; and

generating at least one service based on the area of operational improvement, wherein the at least one service coveys at least a subset of the functionality associated with at least one configuration unit of the configuration units.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

generating information identifying the area of operational improvement and at least one solution for addressing the area of operational improvement, wherein the solution comprises the at least one service.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

implementing the at least one solution, wherein the implementing comprises generating a composite service comprising the at least one service; and

sending the at least one solution to the industrial automation system.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the generating comprises at least one of:

combining a plurality of services including the at least one service;

combining a plurality of reusable definitions;

or

combining the at least one service with at least one reusable definition.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

generating an inventory of a current or last-known configuration of the industrial automation system based on the configuration records; and

identifying the area of operational improvement based at least in part on a result of an analysis of the current or last-known configuration.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising at least one processor to perform operations, comprising:

collecting information relating to at least one operational condition of an industrial automation system, the information comprising at least identity information that identifies one or more industrial devices of the industrial automation system, and one or more security profiles associated with the one or more industrial devices;

generating configuration units that define a functionality of the industrial automation system based on the information;

determining an area of improvement for the industrial automation system based on the information, wherein determining the area of improvement comprises identifying at least one device or service having a performance that deviates from a defined performance metric; and

generating, based on the area of improvement, at least one service configured to convey at least a subset of the functionality associated with at least one configuration unit of the configuration units.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating report information identifying the area of improvement and a solution to address the area of improvement.