Inferred detection of data replication errors of source applications by enterprise applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11086704-B2
Application number	US-201715582104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

This disclosure provides an apparatus and method for inferred detection of data replication errors of source applications by enterprise applications, including but not limited to in industrial control systems and other systems. A method includes periodically generating and storing a heartbeat data value by a site risk manager (RM) system. The method includes sending site data with the current heartbeat data value by the site RM system to an enterprise application executing on an enterprise RM system. The enterprise RM system periodically compares a current time and the last received heartbeat data value to produce a calculated time difference. The enterprise RM system determines that site data replication is not functioning correctly when the calculated time difference is greater than a predefined threshold. When the replication is not functioning correctly, the enterprise RM system notifies a user that replicated site data may be inaccurate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for inferred detection of data replication errors made by a source application executing on a site manager system of an industrial control system, the inferred detection done by an enterprise application executing on an enterprise manager system, the method comprising:
periodically generating an updated heartbeat data value by the site manager system, the site manager system including a replicator for replicating site data, the heartbeat data value comprising a current timestamp;
periodically replicating site data from the source application by the replicator; and
sending the replicated site data and the current heartbeat data value to the enterprise application via a secure firewall that includes network security restrictions that allow the replicated site data to be sent to the enterprise application but does not allow the enterprise application to query the site manager for data replication errors,
wherein the enterprise application:
periodically compares a current time and the last received heartbeat data value to produce a calculated time difference;
infers that site data replication is not functioning correctly when the calculated time difference is greater than a predefined threshold; and
when it is inferred that the site data replication is not functioning correctly, notifies a user that replicated site data may be inaccurate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the current heartbeat data value to the enterprise application without the replicated site data when the replicated site data has not been updated.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is notified by one or more of displaying a visible error indication or sending an electronic communication.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the site manager system is a site risk manager system and the enterprise manager system is an enterprise risk manager system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heartbeat data value is generated by the source application executing on the site manager system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heartbeat data value is generated by the replicator executing on the site manager system.

7. A risk management system comprising:
a site risk manager system;
an enterprise risk manager system;
the site risk manager system configured to:
periodically generate an updated heartbeat data value;
periodically replicate site data from the site risk manager system; and
transmit the replicated site data and the updated heartbeat data value to an enterprise application executing on the enterprise risk manager system via a secure firewall that includes network security restrictions that allow the replicated site data to be sent to the enterprise application but does not allow the enterprise application to query the site risk manager for data replication errors,

the enterprise risk manager system configured to:
periodically compare a current time and the last received heartbeat data value to produce a calculated time difference;
infer that site data replication is not functioning correctly when the calculated time difference is greater than a predefined threshold; and
when it is inferred that the replication is not functioning correctly, notify a user that the replicated site data may be inaccurate.

8. The risk management system of claim 7 , wherein the heartbeat data value is a current timestamp.

9. The risk management system of claim 7 , wherein the site risk manager system is further configured to send the current heartbeat data value to the enterprise application executing on the enterprise risk manager system without the replicated site data when the replicated site data has not been updated.

10. The risk management system of claim 7 , wherein the user is notified by one or more of displaying a visible error indication or sending an electronic communication.

11. The risk management system of claim 7 , wherein the replicated site data and current heartbeat data value are sent from the site risk manager system to the enterprise application executing on the enterprise risk manager system.

12. The risk management system of claim 7 , wherein the heartbeat data value is generated by a source application executing on the site risk manager system.

13. The risk management system of claim 7 , wherein the heartbeat data value is generated by a replicator executing on the site risk manager system.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of an enterprise risk manager system to:
periodically receive an updated heartbeat data value from a site risk manager;
periodically receive replicated site data from the site risk manager via a secure firewall that includes network security restrictions that allow the replicated site data to be received by the enterprise risk manager system but does not allow the enterprise risk manager system to query the site risk manager for data replication errors;
periodically compare a current time and the last received heartbeat data value to produce a calculated time difference;
infer that site data replication is not functioning correctly when the calculated time difference is greater than a predefined threshold; and
when it is inferred that the site data replication is not functioning correctly, notify a user that replicated site data may be inaccurate.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the heartbeat data value is a current timestamp.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors of the enterprise risk manager to receive the current heartbeat data value from the site risk manager system without receiving the replicated site data when the replicated site data has not been updated.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the user is notified by one or more of displaying a visible error indication or sending an electronic communication.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the heartbeat data value is generated by a source application or a replicator executing on the site risk manager system.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Mesic Thomas M
• Carpenter Seth G

Classifications

• G06F11/0757 Primary

  by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs · CPC title