Analyzing SCADA systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11102091-B2
Application number	US-201314763670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2013
Priority date	Mar 31, 2013
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

At least one aspect disclosed herein is directed to a SCADA project analysis system. The system includes memory ad at least one processor coupled to memory. The processor is configured to receive information regarding a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system configured to monitor an industrial process, the information describing at least one first programmable device within the SCADA system, identify at least one analyzer from a plurality of analyzers based on the information, the at least one analyzer being configured to generate an assessment of the SCADA system based on the information, the assessment describing at least one capability of the SCADA system, execute the at least one analyzer to generate the assessment of the SCADA system based on the information, and provide the assessment to an external entity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to:
receive a project file describing a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system configured to monitor an industrial process, the project file describing at least one first programmable device within the SCADA system and at least one value for at least one configuration setting for the at least one first programmable device;
identify at least one analyzer from a plurality of analyzers based on the project file, the at least one analyzer being configured to generate an assessment of the SCADA system based on the project file, the assessment describing at least one capability of the SCADA system;
execute the at least one analyzer to generate the assessment of the SCADA system based on the project file; and
provide the assessment to an external entity,
wherein the at least one analyzer includes a device analyzer configured to determine if the at least one first programmable device has an available resource capacity to execute a task assigned to the at least one first programmable device.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the project file is descriptive of the available resource capacity of the at least one first programmable device and the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of the available resource capacity.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the project file is descriptive of at least one data point that the at least one first programmable device is configured to transmit and the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of one or more data points not included in the at least one data point.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of a history of values of the at least one data point that the system is configured to store.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of a configuration of the system capable of storing the history.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the project file is descriptive of instructions to be executed by the at least one first programmable device and the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of the instructions.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the project file is descriptive of executable content available to a user and the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of security issues associated with the executable content.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the project file is descriptive of at least one user of the SCADA system and the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of usability issues associated with the at least one user.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the SCADA system includes:
at least one second programmable device within the SCADA system, the at least one second programmable device being separate and distinct from the at least one first programmable device,
wherein the project file is descriptive of a level of redundancy between the at least one first programmable device and the at least one second programmable device, and
wherein the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of the level of redundancy.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the project file is descriptive of graphical content available to a user and the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of the graphical content.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the project file is descriptive of at least one alarm that the at least one first programmable device is configured to initiate and the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of the at least one alarm.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one analyzer is further configured to generate an assessment descriptive of recommended alarms not included in the at least one alarm.

13. A method for analyzing a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, the method comprising:
receiving a project file regarding the SCADA system configured to monitor an industrial process, the project file describing at least one first programmable device within the SCADA system and at least one value for at least one configuration setting for the at least one first programmable device;
identifying at least one analyzer from a plurality of analyzers based on the project file;
generating, with the at least one analyzer, an assessment of the SCADA system based on the project file, the assessment describing at least one capability of the SCADA system; and
providing the assessment to an external entity,
wherein the at least one analyzer includes a device analyzer configured to determine if the at least one first programmable device has an available resource capacity to execute a task assigned to the at least one first programmable device.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein receiving the project file comprises receiving information descriptive of the available resource capacity of the at least one first programmable device and wherein generating the assessment comprises generating an assessment descriptive of the available resource capacity.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein receiving the project file comprises receiving information descriptive of at least one data point that the at least one first programmable device is configured to transmit and wherein generating the assessment comprises generating an assessment descriptive of one or more data points not included in the at least one data point.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein generating the assessment comprises generating an assessment descriptive of a history of values of the at least one data point that the system is configured to store.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein generating the assessment comprises generating an assessment descriptive of a configuration of the system capable of storing the history.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein receiving the project file comprises receiving information descriptive of instructions to be executed by the at least one first programmable device and wherein generating the assessment comprises generating an assessment descriptive of the instructions.

19. The method according to claim 13 , wherein receiving the project file comprises receiving information descriptive of executable content available to a user and wherein generating the assessment comprises generating an assessment descriptive of security issues associated with the executable content.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for analyzing a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system including instructions that will cause at least one processor to:
receive a project file regarding the SCADA system configured to monitor an industrial process, the project file describing at least one first programmable device within the SCADA system and at least one value for at least one configuration setting for the at least one first programmable device;
identify at least one analyzer from a plurality of analyzers based on the project

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Lloyd Chad A

Classifications

• G06Q10/06313 Primary

  Resource planning in a project environment · CPC title

• H04L43/06

  Generation of reports · CPC title

• H04L43/04 Primary

  Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation · CPC title