Distributive deployment of process automation software applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12323339-B2
Application number	US-202117407788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2021
Priority date	Aug 20, 2021
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

Implementations are described herein for automatic deployment of function block application programs (FBAPs) across process automation nodes of a process automation system. In various implementations, one or more constraints associated with execution of a FBAP may be identified. Based on the one or more constraints, a process automation system that includes a plurality of process automation nodes may be analyzed. Based on the analysis, a subset of two or more process automation nodes on which to distributively deploy the FBAP may be selected from the plurality of processing node. In response to selecting the subset, the FBAP may be distributively deployed across the two or more process automation nodes of the subset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented using one or more processors, comprising:
identifying, from a plurality of communication protocols, one or more communication protocols used between two or more process automation nodes that are selected to carry out a process automation software application;
using one or more of the identified communication protocols, selecting a maximum physical distance permitted between the two or more process automation nodes, wherein the maximum physical distance is greater when the two or more process automation nodes are connected using a first communication protocol of the plurality of communication protocols than when the two or more process automation nodes are connected using a second communication protocol of the plurality of communication protocols;
analyzing, based on the maximum physical distance, a process automation system that includes a plurality of process automation nodes;
based on the analyzing, selecting a subset of two or more process automation nodes, from the plurality of process automation nodes, on which to distributively deploy the process automation software application; and
in response to selecting the subset:
distributively deploying the process automation software application across the two or more process automation nodes of the subset.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assembling the process automation software application into a plurality of function blocks, wherein the distributively deploying includes installing a respective one of the plurality of function blocks on an execution engine of a respective one of the two or more process automation nodes of the subset.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the assembling includes generating one or more communication modules for each of the plurality of respective function blocks, the one or more communication modules facilitating publishing or subscribing of data between the plurality of function blocks.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more constraints associated with execution of the process automation software application include a limit on a number of process automation nodes on which the process automation software application can be distributively deployed.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the limit on the number of process automation nodes is determined based upon available computing resources of the plurality of process automation nodes.

6. A method implemented using one or more processors, comprising:
identifying one or more constraints associated with execution of a process automation software application, wherein one of the constraints includes a maximum physical distance between two or more process automation nodes that are selected to carry out the process automation software application, and wherein the maximum physical distance is determined based on a communication protocol used between process automation nodes that carry out the process automation software application;
analyzing, based on the one or more constraints, a process automation system that includes a plurality of process automation nodes;
based on the analyzing, selecting a subset of two or more process automation nodes, from the plurality of process automation nodes, on which to distributivily deploy the process automation software application; and
in response to selecting the subset:
distributivily deploying the process automation software application across the two or more process automation nodes of the subset;
wherein the one or more constraints associated with execution of the process automation software application include a time limit for execution of a control loop that includes or is implemented by the process automation software application.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more constraints associated with execution of the process automation software application further include one or more location constraints.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the location constraints are imposed between two or more function blocks of the process automation software application.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein another process automation node comprises a sensor that generates sensor data that is processed by the process automation software application.

10. A method implemented using one or more processors, comprising:
identifying, from a plurality of communication protocols, one or more communication protocols used between two or more process automation nodes that are selected to carry out the process automation software application;
using one or more of the identified communication protocols, selecting a maximum number of network hops permitted between the two or more process automation nodes, wherein the maximum number of network hops is greater when the two or more process automation nodes are connected using a first communication protocol of the plurality of communication protocols than when the two or more process automation nodes are connected using a second communication protocol of the plurality of communication protocols;
analyzing, based on the maximum network hops, a process automation system that includes a plurality of process automation nodes;
based on the analyzing, selecting a subset of two or more process automation nodes, from the plurality of process automation nodes, on which to distributively deploy the process automation software application; and
in response to selecting the subset:
distributively deploying the process automation software application across the two or more process automation nodes of the subset.

11. A method implemented using one or more processors, comprising:
identifying a plurality of function blocks that cooperate to implement a control loop within a process automation system, as well as one or more constraints of the control loop, wherein one of the constraints of the control loop includes a maximum number of network hops between a distributed control node (DCN) selected to host one or more of the function blocks and a sensor that generates sensor data that is processed by one or more of the function blocks;
analyzing a plurality of candidate DCNs of the process automation system to identify a subset of two or more DCNs, from the plurality of candidate DCNs, that collectively satisfy the one or more constraints of the control loop; and
distributively deploying the plurality of function blocks across execution engines provided by the two or more DCNs of the subset.

12. A method implemented using one or more processors, comprising:
identifying one or more constraints associated with execution of a process automation software application wherein one of the constraints include a maximum number of smart junction boxes between two or more process automation nodes selected to carry out the process automation software application;
analyzing, based on the one or more constraints, a process automation system that includes a plurality of process automation nodes;
based on the analyzing, selecting a subset of two or more process automation nodes, from the plurality of process automation nodes, on which to distributively deploy the process automation software application; and
in response to selecting the subset:
distributively deploying the process automation software application across the two or more process automation nodes of the subset.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing includes: identifying a first candidate process automation node of the plurality of process automation nodes that satisfies one or more of the constraints associated with execution of the process automation software application; evaluating actual or potential exhaustion of computing reso

Assignees

• Yokogawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Sawahara Hidenori
• Wake Ichiro
• Clay Patrick
• Nguyen Vien
• Emerson David
• Hammer Mark

Classifications

• H04L47/724 Primary

  at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP] · CPC title

• H04L47/821

  Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests · CPC title

• H04L47/788 Primary

  Autonomous allocation of resources · CPC title