Containerized modeling of device updates or modifications via digital twins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12379919-B2
Application number	US-202418402423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2024
Priority date	Sep 27, 2022
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

A method may include receiving an indication of an available updated container. The method may also involve identifying one or more compute surfaces comprising a first container and a second container that correspond to the available container, such that the first container may control one or more operations of an operational technology (OT) device. The method may also include scheduling a deployment of the updated container to replace the second container, receiving expected output data associated with a digital model associated with the OT device, and scheduling a switchover of control of the one or more operations to the second container based on the expected output data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of devices configured to perform a plurality of operations within an industrial automation system, wherein each of the plurality of devices comprises a compute surface configured to execute a respective container of a plurality of containers of a container orchestration system;
a processing system configured to:
receive an indication of inoperability of a device of the plurality of devices, the device associated with a first container of the plurality of containers configured to control one or more operations of the device;
identify a second container of the plurality of containers performing digital twin operations of the first container in response to receiving the indication, wherein the second container is configured to store data associated with a period of time preceding the indication of inoperability;
receive the data from the second container;
identify one or more additional operations of the device associated with the inoperability of the device based on the data;
identify a cause associated with the indication of inoperability based on the one or more additional operations of the device; and
transfer the control of the one or more operations of the device to the second container.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to execute a master container node configured to schedule deployment of the first container, the second container, or both to a respective compute surface.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises state information of the first container, state information of the compute surface, machine state data associated with the device, or any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indication of inoperability is associated with inoperability of the first container.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second container is configured to retrieve the data in response to receiving the indication of inoperability.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to:
retrieve a plurality of machine state datasets associated with a plurality of computing nodes of the container orchestration system;
identify a computing node of the plurality of computing nodes to host the second container based on the plurality of machine state datasets; and
cause deployment of the second container to the computing node, wherein the second container is configured to replace the first container.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of devices comprises at least one operational technology device configured to operate within an operational technology network.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first container is deployed on a first computing surface and the second container is deployed on a second computing surface.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first computing surface is different from the second computing surface.

10. A method, comprising:
receiving, via a processing system, an indication of inoperability of an operational technology (OT) device of a plurality of OT devices, wherein the indication of inoperability is associated with inoperability of one or more operations of a first container;
in response to receiving the indication of inoperability, identifying, via the processing system, one or more compute surfaces of a plurality of computing surfaces comprising the first container and a second container that correspond to the OT device, wherein the first container is configured to control one or more operations of the OT device and the second container is configured to perform digital twin operations of the first container;
receiving, via the processing system and from the second container, data associated with the indication of inoperability of the OT device, wherein the second container is configured to retrieve the data in response to the indication of inoperability, the data associated with a period of time preceding the indication of inoperability;
identifying, via the processing system, a cause associated with the inoperability of the first container based on the data; and
transferring, via the processing system, the control of the one or more operations of the OT device to the second container.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data comprises state information of the first container, state information of a compute surface of the plurality of computing surfaces associated with the first container, machine state datasets associated with the OT device, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
receiving, via the processing system, a plurality of machine state datasets associated with the plurality of computing surfaces;
identifying, via the processing system, an additional computing surface of the plurality of computing surfaces as a suitable host for the second container based on the plurality of machine state datasets; and
scheduling, via the processing system, a deployment of the second container to the additional computing surface.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the indication of inoperability is associated with inoperability of the OT device, and wherein the second container is configured to store the data in response to the indication of inoperability, and wherein the method comprises:
identifying, via the processing system, one or more additional operations of the OT device associated with the inoperability of the OT device based on the data.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
receiving an indication of inoperability of an operational technology (OT) device of a plurality of OT devices;
in response to receiving the indication of inoperability, identifying a first container configured to perform one or more first operations of a digital model associated with the OT device;
retrieving data associated with the indication of inoperability of the OT device from the first container, the data associated with a period of time preceding the indication of inoperability;
identifying a cause associated with the indication of inoperability based on the data, wherein the data comprises state information of the device, state information of a compute surface associated with a device container, or machine state datasets associated with the OT device; and
transferring one or more second operations of the OT device from the device container to the first container.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the processing circuitry to perform the operations comprising:
receiving a plurality of machine state datasets associated with a plurality of computing surfaces;
identifying a first computing surface of the plurality of computing surfaces as a suitable host for the first container based on the plurality of machine state datasets; and
scheduling a deployment of the first container to the first computing surface, wherein the first container is configured to replace the device container.

16. The method of claim 10 , comprising executing, via the processing system, a master container node configured to schedule deployment of the first container, the second container, or both to a respective compute surface.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the OT device is configured to operate within an operational technology network.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the processing circuit

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sandler Nathaniel S
• Entzminger Rob A
• Mazur David C
• Mccleave Jr Bruce T
• Mills Jonathan Alan
• Ozimek Patrick E
• Biernat Tim S
• Anthony Michael J
• Softley Chris

Classifications

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F9/4411

  Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers · CPC title

• G06F2009/45562

  Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances · CPC title

• G06F2009/45579

  I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage · CPC title

• G06F2009/45575

  Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances · CPC title