Multi-synch of a primary automation device with multiple secondaries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021255605-A1
Application number	US-202016790318-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 13, 2020
Priority date	Feb 13, 2020
Publication date	Aug 19, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for synchronizing controllers in an automation control system, can involve arranging redundancy elements in an automation control system comprising a group of nodes, wherein the redundancy elements can include one or more primary controllers and a group of concurrent secondary controllers, and wherein a back-up to the primary controller can exist on any node. Such methods and systems can further involve backing-up of the primary controller by the one or more secondary controllers to allow the primary controller to maintain the one or more secondary controllers as a new, alternate secondary controller for a load balancing or an equipment update

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of synchronizing controllers in an automation control system, comprising:
arranging a plurality of redundancy elements in an automation control system comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of redundancy elements include at least one primary controller and a plurality of concurrent secondary controllers, wherein a back-up to the at least one primary controller exists on any node among the plurality of nodes; and backing-up the at least one primary controller by at least one secondary controller among the plurality of concurrent secondary controllers to allow the at least one primary controller to maintain the at least one secondary controller as a new, alternate secondary controller for a load balancing or an equipment update.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the redundancy elements comprise compute nodes that support a workload of the at least one primary controller or the at least one secondary controller.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the automation control system comprises an automation control hive.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the automation control hive comprises control applications and an environment not bound to dedicated hardware, but which float across any hardware with the automation control hive.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one primary controller and each concurrent secondary controller among the plurality of concurrent secondary controllers comprise a process controller.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the equipment update comprises at least one of:
a controller firmware or a software migration.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the equipment update comprises a controller hardware migration.

8 . A system for synchronizing controllers for automation control, comprising:
a plurality of redundancy elements arranged in an automation control system comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of redundancy elements include at least one primary controller and a plurality of concurrent secondary controllers, wherein a back-up to the at least one primary controller exists on any node among the plurality of nodes; and a back-up of the at least one primary controller by at least one secondary controller among the plurality of concurrent secondary controllers to allow the at least one primary controller to maintain the at least one secondary controller as a new, alternate secondary controller for a load balancing or an equipment update.

9 . The system of claim 8 wherein the redundancy elements comprise compute nodes that support a workload of the at least one primary controller or the at least one secondary controller.

10 . The system of claim 8 wherein the automation control system comprises an automation control hive.

11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the automation control hive comprises control applications and an environment not bound to dedicated hardware, but which float across any hardware with the automation control hive.

12 . The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one primary controller and each concurrent secondary controller among the plurality of concurrent secondary controllers comprise a process controller.

13 . The system of claim 8 wherein the equipment update comprises at least one of: a controller firmware or a software migration.

14 . The system of claim 8 wherein the equipment update comprises a controller hardware migration.

15 . A system for synchronizing controllers for automation control, comprising:
at least one processor; and a non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium capable of communicating with the at least one processor, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor and configured for:
arranging a plurality of redundancy elements in an automation control system comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of redundancy elements include at least one primary controller and a plurality of concurrent secondary controllers, wherein a back-up to the at least one primary controller exists on any node among the plurality of nodes; and
backing-up the at least one primary controller by at least one secondary controller among the plurality of concurrent secondary controllers to allow the at least one primary controller to maintain the at least one secondary controller as a new, alternate secondary controller for a load balancing or an equipment update.

16 . The system of claim 15 wherein the redundancy elements comprise compute nodes that support a workload of the at least one primary controller or the at least one secondary controller.

17 . The system of claim 15 wherein the automation control system comprises an automation control hive that comprises control applications and an environment not bound to dedicated hardware, but which float across any hardware with the automation control hive.

18 . The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one primary controller and each concurrent secondary controller among the plurality of concurrent secondary controllers comprise a process controller.

19 . The system of claim 15 wherein the equipment update comprises at least one of:
a controller firmware or a software migration.

20 . The system of claim 15 wherein the equipment update comprises a controller hardware migration.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Mclaughlin Paul
• Felix Joseph
• Swanson Norman
• Urso Jason

Classifications

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G05B19/4184 Primary

  characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system · CPC title

• G05B2219/24192

  Configurable redundancy · CPC title

• G05B2219/31368

  MAP manufacturing automation protocol · CPC title

• G05B19/0421 Primary

  Multiprocessor system · CPC title