JP2009015488A - Distributed application system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a distributed application system which is excellent in communication efficiency for providing an application with only a necessary function without dividing a communication function. <P>SOLUTION: In this distributed application system constructed so that applications distributed to each equipment connected through a network cooperate with each other, the connection origin exchanges information with the connection destination by using only the necessary communication function. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a distributed application system, and more particularly to an improvement of a system constructed so that applications distributed and distributed to devices connected to each other via a network are operated in a coordinated manner.

  For example, in a process control system, field devices such as sensors, actuators, controllers, and computers are connected to each other via a network, and sensors and actuators are arranged at major locations such as control points and control measurement points. Therefore, it is constructed so that the target control is accurately performed.

  Also in the field of process control, in order to use resources efficiently, software is divided (partially divided) according to functions. This increases the reusability of the software and improves the development efficiency because it is not necessary to rebuild the whole even if a part is modified. In addition, efficient use of resources is possible by executing the divided software by sharing the roles among a plurality of field devices (see Patent Document 1).

  In a distributed application system, each application publishes an interface definition, and applications are connected to each other based on this public information. It has also been proposed that an application that uses the function can be newly added without stopping and the usage relationship between the applications can be grasped even when no data exchange occurs (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2000-278297 A JP 2006-350580 A

  By the way, a communication function for connecting applications distributed to devices connected to each other via these networks is implemented by combining several protocol functions as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, application A and application B are distributedly arranged on devices (not shown) connected to each other via a network, and are composed of two protocol functions of “data monitor communication” and “event notification communication”. Connected via function A. The application A provides its own function to the application B through the communication function A. The application B uses the function provided by the application A by connecting via the communication function A.

  In a state where the application A and the application B are connected via the communication function A as described above, a new application C distributed and arranged in other devices (not shown) is connected to the application A as shown in FIG. There is. Here, if the request specification of the application C is the event reception function, only “event notification communication” is required out of the two protocol functions of the communication function A provided by the application A.

  In FIG. 7, although the application C does not require the “data monitor communication” function of the communication function A, some processing is required, which increases the development man-hour of the application C.

  Further, when viewing application C from application A, application A cannot recognize that application C does not require “data monitor communication” of communication function A, and information related to data monitor communication of communication function A is transmitted. As a result, communication traffic increases.

  When the application C does not require the “data monitor communication” of the communication function A, the application C can be configured not to implement or connect the function related to the data monitor communication of the communication function A. It cannot be distinguished whether the "data monitor communication" of the communication function A is unnecessary or whether the data monitor communication cannot be performed due to some problem.

  For this problem, a method in which the application C notifies the required protocol function to the application A is conceivable. However, for example, when the notification cannot be performed due to some problem such as a network failure, the application A is a protocol required by the application C. I can't know the function.

  As another method, as shown in FIG. 8, it is conceivable that the granularity of the communication function is made fine and provided for each protocol function. However, in this case, connection between applications occurs for each protocol function, and accordingly, management operations and connection setting operations increase, resulting in an increase in management cost.

  The present invention solves these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a function that requires a connection destination without dividing a communication function in an application that is distributedly arranged and cooperated with devices connected to each other via a network. It is an object of the present invention to provide a distributed application system in which the reusability of software components of a protocol processing unit that can use only the software is improved.

  Another object is to provide a distributed application system in which the development efficiency of an application that uses a connection destination processing unit is improved.

  Still another object is to provide a distributed application system that can improve setting operation in connection between applications.

In order to achieve such a problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a distributed application system constructed so that applications arranged in a distributed manner in devices connected to each other via a network are operated in cooperation with each other. In
The connection source exchanges information with the connection destination using only necessary communication functions.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the distributed application system according to the first aspect, the connection source communication processing unit includes a protocol list provided for each connection destination application, and only the protocol functions described in the protocol list are provided. And exchanging information with the connection destination.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the distributed application system according to the first or second aspect, the devices connected to each other via the network are field devices for constructing a process control system. .

  According to the present invention, the reusability of the software component of the protocol processing unit that can use only the function that requires the connection destination without dividing the communication function is high, and the development efficiency of the application that uses the connection destination processing unit is improved. It is possible to realize a distributed application system that can improve the setting operation in the connection between applications.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a main part of a device constituting a distributed application system according to the present invention, and shows a software configuration of a linkage control unit for causing an application to operate in a linked manner. The devices are field devices such as sensors, actuators, controllers, communication measuring instruments, measuring instruments, recording devices, and servers, and are connected to each other via a network (not shown) together with other field devices (not shown).

  In FIG. 1, the cooperation control unit includes a communication processing unit 10, a first protocol processing unit 20, and a second protocol processing unit 30.

  Based on the communication function A, the communication processing unit 10 processes a function provided by a connection source application, for example, the application A. Two protocol functions, data monitor communication and event notification communication, used by the communication function A are defined in the communication function definition information storage unit 11 as a communication function A protocol list.

  The connection source processing unit 12 and the connection destination processing unit 13 respectively perform connection source processing and connection destination processing of two protocol functions of the communication function A, and are implemented in the communication processing unit 10. Operates in the connected application.

  The connection source processing unit 12 combines and aggregates the connection destination information storage unit 14 storing application information for each connection destination. The connection destination information storage unit 14 stores information on whether or not to use the protocol function for each connection destination. The connection-provided protocol list 15 having the above is synthesized and aggregated. The connection destination provided protocol list 15 of FIG. 1 describes data monitor communication and event notification communication.

  In the connection destination processing unit 13, a connection source information storage unit 16 in which application information for each connection source is stored is combined and aggregated.

  The first protocol processing unit 20 performs event notification communication processing, and is provided with an event notification communication connection source processing unit 21 and an event notification communication connection destination processing unit 22. The event notification communication connection source processing unit 21 is integrated into the connection source processing unit 12, and the event notification communication connection source processing unit 22 is integrated into the connection destination processing unit 13.

  The second protocol processing unit 30 performs data monitor notification communication processing, and is provided with a data monitor communication connection source processing unit 31 and a data monitor communication connection destination processing unit 32. The data monitor communication connection source processing unit 31 is integrated into the connection source processing unit 12, and the data monitor communication connection destination processing unit 32 is integrated into the connection destination processing unit 13.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of connection of applications based on the communication function A. In FIG. 2, application A represents a connection source application, and applications B and C represent connection destination applications. Here, the application B uses all the functions of the communication function A of the application A. On the other hand, the application C uses only the event notification function of the communication function A of the application A. Note that these applications A to C are distributed and arranged in devices (not shown) connected to each other via a network (not shown).

  The provided protocol list for application B and the provided protocol list for application C are described in the provided protocol list 15 for the connection destination, and are used by the connection source processing unit 13 to determine whether or not the protocol function is used for each connection destination. The

  The application B usage protocol list and the application C usage protocol list are information defining the protocol function of the communication function A required by the application B and the application C, respectively. These are defined separately from the communication function A as application specification definition information of the application B and the application C, respectively.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a communication processing operation procedure in the connection configuration of FIG.
When the application A transmits the data monitor information to the connection destination application, the connection source processing unit 12 refers to the connection destination provided protocol list 15 and executes processing corresponding to each connection destination application.

  First, when transmitting to the application B, the monitor data is transmitted using the data monitor communication connection source process since the data monitor communication of the protocol list provided for the application B is ON.

  Next, when transmitting to the application C, since the data monitor communication of the protocol list provided for the application C is OFF, the data monitor communication connection source process is not used and the transmission of the monitor data is omitted.

  Even when the application A transmits event information to the connection destination application, the connection source processing unit 12 refers to the connection destination provided protocol list 15 and executes processing corresponding to each connection destination application.

  When transmitting to the application B, since event communication is ON, event information is transmitted using the event notification communication connection source process.

  Also in the case of transmission to the application C, since event communication is ON, event information is transmitted using the event notification communication connection source process.

  A setting operation of the connection destination provided protocol list 15 referred to by the connection source processing unit 12 will be described.

  For example, an application construction tool is used for the construction operation of the application system using the application A, the application B, the application C, and the like. The application construction tool refers to the application specification definition information in which the application specification is defined, and generates application system configuration information when setting the application and connecting between applications.

  The application specification definition information exists in each of application A, application B, and application C. It is assumed that the application specification protocol list shown in FIG. 2 is defined in the application specification definition information of the connection destination application (application B, application C). The application use protocol list defines which function is used by the connection destination application among the protocol functions provided by the connection source application. Here, generation of a protocol list provided for application B and application C performed in the connection setting operation procedure for connecting application A, application B, and application C will be described.

  The connection setting operation between application A and application B is performed. Within each application specification definition information, application A is defined as having a communication function A connection source processing function, and application B is defined as having a communication function A connection destination processing function. The application construction tool generates a protocol list provided for application B based on the application B communication protocol A connection destination processing information application B use protocol list of application B.

  Data monitor communication and event communication are set in the application B use protocol list. Therefore, the application construction tool turns ON the data monitor communication and the event communication in the provided protocol list for application B.

  Similarly, when setting connection between application A and application C, a protocol list provided for application C is generated based on the application C use protocol list in communication function A connection destination processing information of application C.

  Only event communication is set in the application C usage protocol list. Therefore, the application construction tool sets data monitoring communication in the provided protocol list for application C to OFF and event communication to ON.

  After the above setting operation is completed, the application construction tool sets the application B provided protocol list and the application C provided protocol list as setting information of the connection source processing unit 12 of the application A.

  With this configuration, when an application that requires only a part of the functions provided by the connection source application is connected, only the limited protocol function of the communication functions is used. Only functions required by applications can be provided.

  Since functions can be limited without dividing the functions of communication functions, the number of management operations and connection setting operations does not increase, and an increase in management costs can be suppressed.

  The connection destination application need only develop the necessary functions, reducing the development man-hours.

  Unnecessary communication related to unused functions does not occur from the connection source application to the connection destination application, and communication traffic can be reduced.

  In addition, since unnecessary communication is not performed, it is not necessary to mount an originally unnecessary communication processing function in the connection destination application, and it is possible to completely eliminate a problem that may occur due to unnecessary communication processing.

  These settings can be performed relatively easily using, for example, an application construction tool during application setting or connection operation without the user performing a protocol function selection operation or the like.

  Furthermore, the connection destination application does not need to load modules having unnecessary functions onto the memory, and resources can be saved.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention. Components common to those in FIG. In FIG. 4, the cooperation control unit includes a communication processing unit 10, a first protocol processing unit 20, and a third protocol processing unit 40.

  Based on the communication function B, the communication processing unit 10 processes a function provided by the connection source application. Two protocol functions used by the communication function B, log information inquiry communication and event notification communication, are defined in the communication function definition information storage unit 11 as a communication function B protocol list.

  The connection source processing unit 12 and the connection destination processing unit 13 respectively perform connection source processing and connection destination processing of two protocol functions of the communication function B, and are implemented in the communication processing unit 10. Operates in the connected application.

    The connection source processing unit 12 combines and aggregates the connection destination information storage unit 14 storing application information for each connection destination. The connection destination information storage unit 14 stores information on whether or not to use the protocol function for each connection destination. The connection-provided protocol list 15 having the above is synthesized and aggregated. The connection destination provided protocol list 15 in FIG. 4 describes log information inquiry communication and event notification communication.

  In the connection destination processing unit 13, a connection source information storage unit 16 in which application information for each connection source is stored is combined and aggregated.

  The first protocol processing unit 20 performs event notification communication processing, and is provided with an event notification communication connection source processing unit 21 and an event notification communication connection destination processing unit 22. The event notification communication connection source processing unit 21 is integrated into the connection source processing unit 12, and the event notification communication connection source processing unit 22 is integrated into the connection destination processing unit 13.

  The third protocol processing unit 40 performs log information inquiry communication processing, and is provided with a log information inquiry communication connection source processing unit 41 and a log information inquiry communication connection destination processing unit 42. The log information inquiry communication connection source processing unit 41 is integrated into the connection source processing unit 12, and the log information inquiry communication connection destination processing unit 42 is integrated into the connection destination processing unit 13.

  Here, in the configuration of the cooperation control unit based on the communication function A shown in FIG. 1, the first protocol processing unit 20 that performs the event notification communication process common to the communication function B can be reused as it is. A new implementation for handling inquiry communication is not required, and the number of creation steps can be reduced as compared with the case of newly creating a cooperation control unit.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a connection example of a plurality of applications using the cooperation control unit based on the communication function A shown in FIG. 1 and the cooperation control unit based on the communication function B shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 5, cooperation control including data monitoring communication and event notification communication based on the communication function A is performed between the application A and the application B, and only event notification communication based on the communication function A is performed between the application A and the application C. Cooperation control is performed. The application C and the application D are cooperatively controlled only by event notification communication based on the communication function B, and between the application D and the application E are cooperation composed of log information inquiry communication and event notification communication based on the communication function B. Control is performed. Note that these applications A to E are distributed and arranged in devices (not shown) connected to each other via a network (not shown).

  According to the configuration of FIG. 5, these applications A to E use only a limited protocol function among communication functions and operate in cooperation with each other without unnecessary communication processing, and thus have excellent communication efficiency. A distributed application system can be realized.

  In the above embodiment, field devices such as sensors, actuators, controllers, and computers are connected to each other via a network, and sensors and actuators are arranged at main locations such as control points and control measurement points. Although the process control system constructed so that the target control is accurately performed by the computer has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to various distributed application systems.

1 is a configuration block diagram showing an embodiment of a main part of devices constituting a distributed application system according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a connection of the application based on the communication function A. It is explanatory drawing of the communication processing operation | movement procedure in the connection structure of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the other Example of this invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a connection example of a plurality of applications using a cooperation control unit based on the communication function A shown in FIG. 1 and a cooperation control unit based on the communication function B shown in FIG. 4. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the communication function which connects between the conventional applications. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the communication function which connects between the conventional applications. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the communication function which connects between the conventional applications.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Communication processing part 11 Communication function definition information storage part 12 Connection source process part 13 Connection destination process part 14 Connection destination information storage part 15 Protocol list for connection destinations 16 Connection source information storage part 20 1st protocol process part 21 Event notification Communication connection source processing unit 22 Event notification communication connection destination processing unit 30 Second protocol processing unit 31 Data monitor communication connection source processing unit 32 Data monitor communication connection destination processing unit 40 Third protocol processing unit 41 Log information inquiry communication connection source Processing unit 42 Log information inquiry communication connection destination processing unit

Claims (3)

In a distributed application system constructed so that applications distributed and distributed to devices connected to each other via a network can operate in cooperation with each other.
A distributed application system in which a connection source exchanges information with a connection destination using only necessary communication functions.   2. The connection source communication processing unit includes a protocol list provided for each connection destination application, and exchanges information with the connection destination using only a protocol function described in the protocol list. Distributed application system.   3. The distributed application system according to claim 1, wherein the devices connected to each other via the network are field devices for constructing a process control system.

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