Discover match use (DMU) automation system
Industrial automation systems are often inflexible, which can result in delays that are costly and inconvenient. In particular, it is recognized herein that the engineering phase of automation system implementation currently represents a significant portion of the overall cost of an automation system. As described herein, automation system configurations can be automatically generated. For example, a discover match use (DMU) system described herein can reduce engineering time while providing design flexibility.
1 . A method performed within an industrial system that comprises a plurality of machines that define respective hardware and automation services associated with the hardware, the method comprising:
discovering, by a discover module of the industrial system, the plurality of machines and the associated automation services;
based on discovering the plurality of machines and the associated automation services, building a catalog of automation services;
obtaining, by a match module of the industrial system, one or more production goals associated with an product;
at a runtime of the industrial system, based on the one or more production goals, selecting a set of the automation services so as to define a composite service; and
during the runtime of the industrial system, triggering the composite service so as to produce the product;
wherein discovering further comprises:
continuously interrogating, by the discover module, the automation services;
in response to the interrogating, receiving respective statuses from the automation services; and
based on the statuses, updating the catalog so as to define a live catalog of available automation services that changes over time.
2 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
responsive to the triggering, producing the product using a set of the plurality of machines associated with the set of automation services.
3 . The method of claim 2 , the method further comprising:
while producing the product, identifying one or more new automation services; and
based on the one or more new automation services, selecting a different set of the automation services so as to define the composite service.
4 . The method of claim 2 , the method further comprising:
based on a change in a policy associated with the one or more production goals, selecting a different set of the automation services so as to define a different composite service; and
during the runtime of the industrial system, triggering the different composite service so as to produce the product.
5 . An industrial system, the industrial system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the system to:
discover a plurality of machines and automation services associated with the machines;
based on discovering the plurality of machines and the associated automation services, build a catalog of automation services;
obtain one or more production goals associated with a product;
at a runtime of the industrial system, based on the one or more production goals, select a set of the automation services so as to define a composite service; and
during the runtime of the industrial system, trigger the composite service so as to produce the product;
the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, further configure the system to:
continuously interrogate the automation services;
in response to the interrogating, receive respective statuses from the automation services; and
based on the statuses, update the catalog so as to define a live catalog of available automation services that changes over time.
6 . The system of claim 5 , the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, further configure the system to:
responsive to the triggering, produce the product using a set of the plurality of machines associated with the set of automation services.
7 . The system of claim 6 , the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, further configure the system to:
while producing the product, identify one or more new automation services; and
based on the one or more new automation services, select a different set of the automation services so as to define the composite service.
8 . The system of claim 6 , the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, further configure the system to:
based on a change in a policy associated with the one or more production goals, select a different set of the automation services so as to define a different composite service; and
during the runtime of the industrial system, trigger the different composite service so as to produce the product.