Determining VLAN-IDs for a switched-based communication network of a process control system
View Patent ↗A Process Control (PC) or Substation Automation (SA) system is disclosed with appropriate message filtering based on Virtual Local Area Network identifiers VLAN-IDs as communication sub-network identifiers. The VLAN-IDs are determined in order to optimize data flow in the sense that receiver IEDs only receive the intended messages, while at the same time the number of sub-network identifiers can be reduced to a maximum extent. Restricting the real time traffic in such a way can ensure proper operation of the systems, such as large SA systems using GOOSE for interlocking and having sensors connected with the Sampled Value (SV) protocol according to IEC 61850-9-2.
1. A method of determining Virtual Local Area Network identifiers (VLAN-IDs) in an Ethernet switch-based communication network of a process control (PC) system having a plurality of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), connected to switches of the Ethernet switch-based communication network, wherein IEDs are configured to periodically send multicast messages, and wherein the switches are adapted to selectively forward a multicast message based on message-specific VLAN-IDs, the method comprising:
retrieving, for each sender IED of the plurality of IEDs and for each message configured to be transmitted by each sender IED, from a system description of the PC system having logical data flow definitions, receiver IEDs for which the message is destined;
identifying a first exhaustive set of receiver IEDs of a first message, and a second exhaustive set of receiver IEDs of a second message;
assigning, when the first and second sets of receiver IEDs differ in at most the sender IEDs, a same VLAN-ID to both the first and second messages, and
storing the assigned VLAN-ID in a system description of the PC system.
2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
employing the assigned VLAN-ID for multicast address filtering at a connection or port of a switch of the communication network to which a receiver IED of the first and second message is connected.
3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
identifying a communication cluster having a number of message sources for each of which a message source control block configures a message to be transmitted by a sender IED of the cluster, wherein all messages sent by the sender IEDs of the cluster and related to a particular application of the PC system are exclusively sent to some or all of the other sender IEDs of the cluster; and
assigning the same VLAN-ID to all the message sources of the communication cluster.
4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
identifying a communication cluster having a number of message sources for each of which a message source control block configures a message to be transmitted by a sender IED of the cluster, wherein each message source of the cluster is connected to all sender IEDs of the cluster via a cluster connection, wherein a connection from a message source to a receiver IED is a cluster connection if a first message configured to be transmitted from the message source to the receiver IED is also destined to a third set of receiver IEDs and if a second message, related to the same application as the first message, is configured to be transmitted from said receiver IED to the third set of receiver IEDs; and
assigning the same VLAN-ID to all the messages sources of the communication cluster.
5. An Ethernet switch-based communication network of a Process Control (PC) system, comprising:
a plurality of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) connected to switches of the Ethernet switch-based communication network, wherein the IEDs are configured to periodically send multicast messages, and wherein the switches are adapted to selectively forward a multicast message based on message-specific Virtual Local Area Network identifiers (VLAN-IDs) determined; and
a processor configured for:
retrieving, for each sender IED of the plurality of IEDs and for each message configured to be transmitted by each sender IED, from a system description of the PC system having logical data flow definitions, receiver IEDs for which the message is destined;
identifying a first exhaustive set of receiver IEDs of a first message, and a second exhaustive set of receiver IEDs of a second message;
assigning, when the first and second sets of receiver IEDs differ in at most the sender IEDs, a same VLAN-ID to both the first and second messages, and
storing the assigned VLAN-ID in a system description of the PC system.
6. A configuration tool for configuring an Ethernet switch-based communication network of a Process Control (PC) system, comprising:
a plurality of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) connected to switches of the Ethernet switch-based communication network, wherein the IEDs are configured to periodically send multicast messages, and wherein the switches are adapted to selectively forward a multicast message based on message-specific Virtual Local Area Network identifiers (VLAN-IDs); and
a processor configured to:
retrieve, for each sender IED of the plurality of IEDs and for each message configured to be transmitted by said sender IED, from a system description of the PC system, the receiver IEDs for which the message is destined, as well as the assigned VLAN ID; and
assign, for each receiver IED, VLAN IDs of all the messages destined for this receiver IED to an edge port of a switch of the communication network to which this receiver IED is connected.
7. An Ethernet switch-based communication network according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to: employ the assigned VLAN-ID for multicast address filtering at a connection or port of a switch of the communication network to which a receiver IED of the first and second message is connected.
8. An Ethernet switch-based communication network according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify a communication cluster having a number of message sources for each of which a message source control block configures a message to be transmitted by a sender IED of the cluster, wherein all messages sent by the sender IEDs of the cluster and related to a particular application of the PC system will be exclusively sent to some or all of the other sender IEDs of the cluster; and
assign the same VLAN-ID to all the message sources of the communication cluster.
9. An Ethernet switch-based communication network according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify a communication cluster comprising a number of message sources for each of which a message source control block configures a message to be transmitted by a sender IED of the cluster, wherein each message source of the cluster is connected to all sender IEDs of the cluster via a cluster connection, wherein a connection from a message source to a receiver IED is a cluster connection if a first message configured to be transmitted from the message source to the receiver IED is also destined to a third set of receiver IEDs and if a second message, related to the same application as the first message, is configured to be transmitted from said receiver IED to the third set of receiver IEDs; and to assign the same VLAN-ID to all the messages sources of the communication cluster.
10. A configuration tool according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to: employ the assigned VLAN-ID for multicast address filtering at a connection or port of a switch of the communication network to which a receiver IED of the first and second message is connected.
11. A configuration tool according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify a communication cluster having a number of message sources for each of which a message source control block configures a message to be transmitted by a sender IED of the cluster, wherein all messages sent by the sender IEDs of the cluster and related to a particular application of the PC system will be exclusively sent to some or all of the other sender IEDs of the cluster; and
assign the same VLAN-ID to all the message sources of the communication cluster.
12. A configuration tool according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify a communication cluster comprising a number of message sources for each of which a message source control block configures a message to be transmitted by a sender IED of the cluster, wherein each message source of the cluster is connected to all sender IEDs of the cluster via a cluster connection, wherein a connection from a message source to a receiver IED is a cluster connection if a first message configured to be transmitted from the message source to the receiver IED is also destined to a third set of receiver IEDs and if a second message, related to the same application as the first message, is configured to be transmitted from said receiver IED to the third set of receiver IEDs; and
assign the same VLAN-ID to all the messages sources of the communication cluster.