Low or medium voltage electric power distribution network

1. A low or medium voltage electric power distribution network comprising:

at least a protection and control (“P&C”) device (IED 1 , IED N ) configured to control switches of the power distribution network,

a computer station which communicate with said at least a P&C device through a communication network;

wherein said computer station comprises first computerised means for executing, according to a batch processing mode, downloading sessions of software packages (F 1 , F N ) to said P&C devices in order to upgrade the software of said at least a P&C device;

wherein said at least a P&C device comprises second computerized means for executing a procedure for safely managing software upgrade to upgraded software in said at least a P&C device and third computerized means for storing the software packages downloaded by said computer station and for saving a back-up copy of old software to be updated that is already resident in said at least a P&C device;

wherein the said second computerized means is configured to execute the procedure as comprises the following:

checking whether the software packages downloaded by said computer station have been correctly stored, comprising a consistency check between a configuration tool of the computer station and said at least a P&C device being performed to validate the upgraded software;

waiting for confirmation that the software packages downloaded by said computer station have been stored correctly;

when said confirmation is not received in a predefined period of time, sending instructions to recover said back-up copy of the old software, said back-up copy of the old software being used to continue the normal operations of said at least a P&C device.

2. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 1 , characterized in that said at least a P&C device comprise third computerised means for storing the software packages downloaded by said computer station and for saving a back-up copy of the old software that is already resident in said at least a P&C device.

3. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 1 , wherein said first computerised means execute a plurality of processing threads during a downloading/uploading session of said software packages, each of said processing threads being executed for performing the task of downloading one software package to the selected P&C devices in parallel and independent manner with respect to the other P&C devices.

4. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according claim 1 , wherein said computer station comprises fourth computerised means for selecting the software package to be downloaded to the selected P&C devices.

5. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 1 , wherein said computer station comprises fifth computerised means for performing compatibility checks on the software packages to be downloaded to one of said P&C devices.

6. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 1 , wherein each of said software packages (F 1 , F N ) comprises one software file.

7. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 1 , wherein said communication network is a an Ethernet LAN.

8. A method for performing a software upgrade in at least a protection and control (“P&C device”) configured to control switches of a low or medium voltage distribution network, said at least a P&C device communicating with a computer station through a communication network, said computer station executing, according to a batch processing mode, downloading sessions of software packages (F 1 , F N ) to said P&C devices in order to upgrade the software of said at least a P&C device, wherein it comprises the following steps:

receiving the software package downloaded by said computer station; and

storing the software package downloaded by said computer station; and

saving a back-up copy of the old software that is already resident in said at least a P&C device; and

checking whether the software package downloaded by said computer station have been correctly stored comprising a consistency check between a configuration tool of the computer station and said at least a P&C device being performed to validate the upgraded software;

waiting for confirmation that the software packages downloaded by said computer station have been stored correctly; and

when the software package downloaded by said computer station have not been correctly stored, recovering said back-up copy of the old software, said old software being used to continue the normal operations of said at least a P&C device.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein, if the software packages downloaded by said computer station have been stored, it comprises the step of waiting for a message confirming that the software packages downloaded by said computer station have correctly been stored, and, if said message is not received in a predefined period of time, sending instructions to recover said back-up copy of the old software, said old software being used to continue the normal operations of said at least a P&C device.

10. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 2 , wherein said first computerised means execute a plurality of processing threads during a downloading/uploading session of said software packages, each of said processing threads being executed for performing the task of downloading one software package to the selected P&C devices in parallel and independent manner with respect to the other P&C devices.

11. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 1 , wherein said first computerised means execute a plurality of processing threads during a downloading/uploading session of said software packages, each of said processing threads being executed for performing the task of downloading one software package to the selected P&C devices in parallel and independent manner with respect to the other P&C devices.

12. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 2 , wherein said computer station comprises fourth computerised means for selecting the software package to be downloaded to the selected P&C devices.

13. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 5 , wherein said computer station comprises fourth computerised means for selecting the software package to be downloaded to the selected P&C devices.

14. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 3 , wherein said computer station comprises fourth computerised means for selecting the software package to be downloaded to the selected P&C devices.

15. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 2 , wherein said computer station comprises fifth computerised means for performing compatibility checks on the software packages to be downloaded to one of said P&C devices.

16. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 1 , wherein said computer station comprises fifth computerised means for performing compatibility checks on the software packages to be downloaded to one of said P&C devices.

17. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 3 , wherein said computer station comprises fifth computerised means for performing compatibility checks on the software packages to be downloaded to one of said P&C devices.

18. A low or medium voltage distribution network, according to claim 2 , wherein said computer station comprises fifth computerised means for performing compatibility checks on the software packages to be downloaded to one of said P&C devices.