Cloud-enabled I/O configuration of a control system

1. A method of creating a configuration file for a cloud-enabled industrial control system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a cloud computing system, instrument data;

configuring the instrument data by providing access to the instrument data to one or more users through a collaborative configuration cloud service of the cloud computing system to create an instrument index, wherein the one or more users access the instrument data using one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the cloud computing system;

alerting and automatically correcting, by a cloud service, configuration errors in the instrument index that occurred during the configuration of the instrument data;

creating, by a rules engine cloud service using at least the instrument index, a hardware layout for at least a portion of the cloud-enabled industrial control system;

assigning, by the rules engine cloud service, input/output (I/O) points from the instrument index to the hardware layout to create an I/O configuration file for the cloud-enabled industrial control system; and

transferring the I/O configuration file from the cloud computing system to the cloud-enabled industrial control system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the cloud-enabled industrial control system according to the I/O configuration file.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instrument data comprises one or more of a process flow diagram (PFD), a piping and instrument diagram (P&ID), or a loop diagram.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instrument data at least partially comprises an output from an instrumentation software program.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloud-enabled industrial control system is used to control a power-generating facility.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing one or more of the instrument index or the I/O configuration file in cloud storage.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein additional inputs to the rules engine cloud service for creating the hardware layout and assigning I/O points to the hardware layout to create the I/O configuration file include one or more of object definitions for devices, layout rules and plant areas.

8. A system that creates a configuration file for a cloud-enabled industrial control system, the system comprising:

a cloud computing system, wherein the cloud computing system comprises at least a cloud platform and one or more cloud services executing on the cloud platform; and

one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the cloud computing system, wherein the cloud computing system:

receives instrument data;

provides access to the instrument data for configuration of the instrument data by one or more users through a configuration cloud service of the cloud computing system to create an instrument index, wherein the one or more users access the instrument data using the one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the cloud computing system;

alerts and automatically corrects, by a cloud service, configuration errors in the instrument index that occurred during the configuration of the instrument data;

creates, by a rules engine cloud service using at least the instrument index, a hardware layout for at least a portion of the cloud-enabled industrial control system;

assigns, by the rules engine cloud service, input/output (I/O) points from the instrument index to the hardware layout to create an I/O configuration file for the cloud-enabled industrial control system; and

transfers the I/O configuration file from the cloud computing system to the cloud-enabled industrial control system.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the cloud-enabled industrial control system is configured in accordance with the I/O configuration file.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instrument data comprises one or more of a process flow diagram (PFD), a piping and instrument diagram (P&ID), or a loop diagram.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instrument data at least partially comprises an output from an instrumentation software program.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the cloud-enabled industrial control system is used to control a power-generating facility.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the cloud computing system further comprises cloud storage and one or more of the instrument index or the I/O configuration file are stored in the cloud storage.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the cloud computing system further comprises additional inputs to the rules engine cloud service for creating the hardware layout and assigning I/O points to the hardware layout to create the I/O configuration the include one or more of object definitions for devices, layout rules and plant areas.

15. A cloud-enabled industrial control system comprising:

a cloud computing system, wherein the cloud computing system comprises at least a cloud platform, one or more cloud services executing on the cloud platform, and cloud storage;

an industrial control system that is communicatively coupled with the cloud computing system; and

one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the cloud computing system, wherein the cloud computing system:

receives instrument data;

provides access to the instrument data for configuration of the instrument data by one or more users through a collaborative configuration cloud service of the cloud computing system to create an instrument index, wherein the one or more users access the instrument data using the one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the cloud computing system;

alerts and automatically correct, by an expert system cloud service, configuration errors in the instrument index that occurred during the configuration of the instrument data;

creates, by a rules engine cloud service using the instrument index and one or more of object definitions for devices, layout rules and plant areas, a hardware layout for at least a portion of the industrial control system;

assigns, by the rules engine cloud service, input/output (I/O) points from the instrument index to the hardware layout to create an I/O configuration file for the industrial control system; and

transfers the I/O configuration file from the cloud computing system to the industrial control system.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the industrial control system is configured in accordance with the I/O configuration file.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instrument data comprises one or more of a process flow diagram (PFD), a piping and instrument diagram (P&ID), or a loop diagram.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instrument data at least partially comprises an output from an instrumentation software program.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the industrial control system is used to control a power-generating facility.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein one or more of the instrument index or the I/O configuration file are stored in the cloud storage.