Method and system for distributed control system (DCS) process data cloning and migration through secured file system

1. A method comprising:

generating via a platform- and release-independent (PIM) migration tool a PIM migration image file for a software migration based on configuration parameters associated with a first node among a plurality of nodes of an industrial process control and automation system, the configuration parameters comprising one or more variable parameters that differ between the plurality of nodes and one or more consistent parameters that are common among the plurality of nodes, the one or more variable parameters comprising one or more variables associated with process equipment in the industrial process control and the automation system;

after a new software version is installed at the first node, restoring information associated with the first node using the migration image file;

adapting a portion of the migration image file for a second node among the plurality of nodes of the control and automation system by cloning the PIM file generated earlier and displaying the one or more variable parameters, receiving information identifying a value of or a change to each variable parameter in the cloned PIM file for the second node, and updating the one or more variable parameters saved in said cloned PIM file for the second node according to the received information, wherein the consistent parameters do not need to be updated for said second node; and

after the new software version is installed at the second node, restoring information associated with the second node using the adapted migration image file.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

repeating the adapting for one or more additional nodes among the plurality of nodes; and

for each additional node, after the new software version is installed at the additional node, restoring information associated with the additional node using the adapted migration image file associated with the additional node.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the configuration parameters for the migration image file.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein no backup of the second node is performed during the software migration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the migration image file is based on configuration parameters associated with a first cluster of nodes, the first cluster of nodes including the first node;

after the new software version is installed at the first cluster of nodes, information associated with the first cluster of nodes is restored using the migration image file;

the portion of the migration image file is adapted based on configuration parameters associated with a second cluster of nodes, the second cluster of nodes including the second node; and

after the new software version is installed at the second cluster of nodes, information associated with the second cluster of nodes is restored using the adapted migration image file.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more variable parameters comprise at least one of: a machine name, a network address, a subnet mask, an install path, a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path, and an encrypted password; and the one or more consistent parameters comprise at least one of: a registry path and a base Internet Protocol (IP)/network address.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes comprises a process controller of a distributed control system (DCS).

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processing device configured to:

generate via a platform- and release-independent (PIM) migration tool a PIM migration image file for a software migration based on configuration parameters associated with a first node among a plurality of nodes of an industrial process control and automation system, the configuration parameters comprising one or more variable parameters that differ between the plurality of nodes and one or more consistent parameters that are common among the plurality of nodes, the one or more variable parameters comprising one or more variables associated with process equipment in the industrial process control and automation system;

after a new software version is installed at the first node, restore information associated with the first node using the migration image file;

adapt a portion of the migration image file for a second node among the plurality of nodes of the control and automation system by initiating cloning the PIM file generated earlier and displaying the one or more variable parameters, receiving information identifying a value of or a change to each variable parameter in the cloned PIM file for the second node, and updating the one or more variable parameters saved in said cloned PIM file for the second node according to the received information, wherein the consistent parameters do not need to be updated for said second node; and

after the new software version is installed at the second node, restore information associated with the second node using the adapted migration image file.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to:

repeat the adapting for one or more additional nodes among the plurality of nodes; and

for each additional node, after the new software version is installed at the additional node, restore information associated with the additional node using the adapted migration image file associated with the additional node.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to determine the configuration parameters for the migration image file.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processing device is configured to perform no backup of the second node during the software migration.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the at least one processing device is configured to generate the migration image file based on configuration parameters associated with a first cluster of nodes, the first cluster of nodes including the first node;

the at least one processing device is configured, after the new software version is installed at the first cluster of nodes, to restore information associated with the first cluster of nodes using the migration image file;

the at least one processing device is configured to adapt the portion of the migration image file based on configuration parameters associated with a second cluster of nodes, the second cluster of nodes including the second node; and

the at least one processing device is configured, after the new software version is installed at the second cluster of nodes, to restore information associated with the second cluster of nodes using the adapted migration image file.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the one or more variable parameters comprise at least one of: a machine name, a network address, a subnet mask, an install path, a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path, and an encrypted password; and the one or more consistent parameters comprise at least one of: a registry path and a base Internet Protocol (IP)/network address.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes comprises a process controller of a distributed control system (DCS).

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that when executed cause at least one processor to:

generate via a platform- and release-independent (PIM) migration tool a PIM migration image file for a software migration based on configuration parameters associated with a first node among a plurality of nodes of an industrial process control and automation system, the configuration parameters comprising one or more variable parameters that differ between the plurality of nodes and one or more consistent parameters that are common among the plurality of nodes, the one or more variable parameters comprising one or more variables associated with process equipment in the industrial process control and automation system;

after a new software version is installed at the first node, restoring information associated with the first node using the migration image file;

adapting a portion of the migration image file for based on configuration parameters associated with a second node among the plurality of nodes of the control and automation system by using the cloned PIM file generated earlier and displaying the one or more variable parameters, receiving information identifying a value of or a change to each variable parameter in the cloned PIM file for the second node, and updating the one or more variable parameters saved in said cloned PIM file for the second node according to the received information, wherein the consistent parameters do not need to be updated for said second node; and

after the new software version is installed at the second node, restoring information associated with the second node using the adapted migration image file.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer program further comprises computer readable program code for:

repeating the adapting for one or more additional nodes; and

for each additional node, after the new software version is installed at the additional node, restoring information associated with the additional node using the adapted migration image file associated with the additional node.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer program further comprises computer readable program code for:

determining the configuration parameters for the migration image file.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer program is configured to perform no backup of the second node during the software migration.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

the one or more variable parameters comprise at least one of: a machine name, a network address, a subnet mask, an install path, a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path, and an encrypted password; and the one or more consistent parameters comprise at least one of: a registry path and a base Internet Protocol (IP)/network address.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes comprises a process controller of a distributed control system (DCS).