Auto binding of templates into exiting systems
A control system having packaged sets of control logic, referred to as templates. A template may be deployed in a system many times to solve a system's needs. Upon deployment, the user may need to perform many binding operations. The present system and approach may greatly reduce the labor involved in deploying control templates and in templates configuring a system of devices. Semantic tagging may be used. When designing a template, binding hints may be provided for each entity in the template that requires binding upon deployment. The binding hints may be used as a search predicate. When a template is deployed into a control space, a search query with binding hints for each bindable entity defined, may automatically be executed against the control space. If there is a single result for a bindable entity, then it may be automatically bound. If there are multiple results, a user may be prompted to choose from a results list.
1. A mechanism for auto binding templates into one or more existing processing systems, comprising:
a processor;
a memory connected to the processor;
a user interface connected to the processor; and
one or more templates situated in the memory; and
wherein:
the one or more templates are packaged sets of control logic;
a template of the one or more templates can be deployed into a system to satisfy one or more needs of the system;
deployment of the template requires binding;
the template has one or more entities that require binding upon deployment;
each entity that requires binding is provided with a semantic having binding hints;
the binding hints are a search predicate in a query for each entity that requires binding; and
the query is automatically executed against a control space.
2. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:
if there is one result from the query, then the entity is automatically bound; and
if there are two or more results from the query, then one result is selected before the entity is bound.
3. The mechanism of claim 2 , wherein one or more packaged sets of control logic are selected from a group comprising a user interface, graphics, alarms, data collections, configuration properties, inputs, outputs, and relations.
4. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:
when a template is deployed into the system, one or more binding operations are performed; and
one or more binding operations are selected from a group comprising hardware bindings, input bindings, output bindings, and relationship bindings.
5. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein a Niagara™ framework provides a basis within the processor, memory, and user interface.
6. A method for binding templates comprising:
connecting a memory to a processor;
connecting a user interface to the processor;
entering one or more templates into the memory; and
deploying one or more templates into a system to satisfy one or more needs of the system; and
wherein:
a template has one or more entities that require binding upon deployment;
each entity that requires binding is provided with a semantic having binding hints;
binding hints are a search predicate in a query for each entity that requires a binding;
the one or more templates are packaged sets of control logic; and
a query is automatically executed against a control space.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein one or more packaged sets of control logic are selected from a group comprising a user interface, graphics, alarms, data collection, configuration properties, inputs, outputs, and relations.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
when a template is deployed into the system, one or more binding operations are performed; and
one or more binding operations are selected from a group comprising hardware bindings, input bindings, output bindings, and relationship bindings.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein a Niagara™ framework provides a basis within the processor, memory and user interface.
10. A system for auto binding templates comprising:
a processor;
a memory connected to the processor;
a user interface connected to the processor; and
one or more templates situated in the memory; and
wherein:
a template of the one or more templates is deployed into a controller to satisfy one or more needs of the controller;
the template has one or more entities that require binding upon deployment;
each entity that needs binding is provided with a semantic having binding hints;
binding hints are a search predicate in a query for each entity that requires binding;
the one or more templates are sets of control logic; and
a search query is executed against a control space.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein
when a template is deployed into the controller, one or more binding operations are performed; and
one or more binding operations are selected from a group comprising hardware bindings, input bindings, output bindings, and relationship bindings.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein:
if there is only one result from a query, then an entity is bound; and
if there are two or more results from the query, then one result is selected before an entity is bound.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein an operating basis for the processor, a memory or user interface comprises a Niagara™ framework.