Control contextualization and reasoning about control

1. A method of extracting and applying control contextualization from a control program of an intelligent programmable logic controller, the method comprising:

executing, by a processor included in the intelligent programmable logic controller, the control program to control operation of devices in an automation system;

extracting a control model from code of the control program based on context specific knowledge related to the control program, wherein the context specific knowledge includes dependency information relating process variables and variables used by the control program and hidden in a control layer;

storing, by a storage medium included in the intelligent programmable logic controller, the control model;

performing root-cause diagnostics for the devices in the automation system using the control model; and

generating events related to the root-cause diagnostics.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using, by a control monitoring component, the control model to perform a monitoring operation related to execution of the control program on the intelligent programmable logic controller

deploying a monitoring rule for a controller variable using a key performance indicator;

wherein the monitoring operation comprises monitoring the controller variable during execution of the control program.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the monitoring operation further comprises:

monitoring at least one controller function during execution of the control program.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying at least one fault in the control program using the control model.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

debugging the control program using the control model.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adjusting at least one algorithm included in the control program based on the control model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control model is automatically extracted from program code in an engineering development environment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control model comprises:

first data comprising structural information related to program functions used by the control program; and

second data comprising control flow information related to the program functions.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control model further comprises: second data comprising key performance indicator (KPI) definitions related to the control program.

10. An article of manufacture for extracting and applying control contextualization from a control program of an intelligent programmable logic controller, the article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

utilizing a processor included in the intelligent programmable logic controller to execute the control program to control operation of devices in an automation system;

extracting a control model from code of the control program based on context specific knowledge related to the control program, wherein the context specific knowledge includes dependency information relating process variables and variables used by the control program and hidden in a control layer;

storing the control model;

performing root-cause diagnostics for the devices in the automation system utilizing the control model; and

generating events related to the root cause diagnostics.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10 , the steps further comprising:

utilizing the control model to perform a monitoring operation related to execution of the control program on the intelligent programmable logic controller;

deploying a monitoring rule for a controller variable using a key performance indicator;

wherein the monitoring operation comprises monitoring the controller variable during execution of the control program.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , wherein the monitoring operation further comprises:

monitoring at least one controller function during execution of the control program.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 10 , wherein the steps further comprise:

identifying at least one fault in the control program using the control model.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 10 , wherein the steps further comprise:

debugging the control program using the control model.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 10 , wherein the steps further comprise:

adjusting at least one algorithm included in the control program based on the control model.

16. A programmable logic controller comprising: at least one processor configured to:

execute a control program according to a scan cycle to control operation of devices in an automation system;

extract a control model from code of the control program based on context specific knowledge related to the control program, wherein the context specific knowledge includes dependency information relating process variables and variables used by the control program and hidden in a control layer;

perform root-cause diagnostics for the devices in the automation system utilizing the control model; and

generate events related to the root-cause diagnostics; and

a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing the control program and the control model.

17. The programmable logic controller of claim 16 , wherein the monitoring operation comprises:

using the control model to perform a monitoring operation related to execution of the control program;

monitoring at least one controller variable during execution of the control program, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to deploy a monitoring rule for the at least one controller variable using a key performance indicator.

18. The programmable logic controller of claim 17 , wherein the monitoring operation further comprises:

monitoring at least one controller function during execution of the control program.

19. The programmable logic controller of claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

adjust at least one algorithm included in the control program based on the control model.