Distributed data access methods and apparatus for process control systems
AssigneeFisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
InventorsMark J. Nixon, Stephen Gilbert, Mike Lucas, Teresa Chatkoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods of accessing a database associated with a process control system send a request for information from a client application to an intermediate data server process and determine if the information is stored within a data source associated with the intermediate data server process. The systems and methods also send a request for the information from the intermediate data server process to another process if the information is not stored within the data source and access the database to retrieve the information subsequent to the other process receiving the request for the information.
Claims49
A method of accessing a database associated with a process control system, comprising:
- receiving a request for information from a client application in an intermediate data server process;
- determining if the information is stored within a data source associated with the intermediate data server process;
- sending a request for the information from the intermediate data server process to another process if the information is not stored within the data source;
- and
- accessing the database to retrieve the information subsequent to the other process receiving the request for the information.
A system for accessing a database associated with a process control system, comprising:
- an intermediate data server communicatively coupled to the database and programmed to:
- receive a request for information from a client application;
- determine if the information is stored in a data source associated with the intermediate data server;
- and
- send a request for the information from the intermediate data server to another intermediate data server if the information is not stored in the data source.
A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed cause a machine to:
- receive a request for information associated with a process control system from a client application in an intermediate data server process;
- determine if the information is stored in a data source associated with the intermediate data server process;
- send a request for the information from the intermediate data server process to another process if the information is not stored in the data source;
- and
- access the database to retrieve the information subsequent to the other process receiving the request for the information.
A process control system, comprising:
- a plurality of communicatively coupled intermediate data servers;
- a plurality of client applications in communication with at least one of the intermediate data servers;
- and
- a database containing information, including at least data and rules associated with the process control system, wherein the intermediate data servers are adapted to interoperate to retrieve and store in respective local data sources a subset of the information in based on the informational needs of at least some of the client applications.
A method of changing information within a database associated with a process control system, comprising:
- sending a set of information from a first intermediate data server to a second intermediate data server;
- sending the set of information from the second intermediate data server to a database server;
- and
- writing the set of information to the database to change the information within the database.
A method of propagating a database change within a networked system, comprising:
- changing a set of information within a database to form a second set of information;
- sending the second set of information to a first intermediate data server within the networked system;
- sending the second set of information from the first intermediate data server to a second intermediate data server;
- and
- storing at least a portion of the second set of information in a data source associated with a client application.
A method of accessing a database associated with a process control system, comprising:
- receiving a request for data and at least one rule associated with the data from a client application in an intermediate data server process;
- and
- accessing the database to retrieve the data and the at least one rule associated with the data.
A method of editing a process control system database, comprising:
- requesting substantially all data associated with the process control system database;
- receiving the requested substantially all data associated with the process control system database in a client application;
- editing at least some of the substantially all data associated with the process control system database in the client application while the client application is off-line with respect to the process control system database;
- and
- enforcing at least one rule associated with the process control system database and accessible by the client application while the client application is off-line with respect to the process control system database.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.