Method, software agent, networked device and sdn controller for software defined networking a cyber physical network of different technical domains, in particular an industry automation network

A Software Agent for Software Defined Networking a cyber-physical Network of different technical domains, in particular an industry automation network, whereby

• a) the Network includes
• a1) at least one Networked Device, such as a Computer, a Server, a Server farm, a Programmable Logic Controller, etc., comprising a Operating System with its system resources, such as Central Processing Unit, controlling at least one Physical Machine of the technical domain, functioning with respect to the Network as an end node and non-hosting or hosting at least one of at least one “Application Software” and at least one embedded Virtual Machine, and
• a2) a number of Network Components, whereby the number of Network Components is at least equal to the number of the Networked Devices, the Network Component functions with respect to the Network as an intermediate node and the Network Components are at least partly assigned to the Networked Device such that
• a21) the Network Component is one Virtual Machine of the at least one embedded Virtual Machine, such as a Virtual Switch, a Virtual Router or a Virtual Gateway, or
• a22) the Network Component is a Network Device within the Network, such as a Physical Switch, a Physical Router or a Physical Gateway, being connectable with the Networked Device and the Operating System with its system resources,
• b) with respect to the purpose of the “Software Defined Networking”
• b1) the handling of data packets and routing or controlling decisions within the Network are separated such that the data packet handling, in particular data packet forwarding by the intermediate node and data packet transmitting by the end node, is done via data paths and the handling of routing or controlling decisions is done via control paths involving at least one of the Network Components and remotely controlled by at least one SDN-Controller using a Communication Protocol according to which at least one of PUSH/PULL-based commands and PUSH/PULL-based messages are sent and received,
• b2) the Networked Device respectively the Network Device includes a Communication Interface via which
• b21) the Networked Device respectively the Network Device is connectable with the SDN-Controller and
• b22) the Communication Protocol is processed,
• wherein c) being implementable into the Networked Device including the Operating System with its system resources and where applicable into the Network Device,
• d) at least one Sensor perceiving an operating environment of the Software Agent defined by the Networked Device respectively the Network Device within the Network and regarding the SDN-purpose, at least one Actor interacting in that environment and Determining Means for determining how the Software Agent is going to interact with the environment, which are designed such and forming a Functional Unit referring to as an “agent function” that
• d1) the Networked Device or the Networked Device and the Network Device with respect to an extended “Software Defined Networking” based on extended control paths, which in comparison to the control paths are extended over “End-to-End”-Communication within the cyber-physical Network between the Networked Device and the SDN-Controller, is respectively are modifiable by implementing and involving a flexible data model modeling data into the Operating System of the Networked Device for enabling
• d11) a remote access management of at least one of the Networked Device, the networked device-hosted App and the networked device-hosted Virtual Machine in view of the networked device-specific capabilities, in particular including the Operating System resources being offered and network functions or services being supported by the Networked Device, and
• d12) a remote configuration functionality of the Networked Device,
• d2) based on the Communication Interface a Logical Management Interface embedding a control channel for the protocol- and data model-based interaction between the Networked Device and the SDN-Controller is deployed,
• d3) the modeled data for enabling the remote access management of the at least one of the Networked Device, the networked device-hosted App and the networked device-hosted Virtual Machine in view of the networked device-specific capabilities and the remote configuration is encapsulated into a service list by translating bi-directionally between the command and the message of the Communication Protocol and the modeled data, and
• d4) the service list being embedded in the Communication Protocol is communicable to the SDN-Controller for controlling the handling of the routing or controlling decisions.

A Networked Device, such as a Computer, a Server, a Server farm, a Programmable Logic Controller, etc., for Software Defined Networking a cyber-physical Network of different technical domains, in particular an industry automation network, which comprises a Operating System with its system resources, such as Central Processing Unit and a Memory, controls at least one Physical Machine of the technical domain, functions with respect to the Network as an end node, is non-hosting or hosting at least one of at least one “Application Software” and at least one embedded Virtual Machine and is one of at least one Networked device within the Network, whereby

• a) the network includes
• a1) a number of Network Components, whereby the number of Network Components is at least equal to the number of the Networked Devices, the Network Component functions with respect to the Network as an intermediate node and the Network Components are at least partly assigned to the Networked Device such that
• a11) the Network Component is one Virtual Machine of the at least one embedded Virtual Machine, such as a Virtual Switch, a Virtual Router or a Virtual Gateway, or
• a12) the Network Component is a Network Device within the Network, such as a Physical Switch, a Physical Router or a Physical Gateway, being connectable with the Networked Device and the Operating System with its system resources,
• b) with respect to the purpose of the “Software Defined Networking”
• b1) the handling of data packets and routing or controlling decisions within the Network are separated such that the data packet handling, in particular data packet forwarding by the intermediate node and data packet transmitting by the end node, is done via data paths and the handling of routing or controlling decisions is done via control paths involving at least one of the Network Components and remotely controlled by at least one SDN-Controller using a Communication Protocol according to which at least one of PUSH/PULL-based commands and PUSH/PULL-based messages are sent and received,
• b2) the Networked Device respectively the Network Device includes a Communication Interface via which
• b21) the Networked Device respectively the Network Device is connectable with the SDN-Controller and
• b22) the Communication Protocol is processed,
• c) a Software Agent, which includes at least one Sensor perceiving an operating environment of the Software Agent defined by the Networked Device within the Network and regarding the SDN-purpose, at least one Actor interacting in that environment and Determining Means for determining how the Software Agent is going to interact with the environment and which is assigned to the Operating System with its system resources such that
• c1) the Networked Device (NW with respect to an extended “Software Defined Networking” based on extended control paths, which in comparison to the control paths are extended over “End-to-End”-Communication within the cyber-physical Network between the Networked Device and the SDN-Controller, is modifiable by implementing and involving a flexible data model modeling data into the Operating System of the Networked Device for enabling
• c11) a remote access management of at least one of the Networked Device, the networked device-hosted App and the networked device-hosted Virtual Machine in view of the networked device-specific capabilities, in particular including the Operating System resources being offered and network functions or services being supported by the Networked Device, and
• c12) a remote configuration functionality of the Networked Device,
• c2) based on the Communication Interface a Logical Management Interface embedding a control channel for the protocol- and data model-based interaction between the Networked Device and the SDN-Controller is deployed,
• c3) the modeled data for enabling the remote access management of the at least one of the Networked Device, the networked device-hosted App and the networked device-hosted Virtual Machine in view of the networked device-specific capabilities and the remote configuration is encapsulated into a service list by translating bi-directionally between the command and the message of the Communication Protocol and the modeled data, and
• c4) the service list being embedded in the Communication Protocol is communicable to the SDN-Controller for controlling the handling of the routing or controlling decisions.

A SDN-Controller for Software Defined Networking a cyber-physical Network of different technical domains, in particular an industry automation network, which comprises a non-transitory processor readable Storage Device having processor-readable program-instructions stored therein, the processor-readable program-instructions being executable by a Processor to handle data packets and to route or control decisions within the Network by involving a Path Finder Program Module, a Calculating/Scheduling Program Module, a Synchronization Program Module and a Remote Access and Configuration Program Module, whereby

• a) the Network includes
• a1) at least one Networked Device, such as a Computer, a Server, a Server farm, a Programmable Logic Controller, etc., comprising a Operating System with its system resources, such as Central Processing Unit and a Memory controlling at least one Physical Machine of the technical domain, functioning with respect to the Network as an end node and non-hosting or hosting at least one of at least one “Application Software” and at least one embedded Virtual Machine, and
• a2) a number of Network Components, whereby the number of Network Components is at least equal to the number of the Networked Devices, the Network Component functions with respect to the Network as an intermediate node and the Network Components are at least partly assigned to the Networked Device such that
• a21) the Network Component is one Virtual Machine of the at least one embedded Virtual Machine, such as a Virtual Switch, a Virtual Router or a Virtual Gateway, or
• a22) the Network Component is a Network Device within the Network, such as a Physical Switch, a Physical Router or a Physical Gateway, being connectable with the Networked Device and the Operating System with its system resources,
• b) with respect to the purpose of the “Software Defined Networking”
• b1) the handling of data packets and routing or controlling decisions within the Network are separated such that the data packet handling, in particular data packet forwarding by the intermediate node and data packet transmitting by the end node, is done via data paths and the handling of routing or controlling decisions is done via control paths (involving at least one of the Network Components and remotely controlled by at least one SDN-Controller using a Communication Protocol according to which at least one of PUSH/PULL-based commands and PUSH/PULL-based messages are sent and received,
• b2) the Networked Device respectively the Network Device includes a Communication Interface via which
• b21) the Networked Device respectively the Network Device is connectable with the SDN-Controller and
• b22) the Communication Protocol is processed,
• wherein
• c) the Processor involving the Path Finder Program Module, the Calculating/Scheduling Program Module, the Synchronization Program Module and the Remote Access and Configuration Program Module is designed such and processed the Communication Protocol with respect to an extended “Software Defined Networking” based on extended control paths, which in comparison to the control paths are extended over an “End-to-End”-Communication within the cyber-physical Network between the Networked Device and the SDN-Controller such that
• a service list being embedded in the Communication Protocol and encapsulating modeled data of a flexible data model, which is involved into the Operating System of the Networked Device, by translating bi-directionally between the command and the message of the Communication Protocol and the modeled data in order to enable
• a remote access management of the at least one of the Networked device, the networked device-hosted App and the networked device-hosted Virtual Machine in view of the networked device-specific capabilities, in particular including the Operating System resources being offered and network functions or services being supported by the Networked Device and
• a remote configuration functionality of the Networked Device,
• is receivable via a control channel for the protocol- and data model-based interaction between the Networked Device or the Networked Device and the Network Device and the Processor, which based on the Communication Interface is embedded into a Logical Management Interface,
• the service list is evaluable for controlling the handling of the routing or controlling decisions.