Migrating a Control Logic Type in a DCS

A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a migration tool to perform a method of migrating a control logic type from a legacy engineering tool to a modern engineering tool in a Distributed Control System (DCS) controlling devices in an industrial plant, wherein the control logic type of the legacy engineering tool comprises a property list of identifiers of properties of a first type of device present among the controlled devices in the industrial plant, graphics instructions for a graphics window associated with the first type of device and based on at least some of the listed properties, and control logic using the listed properties for controlling the first type of device;

• wherein the legacy engineering tool is usable for configuring respective instances of the control logic type for the devices of the first type which are controlled by a legacy controller;
• and wherein the modern engineering tool is usable for configuring respective instances of the control logic type for the devices of the first type which are controlled by a modern controller, the computer program comprising:
• instructions for obtaining the control logic type in a legacy format from a library of the legacy engineering tool;
• instructions for reformatting the control logic of the obtained control logic type to a modern format compatible with the modern controller while keeping the identifiers of the properties unchanged;
• instructions for copying the graphics instructions of the obtained control logic type;
• instructions for updating the property list such that the identifiers of the listed properties therein are unchanged but a format of a respective communication address field associated with each listed property is changed from a legacy format to a modern format compatible with the modern controller;
• and
• instructions for associating the reformatted control logic, the copied graphics instructions and the updated property list with a migrated control logic type in a library of the modern engineering tool.

A Distributed Control System (DCS) for controlling devices in an industrial plant, the DCS comprising:

• a connectivity service holding, for each of the devices, a respective list of identifiers of properties of the device, each property in each of the lists being associated with an address for obtaining a present value of the property;
• at least one operator Human-Machine Interface (HMI) each of which at least one operator HMI is arranged for presenting a respective graphics window for each of the devices which can be monitored by an operator via the operator HMI;
• and
• a plurality of controllers, each controller being arranged to control at least one of the devices, at least one of the plurality of controllers being a legacy controller arranged for communication with the connectivity service via a legacy communication protocol, and at least one of the plurality of controllers being a modern controller arranged for communication with the connectivity service via a modern communication protocol;
• wherein each of the graphics windows is based on information about respective values of at least some of the listed properties of the device of the graphics window, wherein the operator HMI is configured to update the graphics windows in respect of a first property of the properties on which the graphics window is based by sending a property request to the connectivity service, the property request including a device ID identifying the device of the graphics window and an identifier of the first property;
• and
• wherein the connectivity service is configured to, in response to receiving the property request:
• among the lists of properties, determine a property list of the device identified by the device ID in the property request,
• find the identifier of the first property in the determined list,
• using the address associated with the first property in the determined list, obtain the present value of the first property by communication with the controller, of the plurality of controllers, controlling the identified device, wherein the communication is via the legacy communication protocol when the controller is one of the at least one legacy controller and wherein the communication is via the modern communication protocol when the controller is one of the at least one modern controller, and
• send information about the obtained present value of the first property to the operator HMI.

A method performed by a connectivity service in a DCS, the method comprising:

• receiving a property request from an operator HMI in the DCS, the property request including a device ID identifying a device of a graphics window which the operator HMI is arranged to present for the device, and an identifier of a first property of a plurality of properties of the device on which the graphics window is based;
• among lists of properties held by the connectivity service, each of the lists relating to a respective device controlled by the DCS, determining a property list of the device identified by the device ID in the received property request;
• in the determined property list, in which each listed property is associated with an address for obtaining a present value of the property, finding the identifier of the first property;
• using the address associated with the found identifier, obtaining the present value of the first property by communication with the controller, of the plurality of controllers, controlling the identified device, wherein the communication is via a legacy communication protocol when the controller is a legacy controller and wherein the communication is via a modern communication protocol when the controller is a modern controller;
• and
• sending information about the obtained present value of the first property to the operator HMI.