System and method for integrating process control and network management

A system for integrating management of process control and network operation comprising:

• a user interface for displaying process and network data to a user;
• a process data interface for receiving process data gathered by a programmable device on a network;
• a network data interface for receiving network data from at least one network device, wherein said network data is communicated to said network data interface using a first protocol;
• and
• a process server in communication with each of said user interface, said process data interface, and said network data interface, wherein said process data interface communicates process data to said process server in a second protocol having both synchronous and asynchronous transfer ability, wherein said network data interface communicates said network data to said process server in said second protocol by converting said network data from said first protocol into said second protocol;
• and
• wherein said process server selectively manipulates said process data and said network data and communicates said manipulated process and network data to said user interface.

A method for managing process control and network diagnostic information in a process application implemented with at least one programmable computing unit connected through a network, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing said process control information to a process interface, wherein said process control information is gathered by said at least one programmable computing unit;
• providing said network diagnostic information from each of at least one network device to a network interface using a network management protocol;
• communicating said process control information to a process control server using a process control protocol;
• translating said network diagnostic information from said network management protocol into said process control protocol;
• communicating said translated network diagnostic information to said process control server using said process control protocol;
• and
• selectively displaying said process control information and said translated network diagnostic information to a user.

A system for converting a network management protocol to a process control protocol comprising:

• a runtime database for storing network diagnostic data without transport codes indicative of said network management protocol;
• a network administration module for obtaining said network diagnostic data from said at least one network device in said network management protocol, wherein said network administration module removes said network management protocol transport codes and stores said network diagnostic data to said runtime database;
• and
• a process control module in communication with said runtime database for providing said network diagnostic data to a process application server in said process control protocol, wherein said process control module retrieves said network diagnostic data from said runtime database and adds necessary transport codes indicative of said process control protocol.