JP2007206927A - Connection support device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a connection support device for enabling even a person who does not have any technical knowledge to easily grasp the factor of the hindrance of connection regarding the connection of an OPC client and a server. <P>SOLUTION: This connection support device mounted in a client computer remotely connected to an OPC server which collects data is provided with a hierarchy-categorized command execution part for executing a diagnostic command corresponding to a communication hierarchy between the OPC server and the client computer; an error code translating part for interpreting an error code for the diagnostic command, and for translating the fault content into text data; and a fault content display part for displaying the text data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connection support device mounted in a client computer that is remotely connected to an OPC (OLE for Process Control) server that collects data of a plant or the like via a network.

  The OPC server that is the connection target of the present invention is a DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model) server that operates on Microsoft Windows (registered trademark) and conforms to the specifications defined by the OPC Foundation. The DCOM server calls and executes a COM component installed in another computer via a network to realize a distributed computing environment.

  A data collection system using an OPC server is disclosed in Patent Document 1. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a connection environment between a client computer equipped with a conventional connection support tool and an OPC server.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a control bus in the distributed control system, to which an operation monitoring device 2 and a control device 3 are connected. The control device 3 communicates with the operation monitoring device 2 and communicates with the plan device 5 via the field bus 4 to execute the control.

  An OPC server 6 is connected to the control bus 1 and collects and stores plant data from the control device 3. 61 is a data collecting means for collecting plant data via the OPC interface, and 62 is a database for storing the collected data.

  Reference numeral 7 denotes a general-purpose communication bus represented by Ethernet (registered trademark), and is connected to an OPC server 6 and a user computer 8 that acquires data from the OPC server and executes a predetermined application.

  In the user computer 8, 81 is a database that holds data acquired from the OPC server 6, and 82 is an application that uses the held data. Reference numeral 83 denotes an OPC client tool, which is automatically installed from the OPC server 6 side, and the connection environment with the OPC server can be checked by this execution. Reference numeral 84 denotes an error code display unit that is returned for the execution of the OPC client tool 83.

  The client program connects to the OPC server by performing a predetermined procedure, but a failure that cannot be connected there often occurs. However, there are various causes of the failure, and in order to identify the cause, some commands and tools are executed, and experience is required such as estimating the factor based on the error code.

  For example, when the connection is made using the OPC client tool 83, the failure factor is estimated from the error code displayed on the display means 84 when the connection is an error. However, in the case of connection via a network, there are various error factors such as an error caused by the network, an error related to Windows (registered trademark) authentication, an error related to the connected OPC server, and so on. It is necessary to confirm.

  The confirmation of the connection environment by the OPC client tool 83 is to confirm the function of the OPC server 6 as a client, and it is assumed that the connection to the OPC server 6 operating as the DCOM server can be made normally. Therefore, when a normal connection cannot be made, only the error code becomes a clue.

For this reason, when a connection error occurs, the following operation is manually executed separately to determine the cause of the failure.
(1) Network connection confirmation: Confirmation using command “ping” (2) Client test program: Execute connection and confirm its error code (3) Estimate failure location from error code (4) Presumed cause (5) Return to (2) and repeat (2) to (4) until there is no error.

  Patent Document 1 describes a data collection device in which an OPC client is connected to an OPC server that accumulates sequence event data.

JP 2005-141524 A

Conventional determination of the cause of a connection error has the following problems.
(1) In order to infer the factor from the error code, there are many parts that are difficult to judge unless the person has sufficient knowledge and skills regarding OPC and DCOM.

(2) When a problem that cannot be connected occurs at the customer's site (local site), it may be difficult for a person with knowledge and skills to go to the customer's site. It often takes time to solve the problem.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and a connection support apparatus that allows a person who does not have specialized knowledge regarding the connection between the OPC client and the server to easily grasp the factors that hinder the connection. It aims to realize.

In order to achieve such a subject, the present invention has the following configuration.
(1) In a connection support apparatus implemented in a client computer that is remotely connected to an OPC server that collects data,
A hierarchical command execution unit that executes a diagnostic command corresponding to a communication hierarchy between the OPC server and the client computer;
An error code translation unit that interprets an error code for the diagnostic command and translates the failure content into text data;
A failure content display unit for displaying the text data;
A connection support apparatus comprising:

(2) The connection support apparatus according to (1), wherein the communication layer is at least one of an OPC server, DCOM, RPC, and TCP / IP.

(3) The connection support apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein the error code translation unit includes a pattern matching unit that collates the error code with a failure content.

(4) The connection support apparatus according to (3), wherein the pattern matching unit uses information from a knowledge server communicating with the client computer.

(5) The hierarchical command execution unit automatically executes the diagnosis command sequentially in response to a start command, and the failure content display unit displays the content every time a failure occurs (1) The connection support apparatus according to any one of (4) to (4).

(6) The connection support apparatus according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the OPC server is a DCOM server.

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects.
(1) Automatic execution of diagnostic commands corresponding to the communication hierarchy of the connection environment and the ability to display the cause of failure as text data, even for those who do not have sufficient knowledge and skills regarding OPC and DCOM, can easily understand the cause of failure can do.

(2) Even if a problem that cannot be connected occurs at the customer's site (local), the user can determine the cause and take countermeasures. Man-hours spent can be significantly reduced.

(3) By using the information of the knowledge server in combination with help information for displaying the cause of failure, it is possible to support the construction of an environment in which the user can solve the problem of the connection error to the OPC server.

(4) The area where the OPC server is used is greatly expanded. There are also various forms of clients that connect to the OPC server. A connection support apparatus that allows the client to smoothly connect to the OPC server can contribute as an effective tool for promoting the introduction of the OPC server.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a connection environment between a client computer and an OPC server on which a connection support apparatus to which the present invention is applied is installed. The same elements as those of the conventional apparatus described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, the characteristic part of the present invention will be described.

The connection support apparatus of the present invention has the following features.
(1) It is effective for investigating a connection error in the OPC client tool.
(2) Targets from network connection confirmation to connection confirmation as an OPC server.
(3) Clarify in which part the error has occurred, and indicate the confirmation location in that case.
(4) Can be used by users without knowledge and skills about OPC and DCOM to solve problems.

  In FIG. 1, a block 100 is a connection support apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and is installed in the client computer 8. The conventional OPC client tool 83 described with reference to FIG. 6 is also mounted and used in cooperation with the connection support apparatus 100.

  In the connection support apparatus 100, reference numeral 101 denotes a command execution unit classified by hierarchy, which executes a diagnostic command corresponding to the communication hierarchy between the OPC server 6 and the client computer 8. An error code translation unit 102 interprets an error code returned in response to the execution of the diagnostic command, and translates the content of the failure into readable text data. Reference numeral 103 denotes a failure content display unit that displays text data obtained by translating the error code.

  The diagnosis commands executed by the hierarchical command execution unit 101 are automatically executed sequentially in the order of TCP / IP → RPC (Remote Procedure Call) → DCOM → OPC server in accordance with lower layer protocols.

  RPC is a function in which a process executed by a plurality of computers connected via a network calls and uses a process operating on another computer via the network. The DCOM function uses this RPC function.

  FIG. 2 is a table showing an example of failure corresponding to the four-layer protocol. FIG. 3 shows correspondence between diagnostic commands (or WinAPI (Windows (registered trademark) Application Programming Interface)) executed corresponding to a four-layer protocol and fault contents detected by an error code returned for the execution. It is a table which shows. Since these diagnostic commands are widely used in the Windows (registered trademark) environment and are well known, description of their functions is omitted.

The following precautions are necessary for diagnosis.
(1) When a firewall is used on the OPC server, it is impossible to distinguish whether the designated OPC server does not exist or the firewall is used from a remote location.
(2) When a firewall is used on the server, even if the command “ping” results in an error, there is no problem if the command “telnet <IP address> 135” is normal.

  The error code translating unit 102 identifies the fault location based on the error code returned by the execution of the diagnostic command, converts the contents to be checked at that time into readable text data, passes it to the fault content display unit 103, Display in conjunction.

  FIG. 4 is a table showing the correspondence between the diagnosis command and the fault display content for each hierarchy. On the display screen of the failure content display unit 103, a presumed error and a corresponding procedure are displayed. The user can refer to this to check which setting has a problem and take action.

  The error code translating unit 102 includes a pattern matching unit 103, and can display a connection inhibition factor as text data by a pattern matching method based on an error code returned from a diagnostic command.

  A knowledge server 200 is communicably connected to the client computer 8 via the general-purpose communication bus 7. Reference numeral 201 denotes a database provided in the knowledge server 200, in which know-how and the like obtained through various past OPC connections are organized and stored for each error pattern.

  The pattern matching unit 103 can effectively use the information in the database 201 of the knowledge server 200 as the original data used for pattern matching.

  FIG. 5 is a user interface screen of the mounted connection support apparatus 100. When using the connection support apparatus 100, the program is started, the computer name of the connection destination is input, the program ID of the OPC server to be connected is designated, and the test start “Start Test” button on the screen is clicked. .

  The upper right column of the user interface screen is a screen for confirming the executed test (Confirm), which is displayed in order from the top. Among these confirmations, “Client Settings” and “Server Settings” are confirmation items outside the function of the connection support apparatus of the present invention.

  In the protocol column of FIG. 4, if TCP / IP is represented by symbol A, RPC is represented by symbol B, DCOM is represented by symbol C, and the OPC server is represented by symbol D, “Server Search” is displayed on the confirmation screen of FIG. And B are confirmation displays of the results of the diagnosis. “OPC Server Connection” is a confirmation display of the result of C diagnosis.

  “OPC Server Sync Method”, “OPC Server Async Method”, and “OPC Server DisConnection” are confirmation displays of the results of the D diagnosis. The commands are sequentially executed, and if an error occurs, the confirmation display stops and the contents of the failure shown in the correspondence table of FIG. 4 are displayed in the message field at the bottom of the screen.

It is a functional block which shows one Embodiment of the connection environment of the client computer and OPC server to which this invention is applied. It is a table which shows the example of a failure corresponding to the protocol of 4 layers. It is a table which shows the response | compatibility of the failure detected with the error code returned with respect to a diagnostic command. It is a table which shows the correspondence of the diagnostic command according to hierarchy and the content of a failure display. It is a user interface screen of the implemented connection support apparatus. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of the connection environment of the client computer provided with the conventional connection assistance tool, and an OPC server.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control bus 2 Operation monitoring apparatus 3 Control apparatus 4 Field bus 5 Plant equipment 6 OPC server 61 Data collection apparatus 62 Database 7 General-purpose communication bus 8 Client computer 81 Database 82 Application 83 OPC client tool 100 Connection support apparatus 101 Command execution part according to hierarchy 102 Error code translation section 103 Pattern matching means 104 Fault content display section

Claims (6)

In a connection support apparatus implemented in a client computer that is remotely connected to an OPC server that collects data,
A hierarchical command execution unit that executes a diagnostic command corresponding to a communication hierarchy between the OPC server and the client computer;
An error code translation unit that interprets an error code for the diagnostic command and translates the failure content into text data;
A failure content display unit for displaying the text data;
A connection support apparatus comprising:   The connection support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication layer is at least one of an OPC server, DCOM, RPC, and TCP / IP.   The connection support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error code translation unit includes a pattern matching unit that collates the error code with a failure content.   The connection support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pattern matching unit uses information from a knowledge server communicating with the client computer.   5. The hierarchical command execution unit automatically executes the diagnostic command sequentially in response to a start command, and the failure content display unit displays the content whenever a failure occurs. The connection support apparatus according to any one of the above. 6. The connection support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the OPC server is a DCOM server.

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