Infrastructure for the exchange of engineering data in the DIAMOND project

Requirements for the Common Data Model (CDM) Infrastructure

To establish the infrastructure required for the CDM, a comprehensive requirements analysis was first conducted to enable seamless data exchange along the engineering chain of the plant development process. To systematically identify these requirements, several workshops were held with experts from the DIAMOND project. In total, 155 overarching requirements were identified and assigned to the following categories:

• Data Management: Export and import of data from software tools/applications and the backbone
• Data Consistency and Versioning: Handling changes and release processes
• System Architecture: Deployment strategies and security aspects
• Role and Rights Management: Deployment strategies and security aspects
• Documentation and Onboarding Support: Management of access rights and data models
• System Architecture: Provision of application guidelines for the DIAMOND blueprint
• Technology and Interfaces: Specification of the API for data transfer

For the efficient exchange of neutral engineering data in the AutomationML data format and the administration shell throughout the entire plant development process, both precise mapping processes and well-defined application programming interfaces (APIs) are required. The following Figure 1 illustrates the central infrastructure for data exchange via APIs as well as the necessary data mappings identified within the DIAMOND project.

Figure 1: Mapping and API infrastructure

Data Flow and Integration Paths

According to Figure 1, three use cases are outlined for how engineering data from domain-specific tools can be integrated into the backbone:

• 1. Transformation of non-Common Data Model (CDM)-compliant data:
  If a software tool provides data that either does not comply with the CDM or has not been converted according to the specified AutomationML serialization, a CDM-compliant mapping must first be performed. The data can then be serialized in AutomationML and uploaded to the backbone via its API.


• 2. Indirect import of CDM-compliant data:
  If the engineering data is already CDM-compliant, it only needs to be transferred to the backbone via the API. Since the data is only available in file-based form, a helper tool is required to upload it to the backbone using the API.


• 3. Embedded data mapping functionality:
  If the software tool has an integrated mapper, the data can be fed into the backbone directly via the API.

Each of these processes is bidirectional, meaning that software tools can also retrieve required engineering data from the backbone.

Integration of Component Data

The provision of component data by component manufacturers is done in the form of administration shells, which are made available via an administration shell repository. The backbone downloads all relevant components for a project and maps them into the AutomationML format. The result is a project-specific component library that is accessible to engineering tools via the backbone’s API. This enables components to be easily retrieved along with the necessary information throughout the plant development process.

Use of Data for Plant Operation

The extraction of information at the end of the engineering process, which is required for the sustainable operation and maintenance of the production plant, is also supported via the backbone’s API. This includes, in particular, information on the plant structure, asset identification and component data.

It is explicitly intended that this information can also be provided in the form of administration shells. Together with the use of administration shells during the handover of component information by the component manufacturers, this enables a seamless transition between the world of administration shells and the world of AutomationML.