Increasing Availability of an Industrial Control System

Abstract

A mechanism is provided to improve the availability of an ICS and an external system that uses data from the ICS by ensuring operation of the ICS and operation of the system even if an anomaly has occurred in a device in the ICS. The mechanism receives measured data from the plurality of devices, calculates prediction data by using the measured data and correlation information used for deriving prediction data for correlated devices, and provides the measured data and the prediction data.

1 . A control system for processing data from a plurality of devices connected onto a network, the control system comprising:
 at least two devices correlated with each other thereby forming at least two correlated devices, each being connected to an individual network included in an industrial control system (ICS) network; and   an information processing apparatus receiving measured data from the plurality of devices, calculating prediction data by using the measured data and correlation information used for deriving prediction data for the at least two correlated devices, and providing the measured data and the prediction data to an analysis server in order to check whether an anomaly has occurred in the control system.   
     
     
         2 . The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two correlated devices are sensors, and wherein sensors of the same or different types are connected to the individual network. 
     
     
         3 . The control system according to claim I, wherein the information processing apparatus checks whether an anomaly has occurred on the at least two correlated devices or the individual or ICS networks included in the control system and wherein the information processing apparatus provides a result of the checks along with the measured data and the prediction data. 
     
     
         4 . The control system according to  claim 1 , fluffier comprising;
 an information processing apparatus checking whether an anomaly has occurred in the control system.   
     
     
         5 . The control system according to  claim 4 , wherein the information processing apparatus providing the measured data and the prediction data provides the result of the check performed by the checking information processing apparatus along with the measured data and the prediction data. 
     
     
         6 . The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the correlation information is a prediction formula including an objective variable, the objective variable being measured data from one or more of the at least two correlated devices. 
     
     
         7 . The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the correlation information is a prediction formula including an objective variable, the objective variable being past measured data from on or more of the at least two correlated devices for which prediction data are to be calculated. 
     
     
         8 . The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the correlation information is a prediction formula including an objective variable, the objective variable being prediction data for one or more of the at least two correlated devices. 
     
     
         9 . The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system is an industrial control system. 
     
     
         10 . A method performed by an information processing apparatus processing data from a plurality of devices in a system in which at least two devices correlated with each other among a plurality of devices thereby forming at least two correlated devices are connected to an individual network included in an industrial control system (ICS) network, the method comprising:
 receiving measured data from the plurality of devices;   calculating prediction data by using the measured data and correlation information for deriving prediction data for the at least two correlated devices; and   providing the measured data and the prediction data to an analysis server in order to check whether an anomaly has occurred in the control system.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least two correlated devices are sensors and wherein sensors of the same or different types are connected to the individual network. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 checking whether an anomaly has occurred in the system; and   providing a result of checking whether the anomaly has occurred in the system along with the measured data and the prediction data.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 referring to an authorization information database to determine whether or not a requester of the measured data and the prediction data has the authority to obtain the measured data and the prediction data, the authentication information database indicting whether or not the requester of the measured data and the prediction data has an authority to obtain the measured data and the prediction data; and   responsive to the requester has the authority, providing the measured data and the prediction data.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the correlation information is a prediction formula including an objective variable, the objective variable being measured data from one or more of the at least two correlated devices. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the correlation information is a prediction formula including an objective variable, the objective variable being past measured data from one or more of the at least two correlated devices for which prediction data are to be calculated. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the correlation information is a prediction formula including an objective variable, the objective variable being prediction data for one or more of the at least two correlated devices. 
     
     
         17 . A machine-readable recording medium storing a machine-executable program for causing an information processing apparatus processing data from a plurality of devices in a system in which at least two devices correlated with each other among a plurality of devices thereby forming at least two correlated devices are connected to an individual network included in an industrial control system (ICS) network therein, wherein the machine-executable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:
 receive measured data from the plurality of devices;   calculate prediction data by using the measured data and correlation information for deriving prediction data for the at least two correlated devices; and   provide the measured data and the prediction data to an analysis server in order to check whether an anomaly has occurred in the control system.   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable recording medium according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least two correlated devices are sensors and wherein sensors of the same or different types are connected to the individual network. 
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable recording medium according to  claim 17 , wherein the machine-executable program further causes the computing device to:
 check whether an anomaly has occurred in the system; and   provide a result of the check whether the anomaly has occurred in the system along with the measured data and the prediction data.   
     
     
         21 . The machine-readable recording medium according to  claim 17 , wherein the machine-executable program further causes the computing device:
 refer to an authorization information database to determine whether or not a requester of the measured data and the prediction data has the authority to obtain the measured data and the prediction data, the authentication information database indicting whether or not the requester of the measured data and the prediction data has an authority to obtain the measured data and the prediction data; and   responsive to the requester has the authority, provide the measured data and the prediction data.