Controller having a version control system

Abstract

A system and approach for managing configuration versions for controllers. The system and approach may incorporate a building controller, a version control system, and a computer connected to the controller and version control system. The version control system may have the controller configured to a latest version of changes as incorporated by a current configuration without losing one or more previous configurations. The one or more previous configurations may be recoverable by the version control system. The one or more previous configurations and the current configuration may be held by one or more repositories. The one or more repositories may be hosted in the computer, a remote computer, or a server.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for storage and retrieval of information related to controllers, the system comprising:
 a building controller; and   a version control system connected to the building controller, the version control system configured to provide the building controller with a most recent version of a configuration of the building controller while storing one or more previous configurations of the building controller;   wherein the one or more previous configuration are recoverable by the version control system and available for the building controller from a repository; and   wherein unwanted or temporary changes to a configuration can be undone by the version control system.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a previous version building controller configuration can be saved incrementally. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more repositories for the version control system are hosted in a computer or a site server. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein building controllers on a site of the server can be automatically or manually synchronized to a latest configuration without losing locally generated configuration changes that may have been made by a building operator, maintenance person, or other person. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration of the building controller can be updated by multiple operators from multiple computers. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more repositories for revision control systems are hosted, in addition to each building controller, in a dedicated server or server cluster or hierarchy for a server based configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more repositories for revision control systems are hosted, in addition to each building controller, in distributive repositories not permanently connected to building controllers, for a non-server based configuration, and periodically synchronized with one of the distributive repositories residing on a computer temporarily connected to a building controllers' network. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the version control system has a connectivity established to a plurality of remote repositories. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein each repository is independently updated or edited and then merged. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein each repository is independently updated or edited and merged, with conflict detection and resolution, into a final configuration in the building controller. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein issues in the building controller can be solved by reverting to a previous version of a configuration of the building controller. 
     
     
         12 . A system for storage and retrieval of information related to controllers, the system comprising:
 a building controller; and   a version control system connected to the building controller, the version control system configured to provide the building controller with a most recent version of a configuration of the building controller while storing one or more previous configurations of the building controller;   wherein the one or more previous configuration are recoverable by the version control system and available for the building controller from a repository; and   wherein the building controller can be automatically or manually synchronized to a latest configuration without losing locally generated configuration changes.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein unwanted or temporary changes to a configuration of the building controller can be undone by the version control system. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a previous version building controller configuration can be saved incrementally. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the configuration of the building controller can be updated by multiple operators from multiple computers. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein one or more repositories for revision control systems are hosted, in addition to each building controller, in a dedicated server or server cluster or hierarchy for a server based configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more repositories for revision control systems are hosted, in addition to each building controller, in distributive repositories not permanently connected to building controllers, for a non-server based configuration, and periodically synchronized with one of the distributive repositories residing on a computer temporarily connected to a building controllers' network. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the version control system has a connectivity established to a plurality of remote repositories and each repository is independently updated or edited and then merged. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the version control system has a connectivity established to a plurality of remote repositories and each repository is independently updated or edited and merged, with conflict detection and resolution, into a final configuration in the building controller. 
     
     
         20 . A configuration version manager for controllers comprising:
 a controller;   a version control system; and   a computer connected to the controller and version control system; and   wherein:   the version control system has the controller configured to a latest version of changes as incorporated by a current configuration without losing one or more previous configurations;   the one or more previous configurations are recoverable by the version control system; and   the controller can be automatically or manually synchronized to the current configuration without losing locally generated configuration changes that may have been made by a building operator, maintenance person, or other person.