US-20260127250-A1 - ENHANCED POWER SYSTEM INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICE LICENSING USING MIDDLEWARE

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for using middleware to manage licenses to applications on intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) for power system equipment. A middleware device may identify activation codes for IEDs of a power system; identify hardware signatures of the IEDs; send a license request, using a software development kit (SDK) application programming interface (API) of the middleware device, to a licensing server or using a web portal to the licensing server, the license request comprising a first activation code of the activation codes and a first hardware signature of a first IED of the IEDs; identify a response file received based on the license request; establish a secure connection with the first IED based on receiving the response file; validate, activate, and extract features from a first license for the first IED based on the response file; and send, using the SDK API, the features to the first IED.

Inventors

• Bo Su
• Ramu GUDIMETLA
• Marcel MARIAN
• Anca L. CIORACA

Assignees

• GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241104

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A middleware device for managing licenses to applications on intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) for power system equipment, the middleware device comprising memory coupled to processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: identify activation codes for IEDs of a power system; identify hardware signatures of the IEDs; send a license request, using a software development kit (SDK) application programming interface (API) of the middleware device, to a licensing server, the license request comprising a first activation code of the activation codes and a first hardware signature of a first IED of the IEDs; identify a response file received based on the license request; establish a secure connection with the first IED based on receiving the response file; validate a first license for the first IED based on the response file; activate the first license for the first IED based on the response file; extract features of the first license; and send, using the SDK API, the features to the first IED in a vendor-agnostic format to cause the first IED to configure the first license.
2. 2 . The middleware device of claim 1 , wherein the middleware device is an IED configurator tool (ICT), and wherein the middleware device and the first IED are in a secure network.
3. 3 . The middleware device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send a second license request, using the SDK API, using the web portal, the second licensing request comprising a second activation code of the activation codes and a second hardware signature of a second IED of the IEDs; identify a second response file received via the web portal based on the second license request; validate a second license for the second IED based on receiving the second response file; activate the second license for the second IED based on the response file; extract second features of the second license; send, using the SDK API, the second features to the second IED to cause the second IED to configure the second license.
4. 4 . The middleware device of claim 1 , wherein the first license applies to a first application on the first IED, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send a second license request, using the SDK API, using the web portal, the second licensing request comprising a second activation code of the activation codes and the first hardware signature; identify a second response file received via the web portal based on the second license request; validate a second license for the first IED based on receiving the second response file; activate the second license for the first IED based on the response file; extract second features of the second license; send, using the SDK API, the second features to the first IED to cause the first IED to configure the second license for a second application on the first IED.
5. 5 . The middleware device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send, using the SDK API, a request for the activation codes, wherein to identify the activation codes is based on the request for the activation codes.
6. 6 . The middleware device of claim 5 , wherein the request for the activation codes is sent to the first IED.
7. 7 . The middleware device of claim 5 , wherein the request for the activation codes is sent to a licensing server via the web portal.
8. 8 . The middleware device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send, using the SDK API, a request for the first hardware signature to the first IED; and receive the first hardware signature from the first IED based on the request for the first hardware signature.
9. 9 . The middleware device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to establish a connection with a licensing server offline to retrieve license information associated with the first license.
10. 10 . The middleware device of claim 1 , wherein the SDK API uses a secure Remote Procedure Call (RPC) framework.
11. 11 . A system for managing licenses to applications on intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) for power system equipment, the system comprising: IEDs of a power system, the IEDs comprising one or more licensed applications without license vendor code embedded into the IEDs; a web portal; a licensing server storing licenses for the one or more licensed applications; and a middleware device comprising memory coupled to processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: identify activation codes for the IEDs; identify hardware signatures of the IEDs; send a license request, using a software development kit (SDK) application programming interface (API) of the middleware device, using the web portal to the licensing server, the license request comprising a first activation code of the activation codes and a first hardware signature of a first IED of the IEDs; identify a response file received, from the licensing server, based on the license request; establish a secure connection with the first IED based on receiving the response file; validate a first license for the first IED based on the response file; activate the first license for the first IED based on the response file; extract features of the first license; and send, using the SDK API, the features to the first IED in a vendor-agnostic format to cause the first IED to configure the first license.
12. 12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the middleware device is an IED configurator tool (ICT), wherein the middleware device and the first IED are in a secure network, and wherein the licensing server is external to the secure network.
13. 13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send a second license request, using the SDK API, using the web portal, the second licensing request comprising a second activation code of the activation codes and a second hardware signature of a second IED of the IEDs; identify a second response file received via the web portal based on the second license request; validate a second license for the second IED based on receiving the second response file; activate the second license for the second IED based on the response file; extract second features of the second license; send, using the SDK API, the second features to the second IED to cause the second IED to configure the second license.
14. 14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first license applies to a first application on the first IED, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send a second license request, using the SDK API, to a licensing server or using the web portal to the licensing server, the second licensing request comprising a second activation code of the activation codes and the first hardware signature; identify a second response file received via the web portal based on the second license request; validate a second license for the first IED based on receiving the second response file; activate the second license for the first IED based on the response file; extract second features of the second license; send, using the SDK API, the second features to the first IED to cause the first IED to configure the second license for a second application on the first IED.
15. 15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send, using the SDK API, a request for the activation codes, wherein to identify the activation codes is based on the request for the activation codes.
16. 16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the request for the activation codes is sent to the first IED.
17. 17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the request for the activation codes is sent to a licensing server via the web portal.
18. 18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: send, using the SDK API, a request for the first hardware signature to the first IED; and receive the first hardware signature from the first IED based on the request for the first hardware signature.
19. 19 . A method for managing licenses to applications on intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) for power system equipment, the method comprising: identifying, by processing circuitry of a middleware device, activation codes for IEDs of a power system; identifying, by the processing circuitry, hardware signatures of the IEDs; sending, by the processing circuitry, a license request, using a software development kit (SDK) application programming interface (API) of the middleware device, to a licensing server or using a web portal to the licensing server, the license request comprising a first activation code of the activation codes and a first hardware signature of a first IED of the IEDs; identifying, by the processing circuitry, a response file received based on the license request; establishing, by the processing circuitry, a secure connection with the first IED based on receiving the response file; validating, by the processing circuitry, a first license for the first IED based on the response file; activating, by the processing circuitry, the first license for the first IED based on the response file; extracting, by the processing circuitry, features of the first license; and sending, by the processing circuitry, using the SDK API, the features to the first IED in a vendor-agnostic format to cause the first IED to configure the first license.
20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising: sending, using the SDK API, a request for the activation codes, wherein identifying the activation codes is based on the request for the activation codes.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure generally relates to intelligent electronic devices for power systems, and more particularly to a middleware-based architecture for controlling licensing of intelligent electronic devices for power systems. BACKGROUND Intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) are computerized protection devices and controllers of power system equipment. Licensing IEDs requires vendor-specific license management software embedded in the IED device being licensed, resulting in a challenging need to update firmware in IED fleets when vendor-specific components require updates, such as for quality and security improvements. SUMMARY A middleware device for managing licenses to applications on intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) for power system equipment, the middleware device may include memory coupled to processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry may: identify activation codes for IEDs of a power system; identify hardware signatures of the IEDs; send a license request, using a software development kit (SDK) application programming interface (API) of the middleware device, to a licensing server, the license request comprising a first activation code of the activation codes and a first hardware signature of a first IED of the IEDs; identify a response file received based on the license request; establish a secure connection with the first IED based on receiving the response file; validate a first license for the first IED based on the response file; activate the first license for the first IED based on the response file; extract features of the first license; and send, using the SDK API, the features to the first IED in a vendor-agnostic format to cause the first IED to configure the first license. A system for managing licenses to applications on intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) for power system equipment, the system including: IEDs of a power system, the IEDs including one or more licensed applications without license vendor code embedded into the IEDs; a web portal; a licensing server storing licenses for the one or more licensed applications; and a middleware device including memory coupled to processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry may: identify activation codes for the IEDs; identify hardware signatures of the IEDs; send a license request, using a software development kit (SDK) application programming interface (API) of the middleware device, to the licensing server, the license request including a first activation code of the activation codes and a first hardware signature of a first IED of the IEDs; identify a response file received from the licensing server, based on the license request; establish a secure connection with the first IED based on receiving the response file; validate a first license for the first IED based on the response file; activate the first license for the first IED based on the response file; extract features of the first license; and send, using the SDK API, the features to the first IED in a vendor-agnostic format to cause the first IED to configure the first license. A method for managing licenses to applications on intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) for power system equipment, the method including: identifying, by processing circuitry of a middleware device, activation codes for IEDs of a power system; identifying, by the processing circuitry, hardware signatures of the IEDs; sending, by the processing circuitry, a license request, using a software development kit (SDK) application programming interface (API) of the middleware device, to a licensing server, the license request including a first activation code of the activation codes and a first hardware signature of a first IED of the IEDs; identifying, by the processing circuitry, a response file received based on the license request; establishing, by the processing circuitry, a secure connection with the first IED based on receiving the response file; validating, by the processing circuitry, a first license for the first IED based on the response file; activating, by the processing circuitry, the first license for the first IED based on the response file; extracting, by the processing circuitry, features of the first license; and sending, by the processing circuitry, using the SDK API, the features to the first IED in a vendor-agnostic format to cause the first IED to configure the first license. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced. FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for managing application licenses of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in a grid network using middleware in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates an example system for managing application licenses of IEDs in a grid network using middleware in accordance with