Development of a version management application for SCADA systems

Abstract

This report presents a tool that compares different versions of files produced by the Web Port SCADA system and offers the ability to track, approve, or reject changes at fine granularity. This functionality is offered with a high degree of user-friendliness. The tool is developed with the purpose of addressing the limitations of pre-existing file comparison tools in functionality and user-friendliness. The developed tool offers the following features. First, an effective and memory-efficient method to compare .csv and .sqlite files. Second, a folder-wide comparison where sets of files are compared automatically and made available in the program interface and in the form of locally stored files. Third, a record of the comparisons done linking to the file locations and allowing annotation with comments. Fourth, an overview of the comparison result (additions, removals, changes) in the user interface. Fifth, the ability to validate, approve, or reject differences between the 2 versions of a file producing a third version that can be stored in a user-defined location. The finalized version of the tool has an easy-to-use, one-form interface. This interface displays all the necessary metadata including a commented history of comparisons, a table containing the done comparisons which also allows content validation, and links to the utilized storage locations. The proposed tool is implemented using .NET Framework and written in C# and uses the WinMerge application for external comparison of unhandled file types.