Abstract: A method for setting up communication links to redundantly operated controllers in an industrial automation system, in which a first controller is in an active operating state for controlling or regulating a technical process, and a second controller is in a reserve operating state, from which it is placeable into an active operating state in the event the first controller fails, where the first/second controllers respectively store a device identifier associated with the first/second controllers, information about associations between device names and communication network addresses of the first/second controllers is provided in accordance with a name service protocol within at least one subnetwork associated with the first/second controllers, and where retrieval of a piece of address or name information for one of the two controllers involves automatically providing the piece of address or name information to setup a communication link to the other controller based on the respective device identifier.

Abstract: A method for setting up communication links to redundantly operated controllers in an industrial automation system, in which a first controller is in an active operating state for controlling or regulating a technical process, and a second controller is in a reserve operating state, from which it is placeable into an active operating state in the event the first controller fails, where the first/second controllers respectively store a device identifier associated with the first/second controllers, information about associations between device names and communication network addresses of the first/second controllers is provided in accordance with a name service protocol within at least one subnetwork associated with the first/second controllers, and where retrieval of a piece of address or name information for one of the two controllers involves automatically providing the piece of address or name information to setup a communication link to the other controller based on the respective device identifier.

Abstract: A method of lifeboat monitoring between a first and a second communication device, wherein a first monitoring request is received by the second communication device from the first communication device, where the first monitoring request to has a first monitoring time. In addition, a first reception time is determined by the second communication device based on the first monitoring time, lifeboat signals are received by the second communication device from the first communication device, and an interruption in the communication connection to the first communication device is triggered by the second communication device if, during the first reception time following receipt by the second communication device of the last lifeboat signal, a new lifeboat signal from the first communication device is unreceived by the second communication device.

Abstract: A method of lifeboat monitoring between a first and a second communication device, wherein a first monitoring request is received by the second communication device from the first communication device, where the first monitoring request to has a first monitoring time. In addition, a first reception time is determined by the second communication device based on the first monitoring time, lifeboat signals are received by the second communication device from the first communication device, and an interruption in the communication connection to the first communication device is triggered by the second communication device if, during the first reception time following receipt by the second communication device of the last lifeboat signal, a new lifeboat signal from the first communication device is unreceived by the second communication device.