Abstract: The invention relates to a method in which at least one process management computer (7) and a number of field devices (FD) are applied, whereby status and control signals are transmitted between at least some of the field devices and the process management computer using a TCP/IP protocol over a communication channel, preferably a radio connection (F) and/or the Internet (15). According to the invention, a process management system (5) comprises a process management computer (7) with a web-server (9), a client computer (20) with an internet browser (22) and a number of sensors (S) and actuators (A). The process management system (5) may preferably be operated by means of the internet (15), using the client computer (20).

Abstract: The invention relates to a process control system comprising a calculating unit enabling a charge value (W) to be determined from operations occurring in the process control system. Preferably, said process control system comprises a process control computer with a web server and a computer which is used to access the processes control computer via Internet. The charging value (W) is especially a service fee which is to be paid to an application service provider by a user of the process control system.

Abstract: In a client/server computer architecture, a message signal appearing on a server computer is assigned a further message signal and the latter is written to a pipe and transmitted to a servlet on the server computer via the pipe. The further message signal is then transferred to a client computer via a transfer channel by way of the servlet. Here, the message signal is decoupled from the corresponding further message signal, with the fate of the message signal after it has appeared no longer directly influencing the fate of the associated message signal.