Abstract: The invention relates to a method for evaluating an application for controlling a process within an automation system. The application is stored within a controller, and at least two versions of it are present within the controller. The method comprises the steps of: inputting to the different versions of the application an input signal obtained from the process; executing, in the controller, tasks based on this input signal for the different versions; generating a report comprising comparisons of the outputs from the different versions of the application; and evaluating, based on the generated report, the version(s) not used for controlling the process. An improved way of revising an automation system is thereby achieved. The invention also relates to such controller and an automation system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for evaluating an application for controlling a process within an automation system. The application is stored within a controller, and at least two versions of it are present within the controller. The method comprises the steps of: inputting to the different versions of the application an input signal obtained from the process; executing, in the controller, tasks based on this input signal for the different versions; generating a report comprising comparisons of the outputs from the different versions of the application; and evaluating, based on the generated report, the version(s) not used for controlling the process. An improved way of revising an automation system is thereby achieved. The invention also relates to such controller and an automation system.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed towards providing safe updating of objects in a computerized object-based system for process and manufacturing control. Some methods in some embodiments of methods may include providing a production environment within the system comprising operative versions of computer objects and at least one related engineering environment isolated from the production environment. Some embodiments of such methods may also include importing versions of objects to the engineering environment from a related environment, allowing a group of system-modifying users to modify the imported objects for creating modified versions of these objects and barring other users from modifying the imported objects, and exporting objects from the engineering environment to a related environment, where the exporting involves replacing current versions of objects in the related environment with modified versions for making the modified versions current versions.