Abstract: A manufacturing or service installation has a number of hardware devices for performing tasks. At least one such device has a computer or other means (14) for generating and reporting status data to a central computer (10) indicative of a status of the device or the installation. A memory associated with the device has a stylesheet for creating a pictorial representation of the device, whereby the central computer can access the stylesheet as well as the status data from the device, to create the pictorial representation and to populate the pictorial representation with the status data.

Abstract: A server (10) for connecting to equipment to be monitored, the server having an internet protocol address and comprising a database (105) for receiving and storing data from the equipment and a feed (121), for example in the form of means for generating an extensible mark-up language (XML) feedfile, for feeding data from the database to remote applications (41, 42) addressing the server. A remote computer (42) having a network connection for connecting to the server can monitor the equipment, and a news display application on that computer can store an address of the server as its source of items to be displayed and can perform a look-up of items from the server.

Abstract: An equipment area network is provided for a plurality of pieces of industrial equipment by connecting to each a controller, a Web server connected to or integral with the PLC, and a router connected between the PLC and a LAN or WAN, the router serving to both selectively isolate the PLC from the LAN or WAN, and to route traffic therebetween that may include Web traffic.