Abstract: A method for operating a virtual programmable logic controller with a safety program on a first computer system and a virtual programmable logic controller with a safety program replicated from the safety program on a second computer system, wherein a management list image is generated by a central signature manager of the first computer system for the second computer system upon replication of the safety program for the second computer system, in order to ensure that, on the second computer system, which is, on an instance of the virtual programmable logic controller of the first computer system, the existing replicated safety program corresponds to the safety program on the first computer system.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for monitoring a communication connection, wherein in the event of a periodic transmission of a request, the request is supplemented by a specific identifier and an error is detected if a response with this identifier is not received within a predetermined period of time, where the specific identifier for a plurality of requests sent in succession is already modified before a response with a previously transmitted identifier has been received.

Abstract: A method for operating a segment of cycle-oriented controller software for the fail-safe control of automation sequences of a process, wherein the controller software is executed within an IT infrastructure, where hardware properties and/or software properties are queried and checked as safety features to review the suitability of the IT infrastructure for performing the fail-safe automation sequences, and if the check is successful, then it can be inferred therefrom that the prerequisites for fail-safe operation are met, and thereupon the controller software obtains approval for regular operation, otherwise a safe state is adopted.

Abstract: Automation controller and method for operating the automation controller, wherein the automation controller includes Ethernet channels to which network interfaces can be assigned via a first register with a first register value and a second register with a second register value, where the assignments are made and these are examined for variances via test values.

Abstract: A method for operating control software to control a process, wherein the control software is executed within a runtime environment on a computer system and a security program is loaded into a load memory so as to run in the control software, where a checksum of the program code of the security program is stored in a network subscriber that is connected to the computer system via a communication network, where a load memory checksum is generated during startup of the control software in the runtime environment via the program code of the security program, which is stored in the load memory, where the previously stored checksum is queried by the network subscriber and compared with the load memory checksum, and where execution of the security program in the control software is terminated in the event of a discrepancy.

Abstract: Method for operating a segment of cycle-oriented control software, wherein to test, in a virtual control system, execution of a cold start mechanism, on a start-up of a runtime environment, a random number is generated, stored in a storage region and added to the storage region upon every further request for a safety time, where at the start of a new cycle, the deviation of the time differences is calculated and, in each cycle, the storage region is accessed and before calculation of the time differences, the random number is re-subtracted from the safety time, when a new start-up of the runtime environment has occurred, this is diagnosable via the tolerance being exceeded, because the second time difference now has an offset that results from the safety time with a new random number of the current cycle and the safety time with the old random number of the previous cycle.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a communication connection between first and second subscribers, wherein a first processing program with a first cycle time is executed cyclically in the first subscriber, where in order to monitor the communication connection a first diagnostic unit with a first time counter is operated in the first subscriber, such that an arrival of a first telegram from the second subscriber starts the first time counter, an arrival of a second telegram from the second subscriber is monitored within a predefinable first monitoring time with the help of the first time counter, wherein a residual period is formed in the first diagnostic unit from the difference between the first monitoring time and the first time counter, and where a check is made to see whether the residual period is less than or equal to the first cycle time, and if so a monitoring signal is generated.

Abstract: Automation controller and method for operating the automation controller, wherein the automation controller includes Ethernet channels to which network interfaces can be assigned via a first register with a first register value and a second register with a second register value, where the assignments are made and these are examined for variances via test values.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for monitoring a communication connection, wherein in the event of a periodic transmission of a request, the request is supplemented by a specific identifier and an error is detected if a response with this identifier is not received within a predetermined period of time, where the specific identifier for a plurality of requests sent in succession is already modified before a response with a previously transmitted identifier has been received.