Abstract: A method for providing a network configuration for an industrial network includes discovering network topology data by a network configuration agent (NCA); receiving communication intent data from a network device; commissioning and identifying a remote network engine; forwarding the discovered network topology data and the received communication intent data to the remote network engine and requesting by the NCA the remote network engine for calculating network configuration data indicating network configurations; calculating the network configuration data on the provided network topology data and the received communication intent data; providing the calculated network configuration data to the NCA and distributing the calculated network configuration data to the network device, and initiating a network configuration in the industrial network.

Abstract: A method for securely supplying data to be used in parameterizing a device for an industrial automation system includes a first party supplying a second party with a machine-readable standardized container for the exchange of device parameters in industrial automation systems, wherein the supplying comprises writing into the container an encrypted primary security credential to be used by the device for establishing trust with the industrial automation system. In another aspect, a method for securely obtaining data to be used in parameterizing a device for an industrial automation system includes obtaining, from a first party, by a second party, a machine-readable standardized container for the exchange of device parameters in industrial automation systems, the container comprising an encrypted primary security credential to be used by the device for establishing trust with the industrial automation system.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at a façade server. The façade server provides a configurable façade having a configurable address space and serving as an interface for a client and to provide a mapping between the configurable address space of the façade and a data space and/or an address space of an external server.

Abstract: A computer-implemented resource management method for modular plants may include: receiving data identifying a required module type to be assembled into the modular plant as part of a module pipeline including one or more modules; and executing an optimization algorithm to select, from a plurality of modules having the required module type, a module for inclusion in the module pipeline on the basis of one or more predetermined optimization criteria.

Abstract: A method for controlling an industrial process includes providing process data of the industrial process to an active instance of a control software as input, based on this input, updating an internal state of the active instance of the control software that is characterized by a set of internal variables of this active instance; based on this updated internal state, determining an output signal and outputting this output signal to at least one piece of equipment that is configured to alter a state, and/or a behavior, of the industrial process. The method further includes providing a prioritized subset of the internal variables that characterize the state of the active instance to at least one further instance of a control software that is configured to take over control of the industrial process in case of a failure and/or malfunction of the active instance.

Abstract: A method for configuring a modular industrial plant using an engineering tool includes using a plant engineering facility of the tool to create a representation of the modular industrial plant identifying modules to be orchestrated in the modular industrial plant. The modules include at least one function module that includes control software for the modular industrial plant. The method further includes using a module engineering facility of the tool to configure the function module for use in the modular industrial plant by editing a placeholder configuration file created by the tool for defining the configuration of the function module. Editing the configuration file causes a representation of the function module in the plant engineering facility to be automatically updated to reflect adaptations made to the function module using the module engineering facility. The method includes instructing the tool to assign the function modules so configured to the modular industrial plant.

Abstract: A system and method includes storing a description of at least one sensor in a database; storing a description of the at least one actuator in the database; storing a PLC-list comprising a description of the at least one PLC in the database; writing a controller program that describes an action of the at least one actuator caused by the at least one sensor; selecting, based on the database and the controller program, a PLC of the PLC-list, which is able to functionally connect the sensor and the actuator; generating an application for controlling the selected PLC based on the selected PLC and the controller program; and transferring the application to the selected PLC thus configuring and/or functionally connecting the at least one sensor and the at least one actuator of the sub-system.

Abstract: A method for generating an enriched alarm message associated to an initial alarm message of a concerned component of a plant includes providing a plurality of information model rules related to alarm messages for respective interrelations of components of the plant; applying the plurality of information model rules related to the alarm messages to respective components of a topology of the plant, for generating a system of information model rules related to the respective alarm messages of the plant; inferring logical consequences for the system of information model rules, which are related to the initial alarm message originated by the concerned component; and generating the enriched alarm message by combining the information model rules related to the initial alarm message of the concerned component, based on the inferred logical consequences.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for optimizing execution of an industrial process includes providing a set of resource indicators, each being indicative of an amount of a resource that is required and/or produced by virtue of a particular service being in a particular state; determining a set of candidate programs for execution of the process, each candidate program having a sequence of states of services of process modules such that the sequence accomplishes the industrial process, and the resource requirements of all services in the sequence are fulfilled; determining a set of overall resource requirements for executing the industrial process according to the candidate program; determining a figure of merit for the candidate program; and selecting a candidate program with the best figure of merit as the optimal program for executing the given industrial process.

Abstract: A connecting interface for a function module and/or function module instance in an industrial process environment for connecting an external function to the function module and/or function module instance, The function module and/or function module instance including definitions according to which the industrial process is operated, and the connecting interface containing information to create an external function module containing the external function by which the external functions can be added to the function module and/or function module instance.

Abstract: A system of aggregating servers includes a first aggregating server that establishes a session for linking with a first system; a second aggregating server that establishes a session linking with a second system; wherein the first and second aggregating servers replicate mutually structured data provided by the first and/or second system, to provide access to the structured data of the respective systems for the first and second aggregating servers; and coordinate the respective sessions of the system of aggregating servers with the first and/or second system to prevent improper access to the at least first system to be aggregated and/or the at least second system to be aggregated.

Abstract: A method for providing a network configuration for an industrial network includes discovering network topology data by a network configuration agent (NCA); receiving communication intent data from a network device; commissioning and identifying a remote network engine; forwarding the discovered network topology data and the received communication intent data to the remote network engine and requesting by the NCA the remote network engine for calculating network configuration data indicating network configurations; calculating the network configuration data on the provided network topology data and the received communication intent data; providing the calculated network configuration data to the NCA and distributing the calculated network configuration data to the network device, and initiating a network configuration in the industrial network.

Abstract: A production line for manufacturing a building block, which includes at least one component, the production line including: a central conveyor line; at least one feeding line for feeding the at least one component to the central conveyor line; a manufacturing tool set for processing the at least one component; and a control unit for controlling the central conveyor line, the feeding line, and/or the manufacturing tool set. The controlling at least one of the central conveyor line, the feeding line, and/or the manufacturing tool set includes: retrieving an asset-information about the at least one component and/or the manufacturing tool set, conveying the at least one component according to the asset-information by the feeding line to the central conveyor line, retrieving a processing-information and/or a manufacturing tool set information about processing the at least one component, and processing the at least one component by the manufacturing tool set.

Abstract: A method of providing a software configuration for a modular plant, the method comprising providing a first function module as a parent object, wherein the first function module comprises a function information of the first function module; generating at least a second function module, wherein the second function module is a derived child object of the first function module that inherits the function information of the first function module.

Abstract: An industrial information identification and retrieval system includes: a crawler; a search engine; a result processor; and a web user interface “web UL” The crawler identifies devices and their associated Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture “OPC UA” servers within a network as identified OPC UA servers. The crawler browses the identified OPC UA servers and extracts and stores data items in a database as extracted data items. The search engine searches the extracted data items and provides search results to the result processor. The result processor determines a score for each search result. The web UI presents the search results according to the scores.

Abstract: A method for anonymization and negotiation for predictive maintenance, the method comprising: aggregating, by an aggregation service module, runtime data and/or context data using an aggregation policy to generate aggregated data; anonymizing, by an anonymization module, the aggregated data using a user-definable internal anonymization policy to generate anonymized data; and sending, by a transmitting module, the anonymized data to a condition prediction service module.

Abstract: A system and method includes downloading an asset specification of a field device to an edge device, the field device configured to generate data relating to an asset of an industrial environment, the edge device located in the industrial environment, wherein the edge device is configured to receive the data generated by the field device; receiving an asset monitoring sub model for the field device, wherein the asset monitoring sub model specifies an interface specification and algorithm of an asset monitoring application for the field device; deploying the asset monitoring application for the field device to the edge device, wherein the deployment comprises utilization of the asset monitoring sub model; and generating a workflow function exposed by the asset monitoring application, wherein the generation of the workflow function comprises utilization of the asset specification of the field device and the interface specification of the asset monitoring sub model.

Abstract: A method for conveying messages between a first software application in a first container and a second software application in a second container includes receiving, by a first connectivity service an ordered sequence of messages sent by the first application; transmitting, by the first connectivity service, at least two copies of each message to a second connectivity service, wherein the at least two copies are routed on at least partially redundant paths and wherein each copy is indicative of a position of the original message in the original ordered sequence; and forwarding, by the second connectivity service, at least one copy of each message to the second application, in the order given by the original ordered sequence.

Abstract: A method of integrating modules into a hybrid modular plant comprising a discrete manufacturing part and a continuous manufacturing part includes integrating the discrete part into the continuous part, comprising constructing at least one module definition file mapping one or more discrete-part units of the discrete part to a continuous-part module and importing the module definition file into an orchestration layer of the continuous part. Alternatively, the method comprises integrating the continuous part into the discrete part, comprising constructing one or more interfaces representing each continuous-part module as one or more respective discrete-part units.

Abstract: A first gateway device for connecting an OPC UA client to a data-driven controller and/or control system includes a first interface implementing an OPC UA server and is configured to receive, from the OPC UA client, at least one call to invoke an OPC UA method on an OPC UA object, and a second interface that sends a request to write at least one value to at least one control variable of the data-driven controller and/or control system, and first translation logic therebetween. A second gateway device connects a data-driven controller and/or control system to a controlled device or subsystem of an industrial plant and includes a third interface that receives a value of a control variable, and a fourth interface that sends a call to invoke an OPC UA method on an OPC UA object, and second translation logic therebetween.