Abstract: A method of adding a first publisher to a security group includes receiving a key request for keys for the first publisher, wherein the key request has at least one credential associated with the first publisher and a key parameter index indicative of a bandwidth of the first publisher, includes modifying a lifetime value of the at least one key of the security group based on the key parameter index of the received key request, wherein an expiry of the at least one key is based on the lifetime value of the one or more keys; and includes transmitting the at least one key and the modified lifetime value of the at least one key to the first publisher, where the first publisher is configured to publish at least one message encrypted using the at least one key, prior to expiry of the at least one key.

Abstract: A method for configuring at least one OPC UA PubSub subscriber in an in particular industrial network, in which a) a virtual address space is provided for the at least one subscriber on a configuration module that is separate from the at least one subscriber, b) a configuration for the at least one subscriber is performed and/or a configuration already existing for the at least one subscriber is changed in the virtual address space of the at least one subscriber, c) the configuration module converts the configuration and/or configuration change into at least one PubSub message, d) the at least one PubSub message is transmitted to the at least one subscriber, and e) the at least one subscriber is configured according to the at least one PubSub message. In addition, the invention relates to an automation system, a computer program and a computer-readable medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for configuring an industrial real-time-capable communications network for the cyclical transmitting of messages (NWM), each comprising one or more data sets (DS1, . . . , DS4). The communications network (1) comprises a message source (10) for generating and cyclically sending the messages (NWM), at least one message sink (16, 17, 18) for receiving and processing the messages (NWM), as well as at least one network component (12, 14) which forwards messages (NWM) from the message source to the message sinks. The configuring comprises determining (S1) a network topology of the communications network (1) for the transmitting of a data stream to be sent from the message source (10) in the future, in which the messages (NWM) are each cyclically sent with all data sets. It is determined (S2) which of the data sets in the data stream a respective one of the message sinks wants to receive.

Abstract: A method for configuring at least one OPC UA PubSub subscriber in an in particular industrial network, in which a) a virtual address space is provided for the at least one subscriber on a configuration module that is separate from the at least one subscriber, b) a configuration for the at least one subscriber is performed and/or a configuration already existing for the at least one subscriber is changed in the virtual address space of the at least one subscriber, c) the configuration module converts the configuration and/or configuration change into at least one PubSub message, d) the at least one PubSub message is transmitted to the at least one subscriber, and e) the at least one subscriber is configured according to the at least one PubSub message. In addition, the invention relates to an automation system, a computer program and a computer-readable medium.

Abstract: A control method, device, computer program and a computer-readable medium and method for data communication in an industrial network, wherein a stream is created between at least two stream subscribers, where resources are reserved on at least one node point, particularly bridges and/or switches between the at least two stream subscribers, and subsequently data is transmitted between the at least two stream subscribers, via the stream, and at least one subscriber of the stream interrupts the emittance and/or reception of data via the stream and resources that are reserved on at least one node point for the at least one subscriber of the stream are released for use for a data transmission that is lower priority than the data transmission via the stream, and where the reservation of the resources being maintained for the at least one subscriber.

Abstract: Simulation system and method for simulating processing of reservation enquiries for multicast data streams in communications networks, wherein communication devices which are to be simulated with regard to their behaviour are functionally divided into a communication control plane designated as a control plane and into a data transmission plane designated as a data plane, where simulation system components formed by software containers which are executable in a sequence control environment are case provided for functions of the communication devices associated with the control plane, network infrastructure devices are modelled on the data plane by resources provided via each of the network infrastructure devices, and where the software containers associated with the communication devices are selectively executed in the sequence control environment and coupled together there according to a predetermined topology.

Abstract: Simulation system and method for simulating processing of reservation enquiries for multicast data streams in communications networks, wherein communication devices which are to be simulated with regard to their behaviour are functionally divided into a communication control plane designated as a control plane and into a data transmission plane designated as a data plane, where simulation system components formed by software containers which are executable in a sequence control environment are case provided for functions of the communication devices associated with the control plane, network infrastructure devices are modelled on the data plane by resources provided via each of the network infrastructure devices, and where the software containers associated with the communication devices are selectively executed in the sequence control environment and coupled together there according to a predetermined topology.

Abstract: A method for operating a server device in a system is disclosed. The server device determines a current process value of at least one process parameter of a process controlled by the system and transmits the determined current process values to a plurality of client devices in the system for each process parameter or a subset thereof via a data network. According to the invention, the server device forms a variable group for at least one process parameter which is to be transmitted to more than one of the client devices. The server device then combines in each case the current process values of the at least one process parameter in the variable group at the different transmission times to form a single multi-target message and at the different transmission times to form a single multi-target message and transmits the multi-target message to a group address in the data network.

Abstract: A control method, device, computer program and a computer-readable medium and method for data communication in an industrial network, wherein a stream is created between at least two stream subscribers, where resources are reserved on at least one node point, particularly bridges and/or switches between the at least two stream subscribers, and subsequently data is transmitted between the at least two stream subscribers, via the stream, and at least one subscriber of the stream interrupts the emittance and/or reception of data via the stream and resources that are reserved on at least one node point for the at least one subscriber of the stream are released for use for a data transmission that is lower priority than the data transmission via the stream, and where the reservation of the resources being maintained for the at least one subscriber.

Abstract: An OPC UA session is interpreted as a single transaction according to the invention. In this case, a transaction means that all service calls, apart from the abovementioned calls, are initially only simulated and are not executed and the execution of the service calls is shifted to the termination of the transaction. Each operation inside a session is formally checked and then simulated. The simulated result or the result of the formal check is immediately sent to the client. The client therefore receives a preview of the result of the operations. If the client determines that one of the operations carried out would not lead to the desired result, the client can reject the operations. If the client wants the set operation to be carried out, the client terminates the current session.

Abstract: A method for operating a server device in a system is disclosed. The server device determines a current process value of at least one process parameter of a process controlled by the system and transmits the determined current process values to a plurality of client devices in the system for each process parameter or a subset thereof via a data network. According to the invention, the server device forms a variable group for at least one process parameter which is to be transmitted to more than one of the client devices. The server device then combines in each case the current process values of the at least one process parameter in the variable group at the different transmission times to form a single multi-target message and at the different transmission times to form a single multi-target message and transmits the multi-target message to a group address in the data network.

Abstract: In the OPC UA request header, there exists the field “TimeoutHint”, by means of which the client can indicate the point in time from which the client is no longer interested in the result of an operation. When this time has expired, the server sends a response that the execution of the operation has been terminated. According to the invention, the semantics of the field “TimeoutHint” in the OPC UA request header are used differently. The meaning of the “TimeoutHint” is changed in such a way that the “TimeoutHint” no longer indicates the latest point in time at which an operation should be executed, but rather the earliest point in time.

Abstract: An OPC UA session is interpreted as a single transaction according to the invention. In this case, a transaction means that all service calls, apart from the above-mentioned calls, are initially only simulated and are not executed and the execution of the service calls is shifted to the termination of the transaction. Each operation inside a session is formally checked and then simulated. The simulated result or the result of the formal check is immediately sent to the client. The client therefore receives a preview of the result of the operations. If the client determines that one of the operations carried out would not lead to the desired result, the client can reject the operations. If the client wants the set operation to be carried out, the client terminates the current session.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing transmission interference in a data network, where the data network includes first network elements which transmit and/or receive first data packets according to a data transmission standard for implementing real-time communication, and second network elements which do not or do not only transmit and/or receive second data packets according to said data transmission standard. Diagnostic data packets are introduced into the data network. A path of the diagnostic data packets through the data network is determined. The data network is flooded with the diagnostic data packets. The diagnostic data packet is transmitted from the first network element to the second network element. Whether second network element receives the diagnostic data packet is determined. When there is interference, all network element ports through which the diagnostic data packet passes are determined. A mark that indicates potential transmission interference is applied to the determined network element ports.

Abstract: A method and a device for planning an industrial automation arrangement, where an object model is generated from data objects, which represent automation components, and from relationships between these objects, a sequence of control actions by a user is used to select the objects from an object library and to relate them to one another. A plurality of sequences of control actions and their respective effects on the object model are stored as respective entity control trees with control steps, where at least two of the entity control trees are selected and used to generate a generalized type control tree using a first comparison, and the type of control tree is used to automatically plan the industrial automation arrangement.

Abstract: A method and a device for planning an industrial automation arrangement, where an object model is generated from data objects, which represent automation components, and from relationships between these objects, a sequence of control actions by a user is used to select the objects from an object library and to relate them to one another. A plurality of sequences of control actions and their respective effects on the object model are stored as respective entity control trees with control steps, where at least two of the entity control trees are selected and used to generate a generalized type control tree using a first comparison, and the type of control tree is used to automatically plan the industrial automation arrangement.