Redundant automation system, method for creating the automation system, computer program and computer readable medium

A method for creating a redundant automation system, the method comprising:

• a) providing information on a network topology of the Internet or a comparable computer network including information on a structure of a plurality of communication hubs of the redundant automation system in the network and on communication paths interconnecting said plurality of communication hubs of the redundant automation system;
• b) providing information on computing centers present within the network topology, said information including information on the locations computing centers;
• c) identifying an installation location of an automation installation to be controlled within the network topology;
• d) identifying at least one pair of computing centers which is connectable to the automation installation within the network topology via communication paths and which have a minimal number of at least one of (i) overlaps and (ii) common communication hubs;
• e) selecting said at least one pair of computing centers identified in step d) including associated communication paths;
• f) providing two control applications configured to control the automation installation, the two control applications being configured such that one control application of the two control applications operates as a master and another control application of the two control applications operates as a reserve;
• and in an event the application operating as the master control fails, the control application operating as the reserve takes over and functions as the master;
• g) storing the two control applications in the at least one pair of computing centers selected in step e);
• h) coupling the two control applications via a synchronization path;
• and
• i) connecting the two control applications to the automation installation via the associated communication paths selected in step e).

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor of at least one computer, causes the at least one computer to creating a redundant automation system, the computer program instructions comprising:

• a) program code for providing information on a network topology of the Internet or a comparable computer network including information on a structure of plurality of communication hubs of the redundant automation system in the network and on communication paths interconnecting said plurality of communication hubs of the redundant automation system;
• b) program code for providing information on computing centers present within the network topology, said information including information on the locations computing centers;
• c) program code for identifying an installation location of an automation installation to be controlled within the network topology;
• d) program code for identifying at least one pair of computing centers, which is connectable to the automation installation within the network topology via communication paths and which have a minimal number of at least one of (i) overlaps and (ii) common communication hubs;
• e) program code for selecting said at least one pair of computing centers identified in step d) including associated communication paths;
• f) program code for providing two control applications configured to control the automation installation, the two control applications being configured such that one control application of the two control applications operates as a master and another control application of the two control applications operates as a reserve;
• and in an event the application operating as the master control fails, the control application operating as the reserve takes over and functions as the master;
• g) program code for storing the two control applications in the at least one pair of computing centers selected in step e);
• h) program code for coupling the two control applications via a synchronization path;
• and
• i) program code for connecting the two control applications to the automation installation via the associated communication paths selected in step e).