Machine controller as a service

A method comprising:

• receiving, by one or more computing devices of a service provider network, a request to create a virtual controller instance, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving, via an interface, a selection of an application from a list of applications, and one or more characteristics of a runtime image for executing the application, wherein, the application configured to execute on a machine controller that controls an electromechanical system of a specific machine that resides in a facility, wherein the list of applications associated is with a plurality of application images maintained in an application registry, and wherein the plurality of application images include an application image of the application;
• accessing, without user intervention, metadata describing characteristics of a plurality of runtime images to identify, from a runtime registry that maintains the plurality of runtime images, a runtime image that satisfies the one or more characteristics in the request as a target runtime image for the application, wherein the metadata accessed to identify the runtime image as the target runtime image is linked to the application image;
• creating, by the one or more computing devices and based at least in part on the target runtime image, the virtual controller instance in the service provider network;
• and
• executing, by the one or more computing devices, the application on the virtual controller instance, wherein executing the application further comprises:
• sending, by the one or more computing devices, data as input to the application to elicit a response from the application;
• processing the input on the virtual controller instance and outputting the response from the application;
• validating, based on the response from the application, the application as being ready for deployment by comparing the response from the application with a predetermined expected response, and thereby resulting in a validated application;
• providing, via the interface, an element that, upon selection, deploys the validated application on at least the machine controller to control the electromechanical system of the specific machine over the service provider network;
• receiving an indication that the element has been selected;
• deploying, over the service provider network and based at least in part on the indication, the validated application on the machine controller;
• and
• controlling the electromechanical system of the specific machine using the validated application.

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
• receive a request to create a virtual controller instance, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving, via an interface, a selection of an application from a list of applications, and one or more characteristics of a runtime image for executing the application, wherein, the application is configured to execute on a machine controller that controls an electromechanical system of a specific machine that resides in a facility, wherein the list of applications is with a plurality of application images maintained in an application registry, and wherein the plurality of application images include an application image of the application;
• accessing, without user intervention, metadata describing characteristics of a plurality of runtime images to identify, from a runtime registry that maintains a plurality of runtime images, a runtime image that satisfies the one or more characteristics in the request as a target runtime image for the application, wherein the metadata accessed to identify the runtime image as the target runtime image is linked to the application image;
• create, based at least in part on the target runtime image, the virtual controller instance in a service provider network;
• and
• execute the application on the virtual controller instance, wherein executing the application further comprises:
• sending data as input to the application to elicit one or more responses from the application;
• processing the input on the virtual controller instance and outputting the response from the application;
• validating, based at least in part on the one or more responses from the application, the application as being ready for deployment by comparing the response from the application with a predetermined expected response, and thereby resulting in a validated application;
• executing on the machine controller to control the electromechanical system of the specific machine;
• providing, via the interface, an element that, upon selection, deploys the validated application on at least the machine controller to control the electromechanical system of the specific machine over the service provider network;
• receiving an indication that the element has been selected;
• and
• deploying, over the service provider network and based at least in part on the indication, the validated application on the machine controller;
• and
• controlling the electromechanical system of the specific machine using the validated application.