Method and control system for technical installations with certificate management

A method comprising:

• a) initiating, by a control system of a manufacturing facility, issuance of a certificate for access to a component of the manufacturing facility, the control system including at least one first operator station server including a processor, a certificate revocation list and a computer-implemented revocation service, including a second operator station server having a microprocessor and memory, including at least one first component connected to the at least one first operator station server and including at least one second component connected to the second operator station server;
• b) initiating, by the computer-implemented revocation service of the control system of the manufacturing facility, revocation of the certificate for access to the component of the manufacturing facility;
• c) publishing the revocation of a previously issued certificate within the control system as a certificate revocation list which is stored on at least one of (i) a user profile and selection service of the first operator station server and (ii) a second user profile and selection service of the second operator station server;
• and
• d) synchronizing the at least one first operator station server and the second operator station server via a mirroring service of the user profile and selection service such that a certificate revocation list with identical content is stored on the first and second operator station servers;
• wherein new/revised events are provided to the revocation service via a manage service of the user profile and selection service for future automated certificate revocations;
• wherein the at least one first component forms part of a first engineering project and the at least one second component forms part of a second engineering project, the least one first and second components comprising at least one of sensor and actuators or a combination of sensors and actuators of the manufacturing facility;
• wherein the control system stores a first certificate revocation list specific to the first engineering project on at least one of (i) the user profile and selection service of the at least one first operator station server and (ii) the second user profile and selection service of the second operator station server, and stores a second certificate revocation list specific to the second engineering project on at least one of (i) the user profile and selection service of the at least one first operator station server and (ii) the second user profile and selection service of the of the second operator station server;
• and
• wherein the at least one first component has access solely to the first certificate revocation list and the at least one second component has access solely to the second certificate revocation list.