Software defined automation system and architecture

A software-defined automation (SDA) system comprising:

• a plurality of controllers and one or more compute nodes, wherein the plurality of controllers are communicatively coupled to the one or more compute nodes over a communication network, wherein the plurality of controllers are configured to work in coordination with one another to:
• receive a request to add or create a functional unit in the SDA system;
• authenticate the request based on at least one security policy;
• identify or creating at least one virtual network in one or more compute nodes managed by the SDA system;
• create and deploy a virtual instance of the functional unit in one or more compute nodes managed by the SDA system;
• and
• connect the virtual instance of the functional unit to the at least one virtual network to provision the functional unit in the SDA system;
• receive configuration information;
• determine at least one network path from the virtual instance of the functional unit to an automation device managed by the SDA system, the at least one network path traversing through the at least virtual network and a physical network;
• configure, based on the received configuration information, the virtual instance of the functional unit and one or more network components in the at least one network path to enable the virtual instance of the functional unit to communicate with the automation device to control an automated process.

Non-transitory, computer-readable media comprising software instructions for provisioning and configuring a functional unit in a software-defined automation (SDA) system by:

• receiving a request to add or create a functional unit in an SDA system;
• authenticating the request based on at least one security policy;
• identifying or creating at least one virtual network in one or more compute nodes managed by the SDA system;
• creating and deploying a virtual instance of the functional unit in one or more compute nodes managed by the SDA system;
• and
• connecting the virtual instance of the functional unit to the at least one virtual network to provision the functional unit in the SDA system;
• receiving configuration information;
• determining at least one network path from the virtual instance of the functional unit to an automation device managed by the SDA system, the at least one network path traversing through the at least virtual network and a physical network;
• configuring, based on the received configuration information, the virtual instance of the functional unit and one or more network components in the at least one network path to enable the virtual instance of the functional unit to communicate with the automation device to control an automated process.