Location specific communications gateway for multi-site enterprise

A method of performing process control or automation, comprising:

• storing and executing a plurality of instantiated micro-encapsulated execution environments (MEEEs) using a compute fabric disposed remotely from and communicatively connected to one or more plant sites, the compute fabric including computer devices that implement the MEEEs to perform functions with respect to the one or more plants sites;
• operating a plurality of physical devices located at the one or more of the plant sites, the plurality of physical devices performing respective physical functions to implement one or more industrial or automation processes of an enterprise at respective ones of the one or more plant sites;
• and
• communicatively connecting the plurality of MEEEs to the plurality of physical devices at one of the plant sites via a communications gateway device located at the one the plant sites, and implementing networked communications between the plurality of physical devices at a plant site and the MEEEs of the compute fabric via the communications gateway device.

A control and communication system used in a process control or automation that operates in a compute fabric disposed remotely from one or more plant sites, the compute fabric including computer devices that implement computer implemented elements for the one or more plants sites and each of the one or more plant sites includes a plurality of physical devices performing respective physical functions to implement one or more industrial or automation processes of an enterprise at respective ones of the one or more plant sites, the control and communication system comprising:

• a plurality of instantiated micro-encapsulated execution environments (MEEEs) for performing functions with respect to one or more of the plurality of physical devices at one or more of the plant sites;
• and
• a communications gateway device located at each of the one or more plant sites, the communications gateway device communicatively connected to the compute fabric and to the plurality of physical devices at a respective plant site, wherein the communication gateway devices implements networked communications between the plurality of physical devices at a respective plant site and the MEEEs that communicate with the physical devices at the respective plant site, wherein the networked communications are secured communications directed between one or more of the MEEEs and the plurality of physical devices at the respective plant site.