Connection unit, monitoring system and method for operating an automation system

A connecting unit for transmitting process data of an automation process of an automation system to an external data infrastructure,

• wherein the connecting unit is configured as a field device for arrangement on a field level of the automation system and comprises a field bus module, a network module and an interface module;
• wherein the field bus module is connectable to a field bus and is configured to interchange the process data via the field bus with a signal unit connected to the automation process via a field connection;
• wherein the network module is connectable to an external data network and is configured to interchange the process data via the external data network with the external data infrastructure and in so doing to use the data network to transmit input process data to the external data infrastructure and to retrieve output process data from the external data infrastructure;
• wherein the interface module is connected to the network module and to the field bus module for an interchange of the process data between the field bus module and the network module;
• and
• wherein the interface module is configured to prompt the interchange of the process data between the network module and the external data infrastructure autonomously.