Method for Identifying a Process-Disrupting Automation Component in a Concatenated Automation Assembly

A method for identifying a process-disrupting automation component in an industrial automation arrangement having a plurality of concatenated automation components, a process disruption being determined in a first of the automation components and being examined in the a first of the automation components by a first local analysis device, the method comprising:

• determining, during a first step, by each automation component, at least one of (i) at least one automation component arranged upstream in the concatenation and (ii) at least one automation component arranged downstream in the concatenation;
• sending, during a second step, by the first automation component, an interrogation message to at least one second automation component which is arranged upstream or downstream in the concatenation depending on a type of process disruption;
• and
• taking, during a third step, by a local analysis device of the second automation component, locally stored or measured key figures as a basis for deciding whether this second automation component has caused the process disruption;
• wherein, if the second automation component has caused the process disruption, the method further comprises:
• sending, during a fourth step, a response message to the first automation component;
• and
• wherein, if the second automation component has not caused the process disruption, the method further comprises:
• recursively sending, during a fifth step, by the second automation component, the same interrogation message or a further interrogation message to at least one third automation component arranged upstream or downstream of the second automation component and analogously processing the same interrogation message or the further interrogation message at the at least one third automation component;
• forwarding respectively, during a sixth step, a response message received by an automation component to that automation component from which the automation component receiving the response message received the associated interrogation message;
• and
• providing or outputting, during a seventh step, by the first automation component definitively receiving the response message, based on the content of the response message, information relating to the automation component which caused the process disruption.

A system having an automation component for operation in an industrial automation arrangement having a plurality of concatenated automation components,

• wherein the automation component includes has an analysis device which is configured to:
• determine at least one of (i) at least one automation component arranged upstream in the concatenation and (ii) at least one automation component arranged downstream in the concatenation;
• send an interrogation message to at least one second automation component which is arranged upstream or downstream in the concatenation depending on a type of process disruption;
• if the analysis device receives an interrogation message, to take locally stored or measured key figures as a basis for deciding whether this automation component has caused the process disruption;
• wherein, if this automation component has caused the process disruption, then a response message is sent to the interrogating automation component;
• and
• wherein, if this automation component has not caused the process disruption, the automation component is configured to:
• send the same interrogation message or a further interrogation message to at least one other automation component which is arranged upstream or downstream of it;
• respectively forward a received response message to that automation component from which the automation component received an associated interrogation message, and if this automation component was an original sender of the interrogation message, the this automation component being further configured to:
• provide or output, based on the content of the associated response message, information relating to the automation component of the automation components which caused the process disruption.