Remote control of a distributed manufacturing automation system

A method for controlling a distributed manufacturing automation system, the distributed manufacturing automation system being configured in accordance with an automation pyramid, the distributed manufacturing automation system (100, 200) comprising networks and firewalls between levels of the automation pyramid, wherein each network is associated with one level of the automation pyramid, the automation pyramid indicating predefined functions of the networks and an information flow between the levels of the automation pyramid;

• the method comprising:
• providing an application manager that is configured to remotely connect to the distributed manufacturing automation system;
• creating by the application manager in the distributed manufacturing automation system overlay networks of nodes, wherein each overlay network of the overlay networks spans one or more levels of the automation pyramid, wherein the nodes represent system resources of the networks;
• creating by the application manager an application for performing a manufacturing task;
• dividing by the application manager the application into application components according to the predefined functions and information flow, wherein the application components belong to one or more levels of the automation pyramid;
• selecting by the application manager one or more overlay networks that enable execution of the application components;
• establishing by the application manager connections to the selected overlay networks;
• deploying, by the application manager using the established connections, the application components in the selected overlay networks;
• using the application by the application manager for planning and/or controlling a manufacturing process in the distributed manufacturing automation system.