Method for operating an industrial automation system comprising a plurality of networked computer units, and industrial automation system

An industrial automation system, comprising:

• a plurality of computer units connected to one another through a communication network and configured to provide functions of the industrial automation system in the form of services configurable and activatable using system configuration data and service configuration data;
• a control and monitoring unit configured to provide the system configuration data which comprise information for assigning services to service providing computer units of the plural computer units and for assigning dependencies between services;
• wherein one of the computer units is configured to provide a first service for accepting the system configuration data from the control and monitoring unit and configured to check the system configuration data and forward the system configuration data to target computer units of the plural computer units;
• at least one of the target computer units is configured to provide a second service for checking the received system configuration data, provide resources necessary for activating local services and for activating a local service using the service configuration data;
• and
• a system component configured to transmit the service configuration data to the target computer units following successful system configuration;
• wherein the industrial automation system is configured to:
• initially load the service configuration data in a preparation phase to activate a local service and provide the local service in a final phase using the service configuration data loaded in the preparation phase;
• and
• wherein the industrial automation system is further configured to:
• provide the local service in a reset phase using service configuration data assigned to a last fault-free status if at least one of the preparation phase and the final phase fails.