A system and method for employing a file system and file system services on the industrial controller. The file system allows industrial control programs to implement many functions previously performed within the industrial control program and stored in the same memory as the industrial control program. An execution engine is provided that interprets instructions included in an industrial control program. The instructions utilize services in the file system for including user defined routine files loaded from local or remote locations, to load and unload recipe files from local and remote locations, to log and retrieve measured data and trend data to files at local or remote locations, to select different operating systems and to select a running program from a plurality of running programs utilizing the file system.

The present disclosure provides a safety-related engineering system that allows for the integration of non-safety-related software tools. A program file and a fingerprint object associated with the program file are also provided at an update time point. A consistency check between the program file and the fingerprint object is performed at a checking time point after the update time point. At a transfer time point after the checking time point, in case the consistency check confirmed a consistency between the program file and the fingerprint object, said program file is compiled and linked to obtain an executable program code, which executable program code is transferred to a memory of a safety controller and executed by means of at least one processor of said safety controller.