An automation system including a plurality of peripheral devices, each configured to perform at least one function relating to energy consumption in a facility and an automation controller in communication with the plurality of peripheral devices and providing for the control of the performance of the function by each device. An external network resource such as at least a virtual private network server is configured to enable communication with the automation controller. The automation controller is configured, such as by executing virtual private network software, to establish and maintain a secure data link with the virtual private network server and to enable oversight and/or control of the automation controller via the virtual private network server.

A method and arrangement for providing access of a first computer to at least one application installed on a virtual machine of a second computer via a network connection, wherein at a first step, a Remote Desktop Protocol connection (RDP-C) is established from the first computer to the virtual machine and, at a second step, at least one communication relation of the first computer to an industrial controller is made available to the at least one application as a local communication relation of the application from the virtual machine to the first computer via a virtual channel of the RDP-C connection such that from a user's perspective, only exactly one connection to the virtual machine must be established via the RDP-C, where required back channels can be automatically established and where no security settings must be changed in firewalls or routers.

A VPN box is connected upstream of a field device. The VPN box uses a secret cryptographic key of the field device for authentication when setting up a VPN tunnel and/or when setting up a cryptographically protected communication link.

An automation system, an operating method for an automation system, and a computer program product enable communication between assemblies of an automation system connected to each other via a back panel bus, wherein the assemblies can exchange data with each other directly, without sending the data via a master.

A computer network has ports connected to production machines (PM) and communicating with an assigned virtual user interface and a higher-ranking facility located outside the PM. Connection of an additional PM is monitored, in which case a commissioning service automatically assigns a virtual user interface to the additional PM, re-initializes an individual virtual computer network within the computer network and connects the additional PM to the virtual user interface via the re-initialized virtual computer network. Communication between the additional PM and the assigned virtual user interface is isolated from other communications until, a release command is specified. A then activated integration service automatically re-initializes a virtual router for connection to the additional PM via the virtual computer network and configures the re-initialized virtual router such that the additional PM communicates with the higher-ranking facility via the re-initialized virtual router.

An automation system, an operating method for an automation system, and a computer program product enable communication between assemblies of an automation system connected to each other via a back panel bus, wherein the assemblies can exchange data with each other directly, without sending the data via a master.

A method and arrangement for providing access of a first computer to at least one application installed on a virtual machine of a second computer via a network connection, wherein at a first step, a Remote Desktop Protocol connection (RDP-C) is established from the first computer to the virtual machine and, at a second step, at least one communication relation of the first computer to an industrial controller is made available to the at least one application as a local communication relation of the application from the virtual machine to the first computer via a virtual channel of the RDP-C connection such that from a user's perspective, only exactly one connection to the virtual machine must be established via the RDP-C, where required back channels can be automatically established and where no security settings must be changed in firewalls or routers.

A computer network has ports connected to production machines (PM) and communicating with an assigned virtual user interface and a higher-ranking facility located outside the PM. Connection of an additional PM is monitored, in which case a commissioning service automatically assigns a virtual user interface to the additional PM, re-initializes an individual virtual computer network within the computer network and connects the additional PM to the virtual user interface via the re-initialized virtual computer network. Communication between the additional PM and the assigned virtual user interface is isolated from other communications until, a release command is specified. A then activated integration service automatically re-initializes a virtual router for connection to the additional PM via the virtual computer network and configures the re-initialized virtual router such that the additional PM communicates with the higher-ranking facility via the re-initialized virtual router.