Method for handling different versions of an application, and an automation system

1. A method for handling different versions of an application in an automated industrial control system, said system comprising a controller for automation of an industrial process with the application stored therein, said controller being in bidirectional connection with a communication server, said communication server in turn being in bidirectional connection with at least two clients, and said controller being in bidirectional connection with an input/output unit configured to output commands to the industrial process, the method comprising:

executing, in said controller, at least two versions of said application,

requesting, by at least one of said at least two clients utilising a respective one of said at least two versions, values for a variable related to the industrial process and in common for the versions and related to said process, said values being requested utilising a same variable name,

retrieving with said communication server, a respective value for the requested variable, and

transmitting said values to a respective client.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of said clients specifies to said communication server which version said client is utilising.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein each of said clients specifies the version said client is utilising by defining an environment the client is in.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said communication server links each client to a respective version based on the specification made by the respective clients.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said communication server is an object linking and embedding for process control server and said clients are object linking and embedding for process control clients.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein each object linking and embedding for process control client is provided with a respective object linking and embedding for process control handler comprising information about in which environment the object linking and embedding for process control client is working.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said object linking and embedding for process control handler conveys data to said object linking and embedding for process control server specifying which environment the respective client is utilising.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said controller signals to said communication server when a version not controlling a process is ordered to take control of said process.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein retrieving a respective value for the requested variable, by said communication server, comprises:

assigning an unique identifier corresponding to each of said at least two versions, and

including said unique identifier in communication packages in communication messages sent between said controller and said communication server.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said communication server requests data from a version of the application in the controller utilising said unique identifier.

11. An automation system comprising a controller for automation of an industrial process with an application stored thereon, said controller being in bidirectional connection with a communication server, said communication server in turn being in bidirectional connection with at least two clients, and said controller being in bidirectional connection with an input/output unit configured to output commands to the industrial process, the system comprising:

at least two versions of said application within said controller,

a requesting module in said at least two clients utilising a respective one of said at least two versions, for requesting values for a variable related to the industrial process and in common for the versions and related to said process, said values being requested under the same variable name,

a retrieving module in said communication server for retrieving a respective value for the requested variable, and

a transmitting module configured to transmit said values to a respective client.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein each of said clients comprises a specifying module configured to specify to said communication server which version said client is utilising.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein each of said clients is arranged to specify the version said clients are utilising by defining an environment said clients are in.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein said communication server comprises a linking module configured to link each client to a respective version based on the specification made by the respective clients.

15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein said communication server is an object linking and embedding for process control server and said clients are object linking and embedding for process control clients.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein each object linking and embedding for process control client is provided with a respective object linking and embedding for process control handler comprising information about in which environment object linking and embedding for process control client is working.

17. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said object linking and embedding for process control handler is arranged to convey data to said object linking and embedding for process control server specifying which environment the respective client is utilising.

18. The system according to claim 11 , wherein said controller is arranged to signal to said communication server when a version not controlling a process is ordered to take control of said process.

19. The system according to claim 11 , wherein said communication server further comprises:

a storage module configured to store an unique identifier related to a respective one of said at least two versions, and

an identification module configured to include said unique identifier in communication packages in communication messages sent between said controller and said communication server.