Edge device and method for operating an edge device

1. An edge device that is configured to act as an interface between automation devices that are communicatively connected to one another and are configured to control, monitor, or control and monitor a technical process and at least one external network, the edge device comprising:

a unikernel manager and a basic unikernel,

wherein the unikernel manager is configured to start and stop a unikernel installed on the edge device,

wherein the basic unikernel comprises, in the form of a separate unikernel independent of the unikernel manager and the unikernel installed on the edge device, basic functionality of the edge device; and

wherein a second unikernel held in a unikernel depot remote from the edge device is downloadable from the unikernel depot and installable on the edge device by the basic unikernel.

2. The edge device of claim 1 , wherein an identifier identifying a compromised unikernel is receivable by the basic unikernel, and

wherein the unikernel manager is configured to stop the compromised unikernel identified by the received identifier.

3. The edge device of claim 1 , wherein the basic unikernel is configured to check an electronic signature of the second unikernel held in the unikernel depot or downloaded from the unikernel depot.

4. The edge device of claim 1 , wherein the basic unikernel is configured to decrypt the second unikernel that is downloadable from the unikernel depot.

5. The edge device of claim 4 , wherein the basic unikernel is configured to decrypt the second unikernel that has been downloaded from the unikernel depot using a TPM chip included in hardware of the edge device.

6. The edge device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory into which instructions are loaded, the instructions being executable by the processor during operation of the edge device.

7. A method for operating an edge device that is configured to act as an interface between automation devices that are communicatively connected to one another and are configured to control, monitor, or control and monitor a technical process and at least one external network, the edge device comprising a unikernel manager and a basic unikernel, wherein the unikernel manager is configured to start and stop a unikernel installed on the edge device, wherein the basic unikernel is a separate unikernel independent of the unikernel manager and the unikernel installed on the edge device, the method comprising:

starting or stopping, by the unikernel manager, the unikernel installed on the edge device;

downloading a second unikernel held in a unikernel depot remote from the edge device from the unikernel depot; and

installing, by the basic unikernel, the downloaded second unikernel on the edge device,

wherein basic functionality of the edge device is undertaken by the basic unikernel.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, by the basic unikernel, an identifier identifying a compromised unikernel;

transmitting, by the basic unikernel, the received identifier to the unikernel manager; and

stopping, by the unikernel manager, the compromised unikernel identified by the received identifier.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising checking, by the basic unikernel, an electronic signature of the second unikernel held in the unikernel depot or downloadable from the unikernel depot, decrypting the second unikernel that has been downloaded from the unikernel depot, or a combination thereof.

10. In a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions executable by one or more processors as a unikernel manager or a basic unikernel on an edge device to operate the edge device, which is configured to act as an interface between automation devices that are communicatively connected to one another and are configured to control, monitor, or control and monitor a technical process and at least one external network, the edge device comprising the unikernel manager and the basic unikernel, wherein the unikernel manager is configured to start and stop a unikernel installed on the edge device, wherein the basic unikernel is a separate unikernel independent of the unikernel manager and the unikernel installed on the edge device, the instructions comprising:

starting or stopping, by the unikernel manager, the unikernel installed on the edge device;

downloading a second unikernel held in a unikernel depot remote from the edge device from the unikernel depot; and

installing, by the basic unikernel, the downloaded second unikernel on the edge device,

wherein basic functionality of the edge device is undertaken by the basic unikernel.