Patent ID: 9736021
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: H04L,Y04S

Claim:
1. A network device for an automation network, the network device being set up with help of a real-time application for providing a function of the network device, the real-time application having at least one predefined, updatable parameter, the network device comprising: a storage device operable to store update data for the updatable parameter in an update storage area and store application data for the real-time application in an application storage area, the update storage area and the application storage area being separate from one another; an application memory having a first memory address referring to the application storage area; and an update memory having a second memory address referring to the update storage area, wherein the updatable parameter comprises attack signatures, rule bases for a firewall, an intrusion detection system, or a combination thereof, wherein, during runtime of the real-time application, a first instance of the updatable parameter is stored in the application storage area, and a second instance of the updatable parameter is stored in the update storage area, the first and second instances of the updatable parameter initially being the same, wherein the second instance of the updatable parameter is updated by an update application such that the update data is written into the update storage area, and wherein the network device is configured such that, after the update data is written into the update storage area at a predefined update time, the first memory address referring to the application storage area is switched to the second memory address referring to the update storage area in which the update data is stored, the switch taking place deterministically within a predefined update timeslot during the runtime of the real-time application and without ending or restarting the real-time application.