Method for providing access to device configuration data within an industrial automation system, in which - the industrial automation system comprises a subnetwork having a plurality of automation devices and a subnetwork control unit, - a web server component allocated to the subnetwork control unit provides at least one web document together with at least one reference to device configuration data of at least one IPv4-based automation device, - in the event of a request for the web document, a check is carried out to determine whether the request originates from a requesting communication device from an IPv6 subnetwork and/or comprises a destination resource identifier allocated to a web server component of the IPv4-based automation device and having an IPv6 address, - if the check result is positive, the web document is provided together with a reference to the device configuration data that comprises an Ipv6 address expression for the IPv4-based automation device, - if the request for the web document originates from a requesting communication device from an IPv4 subnetwork and/or comprises a destination resource identifier having an IPv4 address, on the other hand, the web document is provided together with a reference to the device configuration data that comprises an IPv4 address expression for the IPv4-based automation device, - an IPv6 address is calculated for the IPv4-based automation device from an IPv6 prefix allocated to the subnetwork and the IPv4 address of the IPv4-based automation device, and the calculated IPv6 address and the allocated device name of the IPv4-based automation device are stored in a name service server if the web document is to be provided together with a reference to the device configuration data of the IPv4-based automation device that comprises an IPv6 address expression. - the industrial automation system comprises a subnetwork having a plurality of automation devices and a subnetwork control unit, - a web server component allocated to the subnetwork control unit provides at least one web document together with at least one reference to device configuration data of at least one IPv4-based automation device, - in the event of a request for the web document, a check is carried out to determine whether the request originates from a requesting communication device from an IPv6 subnetwork and/or comprises a destination resource identifier allocated to a web server component of the IPv4-based automation device and having an IPv6 address, - if the check result is positive, the web document is provided together with a reference to the device configuration data that comprises an Ipv6 address expression for the IPv4-based automation device, - if the request for the web document originates from a requesting communication device from an IPv4 subnetwork and/or comprises a destination resource identifier having an IPv4 address, on the other hand, the web document is provided together with a reference to the device configuration data that comprises an IPv4 address expression for the IPv4-based automation device, - an IPv6 address is calculated for the IPv4-based automation device from an IPv6 prefix allocated to the subnetwork and the IPv4 address of the IPv4-based automation device, and the calculated IPv6 address and the allocated device name of the IPv4-based automation device are stored in a name service server if the web document is to be provided together with a reference to the device configuration data of the IPv4-based automation device that comprises an IPv6 address expression.