Method for setting up communication links to redundantly operated controllers in an industrial automation system, in which - a first controller is in an active operating state for controlling or regulating a technical process, - a second controller is in a reserve operating state, from which it can be put into an active operating state in the event of failure of the first controller, - the first controller is used to store a symbolic device name associated with the second controller, - the second controller is used to store a symbolic device name associated with the first controller, - the symbolic device names are each stored in DCP variables in accordance with Discovery and Basic Configuration Protocol or as additional DNS resource records in the other controller (111, 112), - information about associations between device names and communication network addresses of the first and second controllers is provided in accordance with a name service protocol at least within a subnetwork associated with the first and/or second controller, - retrieval of a piece of address or name information for one of the two controllers (111, 112) involves automatic provision of a piece of address or name information for setup of a communication link to the other controller on the basis of the respective symbolic device name, - the retrieval of the address or name information is effected in the course of a user selection or identification of one of the two controllers (111, 112), - the address or name information pertaining to the other controller (111, 112) is provided by reading the DCP variable that refers to the other controller or by reading the DNS resource record that refers to the other controller, - the respective symbolic device name is taken as a basis for setting up a communication link to the controller that is in the active operating state. - a first controller is in an active operating state for controlling or regulating a technical process, - a second controller is in a reserve operating state, from which it can be put into an active operating state in the event of failure of the first controller, - the first controller is used to store a symbolic device name associated with the second controller, - the second controller is used to store a symbolic device name associated with the first controller, - the symbolic device names are each stored in DCP variables in accordance with Discovery and Basic Configuration Protocol or as additional DNS resource records in the other controller (111, 112), - information about associations between device names and communication network addresses of the first and second controllers is provided in accordance with a name service protocol at least within a subnetwork associated with the first and/or second controller, - retrieval of a piece of address or name information for one of the two controllers (111, 112) involves automatic provision of a piece of address or name information for setup of a communication link to the other controller on the basis of the respective symbolic device name, - the retrieval of the address or name information is effected in the course of a user selection or identification of one of the two controllers (111, 112), - the address or name information pertaining to the other controller (111, 112) is provided by reading the DCP variable that refers to the other controller or by reading the DNS resource record that refers to the other controller, - the respective symbolic device name is taken as a basis for setting up a communication link to the controller that is in the active operating state.