Patent ID: 7369912

Claim:
A batch execution engine executed on a processor in a process plant to implement a plurality of batch runs on process equipment within the process plant, the batch execution engine comprising: a memory; a communication layer stored on the memory which executes on the processor in a first application process space to receive a plurality of batch initiation requests, wherein each batch initiation request relates to a different batch run having a plurality of batch sub-procedures to be implemented on some portion of the process equipment; and a batch execution manager stored on the memory which executes on the processor in the first application process space to create a different batch process application in response to the receipt of each of the plurality of batch initiation requests, wherein each of the created batch process applications is created to include an associated equipment model that specifies an identification of and interconnectivity of process equipment within the process plant to be used during a particular batch run, the equipment model being a copy of at least a portion of an equipment model for the plant, a separate executable logic code that implements the particular batch run using the associated equipment model and a communication layer that communicates with the batch execution manager while the batch process application is executing, so that each of the created batch process applications executes executable logic code on the processor in a separate application process space different than the first application process space to implement one of the plurality of batch runs using the process equipment identified by one of the associated equipment models to thereby run independently of the batch execution manager on the processor.