Patent ID: 8341277

Claim:
A system, comprising: a server implemented with a processor and configured to create a plurality of virtual networks such that a separate virtual network is created for each separate individual tool or group of tools in a production facility, wherein each separate individual tool or group of tools is vendor specific and proprietary to the vendor; another server configured to: store information related to each of the plurality of virtual networks and each separate individual tool or group of tools in the corresponding virtual network of the plurality of virtual networks, and which virtual network for each separate individual tool or group of tools a client is authorized to access; receive a request from the client to gain access to at least one of the separate individual tool or group of tools; access the at least one of the separate individual tool or group of tools via a corresponding virtual network of the plurality of virtual networks; and permit the client to communicate with the least one of the separate individual tool or group of tools when the client is authorized to access the least one of the separate individual tool or group of tools, while isolating other individual tools or other groups of tools from the client which are non-authorized, wherein: when the client is authorized to access the at least one of the separate individual tool or group of tools, the server provides authentication and tool routing information to the client in order to gain access to the at least one separate individual tool or group of tools via the corresponding virtual network, and the authentication and the tool routing information provide access to the corresponding virtual network, while isolating the at least one of the separate individual tool or group of tools from the other individual tools or the groups of tools.