Patent ID: 7886265

Claim:
A method implemented on a computer having a processor and memory comprising: attaching a plurality of properties to process automation objects within a process automation system, each of the properties having a value associated therewith and responsively generating attachment data defining the attachments between the properties and objects; wherein the process automation objects include project objects containing data for one or more process automation projects designed by a user; job objects, each of the job objects associated with at least one of the project objects and defining procedures to be executed upon execution of one of the project objects; job step objects, each of the job step objects associated with one of the job objects, each of the job step objects specifying one or more commands to be executed by a specified one or more system resources within the process automation system; and resource objects representing the one or more system resources for executing the automation projects, including the jobs and job steps associated with the automation projects; storing the attached properties with the associated values and attachment data; receiving a request to execute one or more of the process automation objects; interpreting the attachment data to identify the properties attached to each of the one or more process automation objects; and executing the one or more of the process automation objects within the process automation system using the values associated with the one or more properties; wherein the associated property values and attachment data are stored within a relational database and wherein the attachment data comprises database joins.