Patent ID: 7809683

Claim:
A system for storing an industrial automation object library comprising the following computer-executable components: a data store accessible by way of at least one of the Internet or an intranet, the data store retains at least one object that is executable by a controller to facilitate controlling a device or process in an industrial plant, the at least one object designed in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model, wherein the controller utilizes the hierarchically structured data model to interact with at least one of a disparate controller or a system residing at a higher level than that of the controller; a location component associated with the data store that accesses the data store to locate a requested object of the at least one object upon receipt of a request for the requested object; and a subscription component that enables at least one subscribing entity to establish a subscription to receive a subset of the at least one data object from the data store relating to control of a device specified in the subscription, the data store distributing a given object from the subset relating to control of the device to the at least one subscribing entity upon addition of the given object to the data store or upon detection of a new version of the given object.