Patent ID: 7234135

Claim:
A method for processing data in a data processing system where the system comprises at least one of a plurality of data processing units and a plurality of operator and observation units, all of which are interconnected via a data transmission unit, wherein a respective data processing program with associated function modules and data modules is implemented on each of the data processing units, the method comprising: storing at least one identifier for each module in a conversion table belonging to the respective data processing unit; enabling a first data processing unit from among the plurality of data processing units to access a data module or a function module of a different, second, data processing unit by providing the conversion table in such a way that retrieval of the respective data module or function module is performed on the basis of the first data processing unit using an external identifier which characterizes the access; determining whether the conversion table includes an internal identifier corresponding to the external identifier; processing the data module or the function module of the respective data processing unit if a corresponding internal identifier is included in the conversion table for the respective external identifier; leaving the data module or the function module of the respective data processing unit unprocessed if a corresponding internal identifier is not included in the conversion table for the respective external identifier; and outputting a status information message indicating whether the data module or the function module of the respective data processing unit has been processed, wherein said storing comprises assigning an external identifier for each module that has been changed by linking new external identifier to the internal identifier of a respective module, and storing the new assigned external identifier in the conversion table while deleting a link to the internal identifier for an old external identifier of the respective module.