The invention relates to a system and a method for process automation system (10) and a method of its operation, supporting a number of standardized or proprietary communication protocols P1,..., Px and having one or more optionally modular device or network integration component (12 16,), preferably being standardized, responsible for the handling of automation networks using the same or different protocols from the set of P1,..., Px whereas each of the network integration components (12 16) offers one or more functions (14) in a standardized manner via which information according to a possibly different subset of the protocols P1,..., Px is interchanged with other device integration components (16) and supports one or more standardized or proprietary communication interfaces (18) to allow direct or indirect physical access via further device or network integration components to physical devices (20) using one or more of the protocols P1,..., Px, whereas the system includes at least one standardized or proprietary function (14b) to determine for each device (20) the interface (18) via which it can be reached and/or at least one standardized or proprietary function (14d) that, for each communication attempt, directs communication and overhead tasks to an interface (18) through which the device (20) can be reached and at least one standardized or proprietary function (14c) which upon instantiation of at least one device integration component (16) within or associated to the network managed by the first integration component (12) and subsequent association of a physical device (20) to the device integration component (16) disregarding the interface (18) to which it is connected establishes the logical assignment of the device (20) to the networks managed by the integration components (12, 12b), thus allowing automatic determination of sets of communication parameters for both the device managed by the at least one device integration component (16) and (20) sufficient to establish communication via any of the interfaces (18).
