SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DIRECT WEB ACCESS TO CONTROLLERS IN A PROCESS CONTROL ENVIRONMENT

A controller includes an execution environment capable of executing an application for controlling a process element in a processing environment. The controller also includes a web server capable of being executed in the execution environment. The web server is also capable of providing direct web access to the controller by providing information associated with at least one of the controller and the process element over a network for display on a web browser. The information could be provided in the form of graphical images embedded in web pages or using a web service, a web form, or a smart client application. Also, the web server could be executed as a background task in the execution environment, the execution environment could represent a deterministic execution environment, and the application could represent a real-time application.