Compliant to criteria which are still to be defined (currently no definition of the content exists)

Globally uniquely identifiable participant with communication capability consisting of administration shell and asset (corresponds to CP24, CP34 or CP44) within an I4.0 system which there offers services with defined QoS (quality of service) characteristics

Note 1: For its services and data, the I4.0 component offers protection commensurate with the task.

Note 2: An I4.0 component can represent a production system, a single machine or station, or even an assembly within a machine.

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Implementation of a (standardized) communication and system infrastructure with the necessary management and production services and defined QoS (quality of service) characteristics as a basis for the efficient construction and integration of I4.0 systems in an application domain

Note 1: To ensure interoperability, an I4.0 platform must be based on a reference architecture.

Note 2: An I4.0 platform must define a relation to the I4.0 system.

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

System, consisting of I4.0 components and components of a lower CP classification, which serves a specific purpose, has defined properties, and supports standardized services and states

Note 1: A system may be present as a component in a further I4.0 system.

Note 2: An I4.0 system must define a relation to the I4.0 platform.

Note 3: Flexibility, transformability, etc. are features of an I4.0 system.

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Identity information that unambiguously distinguishes one entity from another one in a given domain

Note: there are specific identifiers, e.g. UUID Universal unique identifier, IEC 15418 (GS1)

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Set of properties related to an entity

Note: In a particular domain of applicability, an identity can become a distinguishing identity or an identifier to allow entities to be distinguished or uniquely recognized within that domain .

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Term, which represents or designates an individual item or instance

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Ideas, thought constructs, algorithms, models, and the totality of representations of physical objects and people in a virtual environment

Note 1: The frame of reference of the totality in question must be defined.

Note 2: The elements of the information world can be related to each other via semantics.

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Specific entity which has the properties and manifestations of a type

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Engineering tasks over the entire life cycle of a technical system for which the information flow via interfaces is guaranteed preserving

• consistency of information
• interpretability of information
• traceability of information

Note 1: Tools with digital models simplify the integrated engineering
Note 2: The digital models can be part of an I4.0 component

Related actions of two or more entities

Note: An interaction can be, for example, deterministic, non-deterministic, asynchronous, synchronous, stateful or stateless

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Defined connection point of a functional unit which can be connected to other functional units

Note 1: “Defined” means that the requirements and the assured properties of this connection point are described.

Note 2: The connection between the interfaces of function units is also called an interface.

Note 3: In an information system, the defined exchange of information takes place at this point.

Note 4: Interface places certain requirements on the connection that is to be made.

Note 5: Interface demands certain features.

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Ability of different components, systems, technologies, or organizations to actively work together for a specific purpose

Note: Interoperation is collaboration put into practice.

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)

Unit which exists objectively, is demarcated and identifiable

Note 1: An item can be virtual or physical in nature.

Note 2: An item can be a device, subsystem, software program, plan, living organism, organization or the like.

Note 3: An item has a life cycle.

Source: Industrie 4.0 – Begriffe/Terms, VDI Statusreport Industrie 4.0 (April 2017)