1. A simulation system for simulating the operation of a process control network as connected within a process plant, the simulation system comprising: a simulated process control network that uses one or more simulated process variable signals to produce one or more simulated control signals to simulate the operation of the process control network as connected within the process plant; a process model communicatively connected to the simulated process control network that uses the simulated control signals to produce the one or more simulated process variables; and an update module communicatively connected to the process control network to periodically receive a first state variable indicative of a current configuration of the process control network during operation of the process control network and to periodically receive a second state variable indicative of an operation of the process during operation of the process control network, wherein the update module periodically configures the simulated process control network with the first state variable and wherein the update module periodically uses the second state variable to update the process model.