1. A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller over a plurality of scan cycles, the method comprising: creating, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, a process image area in a volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller; updating, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, the process image area during each scan cycle with contents comprising data associated with a production unit; storing, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, the contents of the process image area during each scan cycle on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller; and annotating, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, the contents of the process image area with automation system context information to generate contextualized data.