1. A backplane, comprising: connections to connect functional units; and hardware resources to handle software tasks, wherein the hardware resources are redundantly implemented or comprise essentially identical hardware modules, wherein the hardware resources themselves or a configuration controller dynamically assign the software tasks to the hardware resources, wherein the software tasks include a programmable logic controller task, the programmable logic controller task implementing a programmable control which simulates a functionality of a CPU module processing a control program, wherein the software tasks are transmitted by a remote location to the backplane via a communication network, and wherein information is exchanged between the backplane and the remote location either via in input/output socket and an Ethernet adapter or via an Ethernet socket of a terminating module of the backplane.