The invention relates to a system and also method for storage of project-planning data in an automation system containing automation devices. To simplify changes within the automation system the project-planning data is stored in a generic, expandable data storage format, with parts of the project-planning data being assigned runtime data in each case, with the runtime data being assigned at least one automation device in each case, with the runtime data being executable parts of programs on the automation devices assigned to it and with the parts of the project-planning data being stored distributed in parallel to the runtime data assigned to it in each case in the automation devices assigned to the runtime data in each case.