Method for Monitoring the Vitality of Devices of a Distributed System

A method for monitoring the vitality of a number of participant devices of a distributed technical system, wherein each of the participant devices has a number of electronic components, comprises: continuously detecting a plurality of physical environmental and/or operating parameters in each of the participant devices and/or in each of the electronic components of the participant devices; storing for retrieval the plurality of physical environmental and/or operating parameters in a vitality data storage device; calculating for each of the electronic components, on the basis of the plurality of physical environmental and/or operating parameters, a number of statistical characteristics that form vitality parameters and that represent at least one of safety, reliability, or the availability of the electronic component; and initiating exception processing in response to a predefined or predefinable threshold value of a statistical characteristic being reached or exceeded.