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Deploying remote connectivity


Remote services enable manufacturers manage change in open process control environment
Modern process control strategies are transitioning from closed, proprietary platforms to networks of flexible, distributed databases and open humanmachine interfaces (HMIs) where every user has a PC or workstation. However, this trend raises an important question: Who manages increasingly complex, geographically dispersed open systems employing hardware and software from multiple suppliers? Sreekanth K Upadhyaya

Sreekanth K Upadhyaya Business Development Manager Life Cycle Services Honeywell Process Solutions Sreekanth.Upadhyaya@honeywell.com

n process industries, plant automation was earlier executed by centralised, proprietary control system which was limited to supervising and controlling the process loops. A single automation supplier, employing a large team of systems experts, was responsible

for maintaining the process control environment, updating equipment as needed and restoring operation in the event of a failure or shutdown. These industrial systems were not linked to each other and were not connected to public network like internet.
Feb/Mar 2010 | A&D India

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Today, the situation is somewhat different, and the companies want accurate and latest information about the plant to be available not only on the shop floor, but also at the management level. This led to a growing demand to integrate process control and information systems with both plant and corporate business system. It results in greater interconnectivity between different automation systems and between automation and office systems. This led to the transition from proprietary to open system technology wherein the end-users have the freedom to go for a system with interoperable architectures providing high performance and highly available controls. Instead of an integrated information system, users are recognising the value of a unified information and application software and reduce the problem of data exchange and synchronisation, and maintain information in a central repository shared by all business applications.

The onus of handling the complexity of a worldwide enterprise is placed with the automation supplier

Open system services


The benefits of open systems technology are many, but the increased complexity of open systems brings greater vulnerability and reduced security within a plant control system. Open systems services address important issues ranging from network administration and security to data recovery, software management and performance management. They are a cost-effective alternative to maintaining an in-house process IT capability, and can help keep process control networks running in a secure environment. Also, this shift has enabled system providers and users to take advantage of the robust and secure technology to utilise remote services that would otherwise have been very costly and would have provided only limited capability.

IT versus process control


The transition from proprietary to open technology has highlighted the differences between the plant IT and process control departmentsas well as the criticality of their respective systems. Indeed, many software-based solutions common to IT organisations are unsuitable for use with process control systems. They are known to be vulnerable to attacks, and with open and standardised internet technologies, expertise and knowledge of such vulnerabilities are easily available to potential attackers. By connecting process control network (PCN) to internet or other public networks, such vulnerabilities are exposed. Unlike the typical business network, an industrialstrength PCN must deliver the same level of robust operation with open technology that end-users have come to expect in the plant automation environment. Building a secure PCN requires close attention to certain aspects of network design. Technologies used and the deployment of those technologies must tightly secure the network environment from internal and external attacks or breaches. Both proactive and reactive protection methodologies must be implemented and centralised command and control of security policies must be realised for operational effectiveness.
Feb/Mar 2010 | A&D India

focused on implementing and maintaining control equipment, whereas the value to the user is on improving process performance. A Process Control Network (PCN) system administration service helps maintain the manufacturers system. The PCN system administration service provides remote server administration from engineers who are not only experts, but also understand the functions and the criticality of the servers within the process control environment. Primary responsibilities of experts in remote service centre (RSC) include server management, configurations, back-ups, batch/job scheduling, active directory support, etc.

Patch management
Operating system (OS) patches repair vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to exploit the control system architecture. The importance to system security of keeping OS patches up-to-date cannot be over-emphasised. Deploying patches to the process control nodes is one element of a comprehensive defence-in-depth strategy. IT specialists must verify that the OS patch does not affect the functionality of process control applications.

PCN system administration


In the days of proprietary control system, system administration requirement were limited and easily handled by the process control engineer. However, in modern open system, system administration is a major requirement as it allows greater flexibility in hardware and software, but with flexibility, the need to manage software releases, hardware compatibility and system integration has increased and places a significant load on the customer. This transition of responsibility can consume a tremendous amount of time

Virus protection
It is extremely important for plant IT organisation to keep their antivirus >

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software up-to-date. As we all know, anti-virus solutions can only detect those viruses they know about. This information is usually referred to as virus definition/signature/pattern, which must be updated on a regular basis. Most anti-virus solutions update their definition/signature/pattern automatically via the Internet at regular intervals. However, it is important that these anti-virus updates be tested and validated by the control system vendor to ensure full compatibility prior to installation. Best practice should be employed to keep PCN system up-to-date with latest anti virus definition patches, using an automated, yet controlled process. The virus protection service provided as part of the OSS provides for distribution and deployment of tested virus signature files remotely.

Perimeter management

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Perimeter management is part of a comprehensive defence-in-depth program incorporating multiple layers to protect the process control system and its associated process control network (PCN). Perimeter Management is an ongoing management service explicitly targeted at managing the perimeter between the corporate network and the PCN.

System performance monitoring


Tracking the impact on performance of day-to-day changes is critical to proactively manage open DCS. Monitoring allows users to see how close to the operating limits their system is running and make whatever adjustments are necessary. Many factors can affect the performance of an open system including introduction of software that is unqualified and even normal operational changes to human machine interface (HMI) graphics and control configuration. Left unchecked, the culmination of these changes can have a significant performance impact on a system and therefore continuous system performance monitoring is critical. But since performance monitoring also adds to system loading, it is imperative that only critical parameters be monitored on a frequency that is useful, but not intrusive. It is a fine balance and the DCS vendor is best qualified to know what and when to capture and when to determine if there is a need to capture additional information to manage an incident before it becomes a problem.

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Remote application hosting


Think of cloud computing, or what you imagine it might be and you have a pretty good picture of what remote application hosting is all about. It is not a fad. When business IT groups say no to a process IT need for a process related business application, remote application hosting is the answer. Application hosting is the service where applications used by a customer, run in the confinement of the secure services network (SSN) within the remote service centre (RSC). To further help customers manage their DCS and the various applications and tools at their disposal, the automation supplier provides a remote application hosting service that enables customers to take advantage of a cloud computing service where the vendor hosts these tools on their own servers, providing secure authenticated access to the users without the capital investment required.
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Remote connectivity
Many of the open system services depend on the remote access infrastructure, including: PCN system administration, patch management, virus protection, perimeter management, system performance monitoring and remote application hosting. The remote connectivity model used to provide these remote (manage) services makes use of the Purdue model level designations. Remote connectivity allows for remote analysis and actions including rapid deployment of specialists, collaboratively working a technical issue. This offers significant advantages - such as shorter time to action and therefore faster resolution time, availability of specialised skills and minimised travel cost. Remote connectivity not only offers secure access to the process control system, it additionally offers advanced and secure solutions for collaboration within the teams independent of the location of the various team members. These remote services provide value to customers by offering solutions that improve Safety Remotely operated facility Reduce the number of people working in site Reliability Process monitoring System performance monitoring System trouble shooting Efficiency Remote engineering Integration of centralised control Readily available expertise OS and application updates Anti-virus definition file update Remote hosting

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In summary
The move away from proprietary control platforms to open systems has provided process plants with significance performance improvements and cost saving along with the challenges. The open technology requires more adherences to system management, and at the same time, the technology facilitates greater access to system management options. Faced with shortage of skilled labour, plant will need solutions optimising their process control infrastructure and at the same time, taking pressure off of onsite resources. Remote services provide a cost effective and secure means to meet these system management needs. It also keeps tabs on bandwidth reduction, data throughput issues, error rates and other problems threatening to impact production. A broad suite of remote services is available through a simple yet secure remote connection to hundreds of process control systems and users around the world. The value from these remote services is evident, making the move to open technology a lot easier for the users.

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