November/December 2020

38 n CONTROLS, HMIs AND SOFTWARE November/December 2020 www.drivesncontrols.com Can Scada build bridges between OT and IT? T he role of Scada is changing, moving from being a convenient tool for managing plants or processes, to becoming a vital part of the digital make-up of factories and utility sites. This is raising Scada platforms to a prominent position in the digital transformation of industry and the new business models that this is creating. For many, the main barrier to digital transformation is the lack of transparent network paths between the OT (operational technology) systems on the plant floor, and IT (information technology) systems at the enterprise level. In today’s competitive environment, the commercial success of a business depends on both OT and IT staff having quick and easy access to timely and relevant data to allow efficient plant operation and management decisions. The questions, then, are: n What will form the bridge between the separate levels of the enterprise? n How will it deal with the mix of new and legacy technologies on the plant floor? n How will it interface seamlessly with a range of database technologies and management software platforms such as MES and ERP? and n How will it interface with the cloud to enable remote plant monitoring and data analysis? When developing a new bridging technology from scratch, these are not trivial questions. The multiple data sources from many different manufacturers that the technology needs to interface with might seem an insurmountable challenge. However, Scada systems have long offered the ability to interact with new and legacy software and hardware. They are continuing to evolve to satisfy the interfacing needs of the latest systems. Preferred protocol Addressing another part of the challenge, it is becoming clear that OPC UA is the preferred protocol for connections between the worlds of OT and IT. But a conduit without a gateway to manage the data flow would quickly become overwhelmed, particularly given the Industrial Internet of Things trend to have all devices linked and communicating. Scada can provide the bridge between OT and IT, aggregating plant floor data, filtering it, and translating it into the required OPC UA format for transmission to the next level. So Scada, with its huge library of connectivity options for new and legacy components, third-party automation controllers and associated systems – plus its data translation capabilities – can be seen as the enabler for seamless communications between the plant floor and the wider enterprise. As a bridge between the plant floor and the higher- level systems, it provides the means to contextualise data, adding meaning to raw information. At the same time, it can transform that data into easy-to-understand graphical representations, allowing users to reap the benefits of improved visualisation and enhanced productivity. The same Scada bridge can also be an enabler for transmitting data to and from the cloud, again taking advantage of OPC UA as the network protocol. Today’s Scada applications can even be hosted in the cloud, supporting Web services plus MQTT and IT connectivity such as SNMP or ICMP to monitor IT assets. A further challenge of digital transformation is that increased connectivity brings with it increased cyber- risks. But again, the latest trends in security in Scada systems can help, enabling system developers to implement robust defence strategies against cyber-attacks. This can be achieved as part of the design process, without compromising usability. As a result, Scada becomes the platform for creating advanced, integrated and secure systems that deliver real value to businesses. Scada platforms, such as Mitsubishi’s Maps 4, allow users to develop sophisticated visualisation applications more quickly, as well as supporting IT/OT connections. n Scada applications are becoming an important element for establishing connections between OT and IT levels in industry. Christian Nomine, strategic product manager for visualisation of factory automation at Mitsubishi Electric Europe, explains how.