Communications/Telemetry
Enhanced cyber security, unaffected data speed
A
utomation networks are becoming more interconnected and network security is now
an extremely high priority. However, industrial secure routers that protect control networks can compromise data speed because they need to take time to process and filter communications. This creates serious problems for time- critical and bandwidth-hungry applications, such as video surveillance. Strong network security
doesn’t need to weigh down network performance. Moxa’s secure routers enhance cyber security for the automation network while still maintaining smooth data transmission. Moxa offers the right secure router
for every network level. While EDR-G903 with Dual WAN offers 500 Mbps throughput for the whole system, EDR-G902 offers the best price- performance ratio for single zones like process control with 300 Mbps. The EDR-810 Multiport Secure Router with 110 Mbps ensures the best
integration in special cells on device level. Moxa´s gigabit performance secure routers
offer key features that allow for enhanced security on all levels, above all up to 500 Mbps data throughput for fast real-time communication. The routers support the VPN function for data encryption, VPN server for dynamic remote management, and the standard protocols IPSec, L2TP, PPTP. Firewall and NAT secure remote access and safeguard critical field devices. The routers protect from unauthorised connections to PLCs, RTUs or DCS and isolate devices with malfunctions, so that they cannot send data packets to the entire network.
The router´s embedded PacketGuard
function performs Modbus TCP Deep Packet Inspection. ●
For more information, visit
www.moxa.com
Dynamic positioning for accommodation vessel
G
E Power Conversion supplied of dynamic positioning (DP) for a vessel Floating
Accommodation Unit that Cosco (Nantong) Shipyard in Nantong City, China, is building for Logitel Offshore, the Singapore-based floating logistics and accommodation rig owner that has an exclusive license agreement to use the proprietary Sevan Marine design within the floating accommodation market. The project includes a C-Series Class 3 DP system and manual thruster control system. Sevan Marine specialises in units with
cylindrical hulls, but until now it has used the design only for Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units and deep water Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODU). Sevan hulls are suitable for operation in water depths of more than 3,000 metres, and the units are designed to operate in extreme conditions. This puts a particular emphasis on the DP system. GE is up to the task: the DP system for the new accommodation vessel complies with DNV’s DYNPOS-AUTRO notation. ●
For more information, visit
www.gepowerconversion.com
Modern telemetry: the rise of virtualisation T
ypical modern pipeline telemetry systems are made up of long chains of computers and
communications equipment such as integrated control and safety systems, fiscal metering systems, RTUs, network switches/routers, Line of Sight / satellite equipment and onshore data servers. In addition there may be data links between
different operator companies. The designer of the telemetry system will have to reconcile the network and data security requirements of several different vendors and corporate IT departments. Perhaps the biggest issue with telemetry
systems is the use of update on change systems. Many legacy (and some new systems too) use algorithms that only transmit data values when they change. This leads to problems when there are long chains of computers and communications equipment. The typically failure scenario is when an
emergency shutdown on an oil production platform causes the power down some item of communications equipment which should have
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been on a UPS. The pipeline telemetry RTU detects the closure of the pipeline isolation valves but the transmission of the change fails to reach the other end of the telemetry system since there is a break in the communications chain. When the communications link is restored the new state of the valve is not propagated since it has not changed. The solution to this issue to ensure that update on change systems are not implemented! In other words all the current pipeline values should be sent on every transmission cycle. This also has the advantage of imposing a constant base load on the communications system. If the communications system can cope with the base load you know that the system will cope if all the data changes at once. Virtualisation technologies are increasing being used in pipeline telemetry. Virtual machines in data centres have been used for some years as onshore pipeline data servers. They are starting to appear offshore too. They offer advantages such as resilience to hardware failure, automated online
data back-up and provide a consistent software environment. Testing and deploying new software configurations becomes much easier too since it is easy to set-up new virtual machines. However there are some special issues to watch out for with virtualization technology. The main one is the use of network attached storage. If the storage array is on a different machine to the compute server and there is a network interruption, your software has to be able to cope with the file system disappearing on you temporarily ! Although modern telemetry systems are
getting faster, more sophisticated and easier to change it is important not to loose sight of basic principles such as engineering change management, software version control and testing. ●
For more information ✔ at
www.engineerlive.com/iog
Rupert Williams is a director with RUP Limited, Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, UK.
www.rup.co.uk
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