PLANT MANAGEMENT
data storage prerogatives. Cybersecurity will be the sole responsibility of the operator, who may find comfort in the fact that their data lives on a server in their own office. However, the downside to having all that control is that you must maintain all the hardware, architecture and software, which if done poorly can translate to a much higher cost, risk and obsolescence. Typically, IT management is not the core value-adding function of an industrial business, and therefore many companies choose to forgo the additional expense of systems and people to maintain them and instead gravitate towards a cloud-based system.
BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING Te biggest advantage of cloud-based SCADA is the outsourcing of all hardware, software and security ownership and management responsibilities. Te cloud- based SCADA provider becomes responsible for keeping the system running 24/7 as well as handling all the maintenance, data back- ups and continual software improvements, without causing disruption to normal operations. A software-as-a-service (SaaS) model ensures the most up-to-date software, but the end user can focus on their main business, while reducing costs, personnel requirements and risk exposure. It is also worth noting that installing on-premises software on an organisation’s server, PCs and laptops, can be quite time-consuming. Cloud-based software, on the other hand, can be deployed over the internet in just hours. Overall, on-premises SCADA is generally
very conducive to businesses who have the resources and will to manage their systems and operate assets that are generally located in close proximity and of high sophistication, such as a refinery or power
Screenshot taken from a SCADA system
generation plant. Cloud-based systems are ideal for operators of multiple disparate, remotely located assets spread over large distances. For many emerging industries, such as sustainable hydrogen production and solar power generation, cloud-based SCADA is becoming essential. Typically, assets are quite small and dispersed and deploying SCADA systems at these sites is not possible because infrastructure such as data networks, servers and IT rooms, is not available.
Cloud-based SCADA is also ideal for businesses that would like to outsource their SCADA management functions to a trusted third-party that can always seamlessly deliver the latest version. Tis ensures continuous improvements to functionality and security, while giving operations the ability to easily scale the system with their business at a lower overhead cost.
SECURITY COMPARISON Security is an essential consideration for any SCADA system. If you adopt an on-premises system, ideally you will have an entire team focused on security that are abreast of all most recent potential threats and viruses and have a resiliency plan in place. Large companies usually have security departments that can handle this very well. If that security expertise is not available in-house, then a solution such as Emerson’s Zedi SaaS SCADA is perhaps the better option. Te Zedi IIoT (Industrial Internet of Tings) platform was ‘born in the cloud’ meaning it was developed from the ground up within a cloud system and runs on Microsoft Azure. In terms of the data networks, the connections are encrypted and secured from the communication device back to the Zedi platform infrastructure through dedicated access point names and virtual private networks. To further safeguard data, real-time customer data back-ups are performed. Many organisations with remotely located assets leverage the Zedi platform to acquire data from any digital monitoring hardware. Tis provides their staff with advanced analytics and web interfaces then help to improve decision- making by presenting role-specific actionable data to the appropriate authorised users.
Cyril Pinede is with Emerson
www.emerson.com
Plant managers must choose between on-premises or cloud-based SCADA
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