SMART Infrastructure
- Scalability
- Flexibility
- Interoperability
Building a Reliable industrial communication network is crucial, due to the concern about the control systems…..
Smart infrastructure is the traditional infrastructure systems we rely on every day – transportation networks, energy grids, buildings, water supply networks, and more – but integrated with advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics.
By collecting data from sensors and other devices, these systems can be optimized to improve efficiency, sustainability, and safety. For instance, smart grids can use sensors and communication technologies to route electricity more efficiently, reducing energy waste. Traffic lights can be equipped with sensors to adjust timing based on real-time traffic flow, improving traffic congestion.
The advanced Communications and Networking Technology products (hardware/software) is play a key role for Smart Infrastructure building, which allow Increased Efficiency, Improved Sustainability, Enhanced Safety, and Better Decision-Making.
Reliability & Scalability
Smart infrastructure is a digitally advanced structure or facility that monitors, measures, analyses, communicates and acts based on large data or streaming data captured from any field asset. To catch up the applications requirement, industrial-grade communication solution products from front-end computing or controls to devices networking or network infrastructure from different media based on the environment needs. Below are tips for communication and networking technologies products may consider:
1. Reliability
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Industrial-grade designed to withstand extreme ambient weather environment
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Safety certification to ensure the durability, such as, UL, CE, FCC and related industries’ certifications
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Front-end computing/controller to ensure the stability non-stop operation
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Network Enabling devices for any legacy serial, Digital or Analog Input/Output, Ethernet-based devices be connected; such as using Serial-to-Ethernet, Ethernet I/O Gateways, Edge Ethernet Switches with Fiber and PoE options, Wireless with IEEE802.11 or Cellular LTE 4/5G.
2. Scalability
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High network performance with wide network bandwidth backbone support, such as, high density ports connectivity, multiple 10 Gigabit ports capability
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High density of Fiber Optics connectivity for long distance support
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Network Redundancy with options of fast network recovery protocols support to ensure field system network no downtime; such as, RSTP, ERPS, MRP, etc
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Leveraging Layer 2 and 3 Ethernet Managed switches for edge connectivity and data aggregation from different locations
Interoperability
Interoperability is very important for any communication and networking equipment, due to they are required to be designed and developed with most of the open standard technologies to interoperable with the backend administration or control center network. There are 4 major areas of the function/feature to be evaluate:
1. Network Redundant Function
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Software protocols such as RSTP/MSTP, Port Trunking, ERPS, MRP, etc.
2. Efficient Data & Network Performance
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Such as
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Loop Protection
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A mechanism to prevent loops occur with redundant connections between devices.
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NTP (Network Time Protocol)
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keeps all the devices on a network running on the same time
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802.Q VLAN (Virtual Local Network)
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Segment large scale network into different VLAN group to increase flexibility and security
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IGMP (Internet Grouping Management Protocol)
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To manage how devices join and leave groups for receiving multicast transmissions
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3. Efficient Network Management
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SNMPv1/2/3 (Small Network Management Protocol)
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It’s a widely used protocol for network monitoring and management of devices.
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RMON (Remote Network Management)
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A set of standards developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to facilitate monitoring network traffic on Ethernet segments.
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LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol)
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Allow network devices to advertise information about themselves to other devices on the same network
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4. Security functions
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HTTPS/TLS
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HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)
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A secure version of the standard HTTP protocol
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A foundation of communication between web browsers and servers
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IEEE 802.1X
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A port-based Network Access Control (NAC) protocol
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A security mechanism used on wired and wireless networks to authenticate devices trying to connect.
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RADIUS
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Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service
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Provides centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) management for devices and users trying to access a network
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TACACS+
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Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus
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Provides centralized Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) services for network access control.
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Offers more robust security features
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ACL (Access Control List)
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It act as security filters, controlling who can access files, folders, databases, applications, websites, or other network resources
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Flexibility
Building a robust Smart Infrastructure systems and communication network is critical, since the projects may take a certain period of years to accomplished, or ongoing having new added equipment or systems from period to period. The flexibility features of the communication or networking products is important, and below are few points to be considered:
1. Hardware
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Industrial Embedded Computers or Panel PC
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Due to the PC technology keeps evolving and will be replacing by new hardware components in different of period
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Any choices of different capacity of CPU and size of the products to meet the environment of the applications requirement
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Make sure the products availability will fulfill the project time-line, any extended warranty, or any alternative replacement policy
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Edge Connectivity networking equipment
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Ambient weather or environment withstand support, such as wide operating temperature support, i.e. -40 to 70 degree C
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Form factor and mounting ways to meet the application requirement; i.e. Compact & Slim design, Din-Rail, or Wall mounting or Rack mounting design
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Any modular designed with hot-swappable feature, which to allow the current systems and network would not require to be shutdown, if there’s any new addition asset to be added
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2. Software
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Computing Operating Systems (OS) and Application software
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need to evaluate which OS will be best meet the application and what last
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Hardware firmware
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whether suppliers would continue support the current chosen firmware version, or any future patch upgrade support
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Network management software tool would support large scale nodes
