What is meant by Change Management and Configuration Control in process architectures?

The plants operate in an automated manner thanks to the control systems, from the PLC on board the machine, up to the management system via SCADA and other platforms for data logging, analysis, etc…the set of applications that run on factory PLCs and PCs (and not) defines the system architecture.

What happens if an operator or maintainer has to modify these applications? About has track of change? What is the correct version of the application?

How can you keep under control every single PLC, SCADA, DCS, etc…

Have a platform for Change Management & Version Control it means giving concrete and clear answers to the questions just posed:

  • EVERY SINGLE VARIATION IS TRACKED, therefore it is possible to trace every single detail about it: who made it, when, why.
  • THE BACKUP OF THE APPLICATIONS IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE: checking which version is running or reverting to a previous one will be very simple.

These features are essential for the perfect functioning of the system especially in highly regulated environments (Pharma, F&B, Chemical, Iron and Steel, etc…), but is hiring aimportance even higher in the field of CYBER SECURITY with the growth of THREATS IT.

The question to ask today is: HOW LONG WILL I BE ABLE TO RESTART AFTER A CYBER INCIDENT? It is easy to understand how a "repository" containing all the updated versions of the applications makes restarting easier and faster.

Change and configuration management

The processes of change management can reduce downtime of automation systems, too of 70% (and some examples can also demonstrate it).

Change Management it means more things and may require interventions of a different nature.

In the first place it requires interventions of an organizational nature:

  • define the change management process,
  • review all changes with an involved team
  • define a quick and safe intervention plan to restore a stable situation if problems arise.

    Do you have a repository with all system applications?

Il change management it must also provide the guidelines to be respected for the IT/OT systems in production. In particular the guarantee that any technological changes (application software, hardware, firmware, operating system, …) is made to control systems, PLCs, robots, automation and supervision, can be tested, traced and uniquely used, in the direction of DevOps strategies: therefore one cannot ignore the use of systems of change and configuration management (CMS) designed for OT.

In every plant there are critical components of the automation and control system and it can happen that a PLC or a computer no longer works, or a disk crash occurs and one does not know which version of an application is running in the system when a plant/machine shutdown occurs.

Furthermore (not to add the Industrial Cyber ​​Security theme in this article), in recent times we have seen examples of how even factory systems have been reached by malware e ransomware who blocked PCs and Servers in the factory, blocking the plants.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT & CONFIGURATION CONTROL from the point of view of the TECHNICIAN: 3 reasons to use a software for Change Control & Configuration Management

Downtime then takes on a new, dramatic dimension.

Without the presence of a mechanism that is part of the entire maintenance phase, the reboot application it can be difficult and expensive. (RPO-RTO)

The availability pyramid: how critical is your system?The availability pyramid: how critical is your system?

 

This reason alone would suffice to declare the change management critical for and systems PLC/HMI/SCADA.

In fact, many users can lose hours or days of work due to lack of an up-to-date and reliable backup of the current application.

Try asking yourself:

  • how many and which are the PLCs that control the production process?
  • Is a PC with critical SCADA being used by several operators over multiple shifts?
  • Are the PLC and PC-SCADA programs stored in a safe and secure place?
  • Are the backups kept up to date?
  • Have we ever tried to do a restart, a recovery from these back-ups?
  • Are the versions under control for updates and configuration changes?
  • Can you restart quickly in the event of errors, accidents, anomalies and breakdowns that require you to reload the software on the devices (PLC, PC, etc.)?
  • How long does it take to find, identify and re-upload the correct software version to correct the problem and restart production?
  • And how much does a stoppage and lost production cost?

An effective configuration management system that has advanced Plug-ins for most of the PLCs, Panels, SCADA-HMI, Robots, CNC-DNC, present on the market, allows to manage the configuration of automation devices and the application software.

ServiTecno's proposal for CHANGE MANAGEMENT & CONFIGURATION CONTROL