Un New LOGO, something that is close to our past but looks to the future.
Un SYMBOL, an image that represents who we are and what we do.
ServiTecno has a new look but always remains the same, a company attentive to customer needs, a technological partner able to advise you before, during and after the creation of your industrial applications
The origins of ServiTecno they can even be found inside the Leonardo Da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan, where some are exhibited instruments made by Vittorio and Eraldo Tieghi. From the ingenious intuitions of the pair of Milanese brothers and engineers Tieghi, in fact, precise measuring instruments are born, real ancestors of modern sensors. In 1979 the two founded ServiTecno and within five years they begin to distribute the first real SCADA, or FIX.
Il present and future of ServiTecno instead I am with you, who realize uses for the AUTOMATION INDUSTRIAL in optics INDUSTRY4.0.
I standards of Industry/Enterprise 4.0 require the pervasiveness of control systems to allow further extraction of data and information that allow for optimal management of the plants: we often talk about the replication of the measurements of the sensors from machinery and plants in a "Digital Twin", a digital twin of the machine or plant itself, which allows for "blank" experiments and simulations and to verify if everything that happens in the reality can be further improved.
New architectures see the use of applications and data transmission in the Cloud. The Cloud is already widespread for all management and individual IT applications within the Company and for IT-managed systems: in many organizations there is already talk of “multi-Cloud” in how much the IT infrastructure already uses different Clouds from different vendors today (think Microsoft Office365, Azure, AWS, Google, etc.).
The watchword of ServiTecno4.0 is VISIBILITY!
The cloud in the factory and the risk of proliferation of sensors and data
The Cloud is also appearing on the Plant Floor: industrial companies already use applications that send data to the Cloud from machines whose performance and state of health are monitored by external suppliers and maintainers.
One of the requirements for making data flow to Cloud Analytics applications is evidently having the data available and therefore having the sensors distributed where they are needed on the machinery and plant to be monitored.
Therefore, if the Cloud offers great opportunities for those who want to investigate the causes and effects of their systems, on the other hand a problem is created related to how data from areas that are often deliberately isolated (not connected) are "made available" in the past.
Some propose to "take shortcuts": add sensors to the system and establish a direct connection to the Cloud using additional devices dedicated to this function.
And sometimes this is seen as the “easiest” way.
But there are obvious contraindications that we briefly illustrate here:
- Wire sensors on an existing plant it can be extremely expensive
- sensors and additional components impose further calibrations and maintenance
- Add sensors for the same measurements detected by sensors already present on the system requires validation of the measurement: a which of the two measurements believe and take for truthful?
- Opening additional communication channels to the internet exposes you to new ones cyber security risks
In most applications we already have these measurements and data via sensors connected to the machine that send instrument and PLC data connected to the control system and data acquisition SCADA systems, often also to Historian for storage for information extraction and analytics purposes .
So then it is enough to map these sensors and extractable data and alarms, and only if further measurements are required are these new sensors added.
SCADA4.0 and data from the factory to the CLOUD
The ways then to make the data flow to the higher levels are already defined in the majority of applications: they are the ones that in the IEC62443 standards are called “(logical) conduits”, where communications are made to transit between one "zone" and another "zone" of the factory OT (Operational Technology) system.
However, the data structures are different in each Cloud (in fact, everything depends on how the Vendor has designed its application).
They come in handy here REST API, i.e. Representational State Transfer (REST) API application program interface to make distributed systems talk to each other using a protocol that can be used on the Internet.
REST APIs (obviously if well designed and developed according to standards of good IT engineering) are reliable and secure because they do not influence the production process in any way and give the possibility to create the perfect BRIDGE to the Cloud: you work in parallel and for this reason new vulnerabilities are not created (compared to those that may already be present in the system ...)
It is important today to evaluate solutions through which the data maintain the requirements that define them as "secure" (confidential, intact, available + authenticated and non-repudiable by CIA and ALCOA for Data Integrity), and in this perspective are the PDBs (Process Database) and process historians who have to guarantee all these characteristics and at the same time make the data available to those who can derive value from it.
The coupled GE Digital's iFix and Historian does just that: it acquires data, historicizes with precision and reliability and gives the possibility to send data to the CLOUD via REST API.
“Traditional SCADA”, “Redundant SCADA” and “SCADA4.0”
SCADA4.0 stands for High Performance, High Availability, High Availability SCADA System.
The idea behind a SCADA4.0 system is that in order to manage, monitor and supervise a plant that must produce always providing maximum performance, "without interruptions", a system is needed that guarantees maximum uptime and functions in turn "without interruptions".
Used in numerous applications made in many industrial sectors, GE Digital's iFIX SCADA it is used in control and remote control systems, both for simple applications and for applications SCADA complex and distributed, with also analytics and data aggregation (Big Data) and filtering and distributed alarm management.
iFix satisfies the industry standards of multiple sectors, both in industry and in utilities, and is ideal if integrated with historicization systems (such as the integrated Historian) and with a view to highly computerized management, according to the canons of Digitization 4.0, industrial internet and Industrial IoT (Internet of Things).
GE Digital's iFix HMI/SCADA software package, distributed and supported in Italy by ServiTecno (https://www.servitecno.it/prodotti/ge-ifix-hmi-scada/) has always been synonymous with great reliability and is universally used in SCADA systems and critical applications in both the industrial and utility worlds.
Now iFix has reached Version 6.0, innovative for its excellent process visualization and data acquisition, analysis, SUPERVISION and CONTROL adds new and advanced graphics performance from a UX perspective (User Experience, also usable from mobile devices), scalability is better maintainability, in addition to the more than tested and recognized reliability and safety.
In case it is required, the iFix SCADA provides and supports redundant SCADA configurations, master/slave, with options/Fail Over functions: we then have a pair of servers in a redundant configuration, called a Master and the second back-up Slave, connected directly to each other, to be kept aligned in the data, events and alarms detected from the field, as well as of course all the operator's commands .
In the event of anomalies and possible failure of the Master server, the back-up slave server takes over the control and supervision function to all effects, so as to ensure continuity of operation and operation on the SCADA system.
The switch over, the takeover from one system to another can be configured with a watch-dog and can also take place in terms of a few seconds: this solution developed only with the features inherent in iFix, regardless of any hardware and/or operating system problems that could occur and which could eventually affect the correct functionality of the SCADA.
SCADA4.0 designed for 99,999% Uptime
La SCADA4.0 solution which we have successfully tested and which we now offer for the supervision of plants in industry and utilities (also for OSEs subject to NIS regulations) provides for joint installation on a pair of servers of a SCADA application with GE Digital's iFix software package underpinning the software everRun Enterprise di STRATUS TECHNOLOGIES. everRun Enterprise, Stratus' High Availability software solution, prevents downtime: unlike other solutions, it doesn't stop with simple recovery.
This difference has a big impact on SCADA functionality, and big benefits in terms of costs, business continuity, customer satisfaction goals and efficiency values. everRun Enterprise is easy to use: it couldn't be simpler, thanks to installation "click and go” and centralized management tools, which give IT/OT staff a complete set of command and control.
The monitoring and notification functions are some of the reasons why it is called “worry-free computing”. With everRun Enterprise, you can use standard Wintel/x86 servers and consequently the existing skills in the company, without the need for particular supplies of special hardware and rare IT specializations.
In addition to high availability, everRun Enterprise also enables the use fault-tolerant of applications in Windows and Linux, single and multi-threaded, without having to introduce changes in hardware and software configuration.
And complex and expensive NAS structures are not required. SCADA4.0 with Edge for the Cloud SCADA4.0 can also be installed on "edge": the new class of servers designed to be placed "on the border" between the factory network and the Cloud.
In this regard, we would like to propose an edge like ztCEdge by Stratus Tecnology. ztCEdge was designed for Industry4.0, to increase efficiency, reduce costs and downtime.
It installs quickly and can be managed completely remotely, significantly reducing the effort typically required by IT to deploy a data processing solution in the field.
Self-protection and self-monitoring features help reduce unplanned downtime and ensure High Availability in business-critical industrial applications.
The ztCEdge are robust and specifically designed for use in industrial contexts, for "on the edge" installations.
They can be DIN rail mounted and be up and running in less than 30 minutes.
They are simple to manage and can be used in a redundant configuration as well as hot swapping. They are also continuously monitored by Stratus and automatically synchronize with running processes.
Su ztC Edge operates an integrated virtualization platform Stratus Redundant Linux which is capable of running up to 3 separate virtual machines, each with different industrial control or IIoT applications.
A management tool, the ztC Console, simplifies the setup, configuration and management of virtual machines, even remotely.
SCADA4.0, OT CyberSecurity proof of Business Continuity
One of the cornerstones of Business Continuity is to encourage attention to cyber risk, which could lead to production or service interruptions.
Since, as we have said, they have been present and operating in many industrial and utility sectors for years control and telecontrol systems (SCADA) for the management of plants and physical infrastructures, it is necessary for the Companies to pay particular attention to the aspects of operational continuity and protection from IT risks precisely in the field of OT (Operation Technology) systems.
The industrial networks, once considered safe because they are physically separated from the "rest of the world" and built on proprietary protocols, have become one of the weak points on which companies must intervene.
Un first step, for example, should be the network activity monitoring.
A traffic anomaly it might in fact be indication of a malfunction or even sabotage induced by an unauthorized intrusion into company systems.
The monitoring systems of the network infrastructure and OT systems, such as the one developed by Nozomi Networks, in addition to giving visibility on what is happening, provide Anomaly Detection functions, and can represent a good level of "early warning" to protect networks and control systems and to safeguard the controlled plant.
These are solutions that carry out a complete mapping of the infrastructure, identifying exactly every single component, what type, make and model it is, the firmware and software version used, the communication rules, analyze the relationships between the various devices, terminals and other devices (PLC, RTU, switch, router, etc.) participating in the network and traffic volumes, helping to define the rules of "normal" communication, permitted protocols, ports and "conduit" to be carefully monitored, and, consequently, to recognize any illegitimate communications and behavior, unexpected connections, outdated devices, dubious, missing or useless firewalling rules, and much more.
In practice, they allow you to have the whole infrastructure under control, and in an absolutely passive way, to notice if there are any attacks or malfunctions both in the infrastructure and in the connected devices.
Asset visibility and SCADA4.0 configuration control
A critical issue for SCADA4.0 systems. it is then that linked to the management of assets (for example PLC, HMI-SCADA, robots, ICS, DCS, PC, servers, switches, firewalls, but not only) that are increasingly numerous and distributed, often governed by firmware and software to be updated periodically or sporadically, with sometimes third-party maintenance teams and specialized operators who have to deal with a very varied installed base that requires many different skills and constant attention to be maintained with updated documentation and controlled activity.
Not to mention regulation and related compliance, such as at NIS for example.
To have an effective management capacity of these assets it is important to have tools that keep track of all changes and keep backup copies of all versions of installed applications. In this way, in case a recovery is necessary following a failure, an accident or a cyber attack, it will be possible restore your system in no time, gaining precious hours (if not days) in production and/or continuity in the provision of service.
A system like MDT AutoSave Software also allows you to detect any differences between the runtime running on a controller and what "should" be there, thus allowing to prevent possible alterations of the machine code by saboteurs, as has already occurred in the past (for example with Stuxnet in 2010 and later in other episodes, even recent ones, reported in the press and on the web).
Visibility on the plant beyond SCAD4.0.
There are some other functions that we can consider "ancillary" in a SCADA4.0 but which can give great benefits in terms of visibility on the plant and be of great help to operators and managers in the optimal management of the controlled plants always in the direction of guaranteeing the highest level of Business Continuity in the provision of the service.
iFIX SCADA software is integrated with Ocean Data Systems DreamReport and WIN911, two solutions of fundamental importance able to increase the "visibility" in SCADA4.0 In fact, DreamReport allows you to create automatic and dynamic reports (with REAL-TIME and HISTORICAL data) on production parameters and plant management with simple procedures: in fact, it is the first software analytical reporting that does not require the writing of code, is user friendly and is specially designed for control and remote control applications in Industry as in Utilities.
It was designed to be the simplest solution for extracting data from any source (proprietary or standard) by automating report creation and distributing it to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Basically there are two reasons which push to develop Reports and Dashboards analysis in Real-Time: the first is compliance, documentation required by regulations and specific bodies in order to verify compliance with the regulations, the second is more closely linked to performance monitoring.
Let's also talk about the alarms generated by SCADA4.0
Dream Report has been designed to perform reporting and alarm analysis functions: it is an ideal solution for the phases of operation, maintenance and monitoring of strategies according to what is dictated by the ISA 18.2 standard regarding the management of plant alarms and which we want to adopt for its optimal management.
Linked to the alarms there is a further aspect that can see a tool like WIN911 of great benefit, which allows you to bring the alarms to the operators on any type of mobile device (smartphone, tablet, etc.) WIN-911® is a real-time alarm notification platform that works in conjunction with SCADA software for plant monitoring, with the aim of alerting personnel in case of conditions that require attention and direct interventions.
Conclusions
As seen, for Industry4.0, for SCADA control and remote control systems it will be necessary to adopt an approach to the specific OT Cyber Security, which allows to protect networks and automation systems from cyber risk to ensure continuity of operation and therefore operational continuity in the provision of the service.
For this reason, for some time ServiTecno has been distributing and supporting a family of products in the so-called SCADA4.0 track, i.e. High Performance and High Availability SCADA.
For Industry4.0 and Utility4.0, in this economic and technological innovation moment we are experiencing, defined by many as the fourth industrial revolution, we see the complexity of industrial systems grow dramatically, linked on the one hand to the increase in "intelligent" devices , and on the other to the progressive interconnection and integration both between the different areas of the plant, and between the production and management systems, both in industry and in utilities
ServiTecno, which has been focused on software-driven innovation since 1979, is able to offer an answer to this need at different levels, with its own competence and professionalism, as well as of course a series of software and hardware products specifically designed and developed for the industrial world.
https://searchmicroservices.techtarget.com/definition/RESTful-API
Since then the company has been able to solve problems related to the process with innovative and reliable solutions, so as to become a reference supplier in a highly regulated sector such as Pharma & Life Science and beyond. For over 25 years ServiTecno has been distributing and supporting the software solutions of the Proficy family of GE Intelligent Platforms for automation, control and Production Management on the Italian market. The distribution agreement provides for the marketing and pre- and post-sales support of the range of software solutions from GE Digital's Proficy family, of which PREDIX extension represents the most recent solution introduced on the Italian market.