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cannot be intercepted and used for malicious purposes. Together, these factors
result in a complex and expensive architecture for remote communications
within an Oil and Gas operation.
The Current Host-Centric Model
Some form of
data collection
must exist in
order to provide
connectivity
between the
applications
consuming the
data and the field
devices providing
the data.
The Host-Centric
Model is not a
cost effective
solution when the
system must be
scaled.
Figure 1: In the Host-Centric Model, several different data collectors are required to
provide data locally at the facility and remotely to SCADA, EFM Collection, and other
applications. The plant PLCs and Flow Computers receive multiple requests for the
same data, diminishing available bandwidth.
Next, the Host-Centric Model is not a cost effective solution when the system
must be scaled. Typically, there are multiple client applications running on
multiple computers that are interested in collecting the same data. This results
in multiple data collectors making the same requests to the same devices at
roughly the same time. This inefficiency not only uses unnecessary bandwidth,
but can quickly become expensive in cases where there is a cost-per-byte for
the data being transmitted.
Lastly, many of the vendor-specific protocols were developed with the
knowledge of these bandwidth limitations and cost concerns. As such, vendors
have focused on engineering these protocols down to the bare minimum
required to access the data within the device. These protocols are inherently
unsecure and can be easily deciphered or subject to man-in-the-middle attacks.
This may not be a concern when communications are limited to a private
network with physical barriers; however, there usually comes a time when this
data needs to be made available externally over public networks, and secure
communications will need to be implemented.
The New Distributed Communications Architecture
A feature-rich and properly implemented Distributed Communications
Architecture addresses these issues. In this model, data collectors are no longer
required to live on the same computer as the client applications. Instead, they
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can exist on any computer that is tied into the communications network. In this
way, a single data collector can service multiple client applications interested in
the same data from the same devices. By removing the inefficiency of making
repeated requests, less bandwidth is needed to provide the same data set.
Multiple data collectors can be spread out across multiple computers that
are closer to the field devices, each with their own exclusive connection to
the network. This allows communications across the various device types to
run concurrently, shortening the overall time it takes to acquire all of the data
and saving costs for those pay-per-byte connections. As an added benefit,
communications to other devices will no longer be affected if a device happens
to be unresponsive.
By removing the
inefficiency of
making repeated
requests, less
bandwidth is
needed to provide
the same data set.
OPC UA also
provides the
secure exchange
of data between
these components
by prescribing
well-known
and adopted IT
practices.
unsecure and should not be used to transmit sensitive data over public
networks.
A Distributed Communications Architecture removes the problems
found in the Host-Centric Model. This architecture optimizes
communications requests between client applications and field
devices, minimizing bandwidth usage and cost. By leveraging secure
communication methodologies, this architecture adds the appropriate
level of security required to transmit data over the public domain.
The technology
needed to move
from a HostCentric Model
to a Distributed
Communications
Architecture is
available today.