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Table of Contents
Alarm Analysis: Capturing Alarms & Events from Militarized Network Domains
Overview
Intelligent Plant produces highly configurable tools for capturing and analyzing data.
We provide solutions that can be deployed in high-security/militarized network zones and reliably move data across networks, without compromising security.
This document describes best practice for a particular use-case:
How to collect Alarm & Event data from a Process Control Network and make available to Alarm Analysis on the Industrial App Store.
Terminology
Alarm Analysis | Intelligent Plant application that processes Alarm & Event data to produce interactive EEMUA (Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association) grade reports and analysis. |
Data Core Node | Intelligent Plant's data-routing and data-access software. Operates as a Windows service. |
Industrial App Store | Cloud portal for industrial apps (including online editions of Intelligent Plant applications). |
App Store Connect | An instance of Data Core Node pre-configured for secure connections with the Industrial App Store. |
PCN | Process Control Network. |
PIN | Process Information Network. |
BN | Business Network. Also referred to as the Enterprise Network. |
TCP | Transmission Control Protocol. A network communication protocol. |
Network Topology
- Alarm & Event data enters the PIN via a serial printer-port cable connected to a Serial to Ethernet Converter.
- This physical architecture guarantees one-way data-flow.
- The Data Core node installation on the PIN includes:
- TCP Printer Port listener (listening for input from the Serial to Ethernet Converter)
- Alarm & Event Collector (collecting A&E data from the PCN)
- a TCP Out Channel for data transfer
- The Data Core TCP Out Channel (on the PIN) initiates an authenticated TCP connection with App Store Connect (on the BN). Data transmitted on the TCP channel is signed and encrypted.
Alarm & Event data is sent to App Store Connect. App Store Connect responds with an acknowledgement. If the Alarm Analysis server fails to receive a positive acknowledgement, data is resubmitted.
- App Store Connect acts as local data processor and supports connections to the Industrial App Store.
App Store Connect incudes:- TCP Listener (listening for input from the Alarm Analysis server)
- Alarm & Event Collector (collecting A&E data from the Alarm Analysis server)
- Alarm Analysis Processing (converting A&E data to Alarm Analysis records)
Alarm Analysis data remains on the Business Network.
- App Store Connect initiates a connection to the Industrial App Store using Microsoft's SignalR technology. This supports secure 2-way communication which allows App Store apps to connect and query data on the Business Network.
Access to data via App Store Connect is only available if explicitly shared with another App Store User (see step 7).
For more information, refer to the App Store Wiki: Connection Security. - The Industrial App Store: a cloud portal of industrial applications that can connect to business data sources through App Store Connect.
- Users inside and outside the Business Network (e.g. office and home workers) access Alarm Analysis via the Internet. They log-in to the Industrial App Store and select the Alarm Analysis app.
NB. App Store users must be granted access to the Alarm Analysis data source (configured on the Business Network App Store Connection).
For instructions on sharing data, refer to the App Store Wiki: Share Data with other App Store Users.
Deployment and Configuration Guide
The network topology above assumes data crosses into the PIN via a serial printer feed.
In order to collect data on the printer stream and transfer to the BN we need to undertake the following:
- Install a Data Core node on the PCN
- Install App Store Connect on the PIN
The configuration of these Nodes is as follows:
1. PIN: Data Core Node
For detailed instructions on how to deploy Data Core node, see: stand-alone_installation
Configure the following Data Core components (assume default settings unless otherwise stated):
TCP Printer Stream | |
---|---|
Description | Listen and parse data arriving on TCP channel |
Type | TCP Printer (Event Source) |
TCP Port | 9000 |
Message Delimiter | New Line {\n} |
Maximum Characters per Scan | 4000 |
Fast TCP Out | |
---|---|
Description | Immediate data transfer to the Business Network |
Type | TCP Event Sink (Event Sink) |
TCP Server Host | [ IP Address of server hosting “Fast TCP In” ] |
TCP Server Port | 11000 |
Username | [Service account with access to server hosting “Fast TCP In” ] |
Password | [Service account password with access to server hosting “Fast TCP In” ] |
Check Response | No |
Subscribes to: | TCP Printer Stream |
Big Data Sink | |
---|---|
Description | Save data to the Big Data Store |
Type | Big Data Event Sink (Event Sink) |
Big Data URL | http://localhost:9200 |
Subscribes to: | TCP Printer Stream |
Big Data Source | |
---|---|
Description | Retrieve collected data from Big Data Store |
Type | Big Data Event Source (Event Source) |
Big Data URL | http://localhost:9200 |
Index Filter | tcpprinterstream.evt_* |
Sleep Period | 30 |
Lag | 60 |
TCP Out | |
---|---|
Description | Resilient data transfer to the Business Network |
Type | TCP Event Sink (Event Sink) |
TCP Server Host | [ IP Address of server hosting “Fast TCP In” ] |
TCP Server Port | 11000 |
Username | [Service account with access to server hosting “Fast TCP In” ] |
Password | [Service account password with access to server hosting “Fast TCP In” ] |
Check Response | Yes |
Subscribes to: | Big Data Source |
2. BN: App Store Connect
For detailed instructions on how to deploy App Store Connect, see: how_to_connect_your_data_to_the_app_store
Configure the following Data Core components (assume default settings unless otherwise stated):
TCP In | |
---|---|
Description | Receive data from Process Information Network |
Type | TCP Event Source (Event Source) |
TCP Server Port | 11000 |
Big Data Sink | |
---|---|
Description | Save data to the Big Data Store |
Type | Big Data Event Sink (Event Sink) |
Big Data URL | http://localhost:9200 |
Big Data Refresh Interval | 5s |
Subscribes to: | TCP In |
3. Firewall Requirements
Intelligent Plant software is firewall friendly and designed to operate across firewall protected network zones.
Firewall | Requirements |
---|---|
BN:Internet Network Firewall | TCP Port 443 open to outbound traffic from computer hosting App Store Connect and user machines to: https://appstore.intelligentplant.com https://login.microsoftonline.com * * Required for Azure Active Directory log-in. For instructions on enabling log-in to the App Store with business accounts, refer to: App Store Registration for Organisations. |
Computer hosting App Store Connect | Windows Firewall TCP Port 443 open to outbound traffic TCP Port 11000 open to inbound traffic |
PIN:BN Network Firewall | TCP Port 11000 open to outbound traffic |
PCN:PIN Network Firewall | No inbound access required. |
4. Alarm Analysis Processing
So far, we've moved Alarm & Event data across a network. We are now ready to configure Alarm Analysis processing.
[Link to AA Import Guide here…]