Enterprises have extensively deployed Software program Outlined WAN (SDWAN) over the previous 10 years. The answer delivers assurance for purposes, each within the cloud and within the information middle, particularly for distant customers. The migration of many enterprise purposes to the cloud through the pandemic has additional pushed using SDWAN. However does it provide any actual advantages for utilities? Can it assist utilities with deploying WAN connectivity to substations and distributed renewable vitality websites? The reply is certainly Sure! And SDWAN may even present advantages to simplify and streamline the provisioning of WAN infrastructure to those distant operational websites.
Most utilities in the present day are used to constructing giant networks using applied sciences equivalent to Web Protocol Safety (IPsec) and Dynamic Multipoint Digital Personal Community (DMVPN) to encrypt important Supervisory Management and Information Acquisition (SCADA) communications, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) for the underlying transport community, and public or non-public mobile for distant websites with no different WAN connectivity. SDWAN brings these applied sciences collectively and allows automation to significantly simplify deployments.
Automation advantages
- Zero Contact deployment of area gateways (i.e., no area employees required to configure a gateway)
- Easy provisioning of service VPNs to segregate site visitors (SCADA, CCTV, PMU, IP Telephony and so on)
- Templated configurations making it straightforward to vary configuration and push it to gateways.
- Software of unified safety insurance policies throughout a various vary of distant websites and gear
- Managing a number of backhaul connectivity choices on the gateway together with non-public MPLS for important SCADA site visitors and mobile for backup and even internet-based connections for non-critical site visitors, the place applicable.
- Lifecycle administration of gateways (e.g., firmware updates, alarm monitoring and statistics)
Deploying an SDWAN Overlay additionally permits the utility to regulate the end-to-end IP addressing schemes and take away the necessity to engineer advanced routing plans primarily based on the underlying transport community, very often supplied by a third get together service supplier. This divorces the underlying transport community from the overlay community. Therefore, it simplifies operational duties and supplies much less reliance on the underlying community suppliers to make adjustments, which frequently have a value related for the utility equivalent to including a brand new service VPN for a brand new service is so simple as including it to your gateway templates and deploying it.
Examples of SDWAN applied sciences deployed by utilities
- Substation gateway – bigger substation gateways offering resilient WAN connectivity and safety performance (Zone primarily based Firewall)
- Distribution Automation – secondary substations, pole mounted gear or different area belongings equivalent to reclosers or capacitor banks.
- Renewable vitality websites – connecting onshore wind generators, photo voltaic vegetation, and battery storage websites.
Distributed renewable vitality websites
Utilities are actually having to attach an array of renewable vitality belongings, unfold throughout extensive geographic areas. Onshore wind, photo voltaic and battery storage components are examples of belongings that should be related to the utility for monitoring and/or management.
Many renewable asset operators are additionally utilizing private and non-private cloud-based purposes, together with SCADA. SDWAN can add additional advantages in assuring utility efficiency and reliability to the cloud.
Wouldn’t or not it’s helpful to have a single resolution with a alternative of business gateways for various website varieties? We predict so and Cisco supplies a number of industrial routers to go well with all deployment websites and will be managed as a part of the Cisco SDWAN resolution.
Cisco IoT merchandise such because the Cisco Catalyst IR8340 Rugged Collection Routers for bigger substations, Cisco Catalyst IR1100 Rugged Collection Routers for distribution websites, and Cisco Catalyst IR8140 Heavy Responsibility Collection Routers for out of doors area websites can all function as SDWAN edge gateways alongside with the well-known Cisco Enterprise routers (Digital and bodily), which can be utilized for management centres and different operational websites to offer a single overlay community connecting to any website.
So, in abstract, the Cisco SDWAN resolution coupled with Cisco IoT Catalyst Industrial Routers could be very related to Utility operational networks and may provide many advantages. With out compromising safety, the answer is simple to make use of and permits to automate duties that utilities wanted to deal with manually earlier than. For Utilities already utilizing the Cisco SDWAN resolution for IT associated use instances, it’s straightforward so as to add Industrial endpoints to increase companies to the substations. For purchasers utilizing Cisco Industrial Routers in the present day, SDWAN generally is a highly effective addition to the availability and administration of the WAN.
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