General requirements

A very important aspect when looking at the total availability of a system with respect to the process control system is the reliability and availability of data transmission from the actual core of the process automation system – the controllers – to where the process data is handled (real-time database - Runtime server) and the operator stations that are responsible for operation and monitoring. In this case, it's necessary to implement redundancies to achieve the highest possible network availability. The loss of a transmission line must be detected in a fraction of a second, with a suitable "detour" in place to make sure that the data gets transferred nonetheless. The necessary structures can be implemented in a ring design to meet these demands. Alongside the topic of redundancy in industrial Ethernet, it also needs to be taken into consideration that, in addition to today's Fast Ethernet standard (100 MBit/s), more and more transmission routes will need to be implemented using Gigabit Ethernet (1000 MBit/s) in the future.

Security concept with EAGLE firewall

Using a controller firewall protects the system against unauthorized or unintentional access to the controller. Definible port filter rules and limited access to ertain IP addresses and services ensure clearly defined communication with the controllers. When selecting the switches it is very important that any unused ports are disabled. Under no circumstances should a control computer be connected on the safe side of the firewall. The controllers and switches must be located in a protected area to safely prevent manipulation.