Remote Site & Equipment Management 2016 - (Page 6)

Feature Article Integrating Local HMI with the Cloud A Local HMI is Needed for Operator Interface in Most Applications, but Data From it can be Sent to the Cloud to Provide Business Intelligence and Analytics Larry Combs, InduSoft Director of Global Customer Support InduSoft Web Studio, by Schneider Electric Software In the past, human machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) runtime applications resided only on a PC or embedded platform mounted near the machine or process. As the cloud grows in use, moving HMI and SCADA data to the cloud has some advantages, but not everything should be cloud-based. This article will discuss how to integrate local HMIs with cloud-based data storage and distribution. It will also touch on security, an ever important subject, and will include some sample applications to show how local HMI and remote cloud services can work together. Data in the Cloud, but Not the HMI Although the HMI application could be moved to the cloud and accessed locally by handheld devices, there typically isn't any operational reason to do so. By definition, the HMI is the local hardware interface between humans and machines or processes, and keeping this functionality and connectivity local is generally a good idea. HMI hardware can be an embedded HMI terminal, a PC-based HMI, a smartphone or a tablet (Figure 1). Regardless of the local HMI hardware, connectivity from it to a cloud-based SCADA system or historian is advantageous for many reasons. Moving data to the cloud offers better security and access. It also eliminates the need to provide and maintain data storage on premises as these functions are now provided by the cloud company, usually at a much lower price point. It is very easy and inexpensive to scale up cloud computing resources as this can be done in minutes, with only a slight increase in the cloud provider's monthly fee. Most small companies are already using cloud services for email, so moving to cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP), historian or SCADA system is not a big step, and one that can be taken in conjunction with the software supplier. Figure 1. Tablet Handheld HMIs can receive data from the cloud, from local PC-based or embedded HMIs, or from PLCs and other controllers. Most ERP firms now offer their software as either an on-premises installation, or as a cloud-based software as a service (SaaS). The same is true for some historian software suppliers and this trend is likely to accelerate in the future. SCADA systems can also be easily hosted in the cloud, and all cloud-based systems can utilize the cloud advantages discussed above. There are concerns about security and timing, which affect all cloud-based computing systems. The best schemes use cloud-based systems to exchange data with local HMIs and controllers, with the cloud-based applications being used to monitor operations. Getting Data to the Cloud Safely Firewalls and well-maintained security protocols are required to keep data and applications safe in the cloud. Security requirements are the same whether working locally or in the cloud, but the people who manage the security and IT infrastructure will be different with a cloud provider, and often better. There are a number of plug-and-play firewalls that are industrial protocolaware and will ensure a secure automation environment when exchanging data between a local HMI and the cloud. Smaller and more powerful IoT devices are now being equipped with industrial protocols via hardware such as OPC UA chips. It will therefore be necessary to prevent intermediate hacking or spoofing via devices that resemble these industrial IoT devices, but are instead malicious foreign agents. The weakest link in cloud-based computing is still secure communications, authentication and authorization. Many different schemes are being developed to attempt to tighten up these areas. Typically, when new local machines or process are brought online, they can just inherit the security policies of the enterprise. However, this scheme doesn't work well with cloud-based applications. In response, a new trend is developing called cloud access security broker (CASB), which is middleware installed between the cloud service and the cloud user, such as the local HMI. The CASB enforces the enterprise security policies, and makes sure any new device added to the system is approved. 6 www.RemoteMagazine.com http://www.RemoteMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Remote Site & Equipment Management 2016

Editor's Choice
Integrating Local HMI with the Cloud
Managing Distributed Energy Resources with IoT and Cloud Technologies
Three Considerations for M2M/IoT Connectivity
Creating Value from IIoT Data
Wireless Sensor Networks - Applications in Oil & Gas
Applying Remote Monitoring & Predictive Analytics to Satisfy Customers While Keeping Costs Down
M2M & IoT Products
Industry News

Remote Site & Equipment Management 2016