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Upgrading an Aging System for Modern Data Management

A client was struggling with a bottleneck caused by an aging data lake that was stifling their ability to scale operations. E Tech Group’s Mission Critical team implemented a new system with limitless growth potential and centralized reporting, improving efficiency and productivity.

The Project: Apply a Scalable Automation Solution to a Shallow Data Lake

Our client had an existing data lake solution they quickly outgrew. As they increased the number of operational facilities and concurrent users accessing reports, the old design experienced an unanticipated bottleneck: with one API and one database servicing needs across the globe, adding more data and accessing the data in reports would take an average of thirty seconds per page, proving a barricade for future growth.

The client reached out to E Tech Group’s Mission Critical and Advanced Software teams to help with this issue; they trusted our long-standing partnership and expertise, giving us a small proof-of-concept budget for this new challenge.

The Challenge: Getting Toes Back in the Water of Systems Upgrades

Part of the obstacles to this aging data lake issue is that the client had already tried two existing solutions, both of which had failed. Understandably, they were gun-shy about undertaking a huge system retrofit with no surety of the result. Our Mission Critical and Advanced Software engineers would need a proof-of-concept solution that was foolproof at any scale.

Through this discovery effort, we identified that their current reporting practices were a pain point for them. They were using PowerBI reports and had thousands of single files, one per customer per report. Each one had to be manually managed and updated. We proposed a solution built upon a microservice architecture in Azure. This gave them data redundancy, fail-over, and a solution that scales horizontally with their business.

The Solution: Clouds, Communication & Consistent Reporting

The remedy designed by our automation and IT engineers was multi-pronged:

High-Performance Data Storage & Access

First, we started with the cloud solution. The team built an API in Azure using ASP.NET 8, InfluxDB, and a time series database instead of the traditional choice of SQL. Since their data is measured and consumed over time, the purpose-built InfluxDB served the previously defined client needs, having a proven record of high performance and availability.

Centralized Reporting & Management

The last piece was to replace their PowerBI reports with a single-page application using React and TypeScript. The team tied into their existing systems and authentication to automatically retrieve customer-specific data and dynamically update the SPA. This allowed standardized reporting to be managed in a single location, one time.

Organized Communication Without Data Loss

Second, the client needed a way to get their operational data from their machines and buildings into their cloud solution. They had several disparate devices from multiple vendors, some using different communication protocols.

The team installed KepServerEX as a middleware between the hardware and Ignition that enabled the collection of information from varying devices into a central system. Then Ignition polled the data at a high frequency and writing to a store-forward database before aggregating it and sending the reduced set to the cloud for long-term storage and retrieval by client reporting.

This solution enabled the client to have data redundancy in case of communication failure or outages while also having high data granularity at the location most critical to operations.

Each of these pieces were deployed per facility and architected in such a way that multiple installations can service a single location, while a central gateway in Azure controls routing to needed resources. Due to the horizontal architecture, the client can scale their solution indefinitely without hitting a ceiling that would impact performance.

The Results: Unlimited Applications, Unlimited Potential for Growth

The client was thrilled with the initial success and decided to move to full implementation of the proof-of-concept, especially for the high-availability and SPA report system, which represents a massive quality-of-life-increase for multiple departments in the company. Our automation team successfully delivered on E Tech Group’s “Zero Defects” promise, even in the proof-of-concept phase.

The most promising prospect for their future with this new solution is the elimination of scaling barricades. The client will be able to increase the amount of telemetry data collected, and the number of facilities supported, and deliver a single, standardized reporting experience to their users. This new solution is faster, more intuitive, offers better insights, and more importantly, has the intelligence to automatically adapt to their business needs.

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| February 23, 2024

Cybersecurity Crash Course, Pt 1 of 2: The Case for Investing in Cybersecurity

In an era of increased frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, any one defensive approach can be hacked. To be fully guarded, a secured network must incorporate several different components. A cyberattack on an exposed OT network is a looming security risk with potentially devastating consequences, including extended production downtime, system reformatting and possible hardware replacement. The costs of a cyberattack can be financially catastrophic, but can also hurt your reputation or cause compliance issues that result in hefty fines and even shutdowns. Part 1 of this 2-part blog series helps the reader to understand both the challenge of securing a network as well as the urgent need to do so. Part 2 of the series will discuss most of the OT network components and structuring strategies that collectively build a Zero Trust network architecture. Cyberattacks are a reality; no one can avoid them forever. The goal is to be sufficiently resilient to remain in operation in the midst of an attack. And to accomplish that, we must understand the whats, whys and hows of industrial security automation. Understanding the OT Network in an Automated Facility The Operational Technology (OT) space on a plant floor is a highly complex network environment with distinct characteristics from its Information Technology (IT) network cousin. The space has traditionally been used in a limited manner, connecting local devices that communicate with each other for production purposes and little else. While these devices may be of varying ages and vulnerabilities, as a group their network use patterns are similar, and distinct from typical IT network traffic. Devices on an OT network are generally setup to run all the time, requiring very reliable, and continuous communication as they control and coordinate the manufacturing process. The lifespan of OT devices is typically longer than IT devices, which means … Continued

| February 19, 2024

E Tech Group Announces Critical Achievement of a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

E Tech Group has attained Certified Information Systems Security Professional status to help intensify and strengthen their delivery of sophisticated cybersecurity programs to protect manufacturers and industrial clients integrating OT assets and systems to front office IT systems. West Chester, OH – E Tech Group, a leader in providing high-quality automation, control and engineering services for industrial clients and Gold Certified Rockwell Automation Partner, announced today that they completed and earned the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) status. CISSP certification is a globally accepted standard that validates IT security professionals’ skills and experience in handling and executing security plans. As manufacturing and industrial companies progress with the adoption of more industry 4.0 solutions, the need to integrate IT into traditionally siloed operational technology (OT) securely is imperative. E Tech Group provides cybersecurity services with expertise in both IT and OT industrial control systems (ICS). “This achievement aligns with our firm’s ‘beyond automation and control’ vision, and demonstrates our focus on delivering sophisticated yet practical solutions to clients,” said Nick Hasselbeck, Vice President of Cybersecurity at E Tech Group. “This accomplishment elevates E Tech Group’s professional profile and strengthens our team’s ability to provide nuanced sophisticated security solutions to our clients.” CISSP professionals have proven they are able to effectively design, implement, and manage a best-in-class cybersecurity program. To earn this certification, a professional must possess five or more years of work experience, pass a written exam, maintain good standing within the cybersecurity industry, hold membership with ISC2, and commit to adhering to the ISC2 Code of Ethics and privacy policy. “Earning this certification brings a new level of expertise and authority to showcase our cybersecurity and networking capabilities,” said Kevin Romer, Solutions Architect at E Tech Group. “We see a high demand for cybersecurity professionals that understand the OT side and are excited to … Continued

Integrating an Electrical Power Monitor System in Parallel with an Existing System

E Tech Group installed and commissioned a standard Electrical Power Monitoring System (EPMS) in parallel with a data center’s existing system to maintain the original combined EPMS and Building Management System (BMS) until it could be upgraded.

The Project: Install a New EPMS in Tandem with an Existing EPMS & BMS System

A social media platform Data Center needed their standard Electrical Power Monitor System (EPMS) installed and commissioned to work in parallel with their older existing system. The existing system was a combined EPMS and Building Management System (BMS) and needed to remain in place, as the BMS portion of the system wasn’t being replaced yet.

The multi-building Data Center campus and the SCADA system in some of the buildings is the current standard SCADA software, but in other buildings, older SCADA software was in place from a different vendor needing alignment.

The client wanted to eliminate device connections utilizing the BACnet/IP protocol and replace them with Modbus/TCP protocol to ensure current system standards are being met. As well, they wanted to standardize points being polled and monitored to match the current standards of the newer sites within the data center fleet.

E Tech Group’s reputation within the client’s organization, performance on a prior project, and because our feasibility study gave the client confidence that the project had a high level of probability that it could be accomplished within the limited timeframe allowed, we were selected to complete this project.

The Challenge: Keep Everyone Calm, Meet Harsh Deadlines, Exceed Client Expectations

E Tech Group’s automation team knew they needed to provide continuity to rectify the impact the client was currently experiencing as well as become familiar with and operate within two systems instead of just one. The aggressive timeline coupled with multiple moratorium periods to work around required an incredibly strategic and efficient approach.

The client was concerned that it wasn’t feasible to have an additional system polling for data in parallel and the equipment wouldn’t be able to support the additional requests. Some of the equipment was already being polled by 3-4 other systems monitoring the data. E Tech Group:

Performed a feasibility study/risk assessment as an initial phase of this project.
Evaluated each device type to determine limitations and assess which devices might experience bandwidth, connection limit, and response time issues.
Developed a plan to mitigate the issues.

The BACnet/IP communication modules in the generator control panels needed to be replaced with Modbus/TCP communication modules. The design of the panels made it necessary to perform a Lock Out – Tag Out (LOTO) of each generator to install the new communication modules safely. We worked with site Operations and developed a schedule to perform the work, aligning as much as possible with their planned maintenance activities.

The Solution: Gain the Client Confidence Needed for Our Team to Divide & Conquer

The Feasibility Study mentioned earlier provided confidence in the proposed solution, and its approval was a catalyst for team members to move forward knowing they had a tight timeline they were up against.

To divide and conquer, E Tech Group subcontracted the SCADA developer required by the customer and managed the development of the EPMS SCADA application.

PowerSCADA was the software platform used as the client’s standard.
It was developed in phases in order to meet the project schedule, which required tracking changes with each version and verification to ensure the final application incorporated all of the necessary edits.
Our team performed bench testing of each field equipment type using a Modbus simulation device to verify the graphic templates and tags were linked as expected.
We developed a commissioning plan and corresponding method of procedures for bringing the new system online. To avoid impacts to the live system our team tested one device type at a time and monitored the health of the existing system, ensuring the two were able to function together without interruption or conflict.
Onsite and remote commissioning of the SCADA system and the data center infrastructure management (DCIM) interface.

The Result: Active Partnerships Create the Most Effective Control Systems

By partnering with the client, as opposed to just fulfilling a role or requirement, E Tech Group helped the customer get closer to their long-term vision of the system. The new EPMS system follows the standards used at other sites within the data center fleet.

The findings of the feasibility study proved to be accurate, and the information gathered allowed the system to be successfully commissioned without any major impacts to the live system.

The client stated they were incredibly satisfied with the way the project was executed during the lessons learned meeting at project completion. This successful commissioning of the EPMS SCADA application allowed the client to be ready for the upcoming project of integrating the Building Management System.