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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 knowledge heart, particularly for distant customers. The migration of many enterprise purposes to the cloud in the course of the pandemic has additional pushed the usage of SDWAN. However does it provide any actual advantages for utilities? Can it assist utilities with deploying WAN connectivity to substations and distributed renewable power 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 immediately are used to constructing massive networks using applied sciences akin to Web Protocol Safety (IPsec) and Dynamic Multipoint Digital Personal Community (DMVPN) to encrypt vital 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 permits automation to significantly simplify deployments.
Automation advantages
Zero Contact deployment of discipline gateways (i.e., no discipline employees required to configure a gateway)
Easy provisioning of service VPNs to segregate visitors (SCADA, CCTV, PMU, IP Telephony and many others)
Templated configurations making it straightforward to alter 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 vital SCADA visitors and mobile for backup and even internet-based connections for non-critical 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 celebration service supplier. This divorces the underlying transport community from the overlay community. Therefore, it simplifies operational duties and gives much less reliance on the underlying community suppliers to make adjustments, which frequently have a value related for the utility akin 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 discipline property akin to reclosers or capacitor banks.
Renewable power websites – connecting onshore wind generators, photo voltaic vegetation, and battery storage websites.
Distributed renewable power websites
Utilities are actually having to attach an array of renewable power property, unfold throughout broad geographic areas. Onshore wind, photo voltaic and battery storage parts are examples of property that have to be linked 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 software efficiency and reliability to the cloud.
Wouldn’t or not it’s useful to have a single resolution with a selection of commercial gateways for various web site sorts? We predict so and Cisco gives a number of industrial routers to go well with all deployment websites and might 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 Obligation Collection Routers for out of doors discipline 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 supply a single overlay community connecting to any web site.
So, in abstract, the Cisco SDWAN resolution coupled with Cisco IoT Catalyst Industrial Routers could be very related to Utility operational networks and might provide many advantages. With out compromising safety, the answer is straightforward 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 circumstances, it’s straightforward so as to add Industrial endpoints to increase providers to the substations. For purchasers utilizing Cisco Industrial Routers immediately, SDWAN could be a highly effective addition to the supply and administration of the WAN.
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