What are 5 ways to digitalize an OT-data infrastructure?

Unified OT data-layer insights

• Digitalizing an operational technology (OT) data infrastructure can help manufacturing with connectivity, consolidation, context, collaboration and cloud access. OPC UA helps.
• A March 28 Control Engineering webcast (archived for a year at www.controleng.com), “Five keys to successfully digitalizing your OT-data infrastructure” and this article explain more about Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) digitalization benefits.

Digitalization projects can have a greater success rate when addressing five operational technology (OT) data essentials in the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) era, according to Darek Kominek, senior consulting manager, Matrikon. This applies to modernize an existing OT data infrastructure or when building new infrastructure using the latest OT and information technology (IT) innovations as he explains in the March 28 Control Engineering webcast, “Five keys to successfully digitalizing your OT-data infrastructure.” It’s important to know OT-data modernization issues and how to address them to overcome OT-data-related cost, security and sustainability challenges.

How to digitalize an OT-data infrastructure

OT-data infrastructure topics covered in the webcast focus on:

• How data technology (DT) bridges the IT/OT gap and helps companies implement a unified OT data layer (UODL).

• A modern (OPC UA and MQTT-based) approach to data connectivity in new and existing systems.

• Making data meaningful: why it’s mandatory and how to do it.

• Keeping enterprise-wide OT data secure.

• Ensuring an edge-to-cloud connectivity architecture.

• Maximizing OT-data infrastructure sustainability by making it scalable and extensible.

Explanations, examples and diagrams explain key issues associated with OT-data infrastructure modernization during the webcast. Attendees also will learn why and how using DT simplifies the undertaking and maximizes returns by creating a robust, coherent unified OT data layer, which is used across the shop floor, the enterprise and cloud, Kominek said.

While there are many ways to overcome individual technical challenges, he said, the key to building cost-effective and sustainable solutions is to do so securely, systematically and sustainably, regardless of what infrastructure is in place now.

5 advantages of unified OT data layer help with manufacturing digitalization

Five advantages of IIoT digitalization in the OT data layer are connectivity, consolidation, context, collaboration and cloud access. Enabling technologies include advanced software functionality with some combination of on-premise and cloud-based applications, Kominek said. This benefits all the traditional layers of operational technologies, including sensors and devices, control systems, such programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and distributed control systems (DCS), operational technology applications and business-related applications.

Elements include data-source connectivity and federation, data modeling and mapping, OT-side firewalls, de-militarized zones (DMZs) for cybersecurity, information-technology (IT) side firewalls and cloud communications, Kominek said. Open standards help avoid automation vendor lock-in strategies by using OPC UA in a unified OT data layer.

The webcast is live March 28 at 1 p.m. Central time and will be archived for a year. Learn more and register here: https://www.controleng.com/webcasts/five-keys-to-successfully-digitalizing-your-ot-data-infrastructure/

Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology, mhoske@cfemedia.com and moderator for this webcast.

KEYWORDS: OT data infrastructure, unified OT data layer, digitalization

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https://www.controleng.com/webcasts/five-keys-to-successfully-digitalizing-your-ot-data-infrastructure/

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