All machine operators want their machines or systems to operate at the highest level of availability. For its remote maintenance concept, Hermes Systeme GmbH relies on the Phoenix Contact cloud as a flexible and cost-effective solution for secure access to the end customer applications.
The employees of Hermes Systeme GmbH, located in Wildeshausen near Bremen, Germany, develop innovative solutions for MCR and automation technology. In addition to system modernization, its range of services comprises maintenance and repair of the existing technology, as well as supply and installation of new systems.
Hermes Systeme focuses on industry and building automation, along with water technology, swimming pool technology, wastewater treatment technology, cooling technology, information technology, and central control engineering. As a system integrator, the company has supported industrial and municipal users for more than 30 years in many applications such as implementing SCADA systems.
Here, an I/O station designed by Hermes Systeme is used.
The system relies on security appliances from Phoenix Contact for remote maintenance services. These devices provide secure access to the corresponding SCADA network for the service engineers.
“Nowadays, systems without remote maintenance technology are no longer competitive because every operator requires high availability, which means that any interference must be removed as quickly as possible,” Ingo Hermes, executive vice president, reports.
His company has already been involved in many control projects, from simple pump control to large-scale projects. The comprehensive services include research, analysis, programming, installation, and troubleshooting in the process systems of the plants.
Among others, Hermes Systeme has specialized in the development of proprietary SCADA solutions that control and monitor processes. In water management, this can be small pumping stations and also complex distribution systems.
Using the Cloud Solution Is Free
For remote maintenance, Hermes Systeme relies on proven technology from Phoenix Contact. The primary focus is on the fast removal of errors but also on a transparent security standard requested by the system operator to accept remote maintenance. Using the Phoenix Contact cloud is an optimal solution for the relevant applications and saves resources for Hermes Systeme. This is possible because using the cloud is free of charge and because Phoenix Contact is responsible for providing the cloud functions.
Using a cloud-based solution offers the following advantages:
- No hardware costs for remote maintenance center
- Easy-to-use cloud services via a web browser
- Stationary and mobile access is possible
- Many service engineers can access it at the same time
- Phoenix Contact is responsible for cloud security
- Reduced capital commitment and labor costs
- High availability
- Phoenix Contact is responsible for scaling and adapting performance
In the event of maintenance, the service engineer can immediately and remotely obtain information on the system's operating state. The engineer simply presses a button to evaluate a large number of log files and other historical data that give information about the error cause. The records from the system sensors indicate errors and suggest options for optimization at the same time.
SCADA systems usually consist of one or more controllers and a graphical user interface.
“We can remedy about 80% of all the problems completely by means of remote access,” explains Christian Nölker, electrical engineer and programmer at Hermes Systeme.
“To do so, our service engineers view the operator's screen of the system on their computer and then work on error removal together with the employee on site.”
Easy Management of Systems and Service Personnel
“It is not enough to look at the technical parameters and prices in order to make the right choice of remote maintenance technology,” Christian Nölker emphasizes.
With an increasing number of systems, managing the online access and configuration of the remote router stations can become time-consuming. Other issues to consider include secure authentication, managing customized access, and configuration data.
“We were looking for a supplier offering a solution for easy management of the systems as well as of the service personnel,” Ingo Hermes explains. “It was also important that this was a renowned manufacturer in order for our customers to accept the remote maintenance concept.”
Because of these factors, the decision-makers chose Phoenix Contact’s complete solution. It comprises system and service personnel management in addition to a high IT security standard. The required configuration of the terminal devices is automatically generated in the cloud and downloaded to the devices. Any processes, such as VPN configuration, routing settings, and certification management, are implemented using the cloud.
“The Phoenix Contact cloud as a portal manages the increasing variety of different maintenance environments of the systems and automatically provides the right environment to the service engineer,” Christian Nölker is pleased to say. Every service access starts a temporary virtual machine, which is deleted again afterward.
This machine also allows for parallel operation of different software generations. For Hermes Systeme, this type of remote maintenance has proven to be an efficient solution that ensures increased system availability for the company's customers.
Robust Solution for Harsh Industrial Environments
“We were looking for a solution that uses the Internet to dial into the SCADA network of the system. At the same time we wanted to protect the network against unauthorized access,” Christian Nölker continues. Ideally, the solution was suited to an industrial environment.
“However, the majority of security applications on the market have been developed for the office environment,” Nölker explains.
Hermes Systeme has opted for the FL mGuard product range, so the security appliances meet all the requirements of the industrial environment. This series comprises security components with integrated firewall, routing, and VPN (virtual private network) functions for industrial networks. The devices combine IT requirements and robust hardware in a metal housing for harsh industrial applications.
“The FL mGuard RS2000 version we use can be mounted on a DIN rail and features a 24V DC power supply. Based on the local situation we either use the RJ45 version or the mobile network version to connect the system to the cloud,” the programmer continues.
The FL mGuard RS2000 acts as a secure gateway that protects the system against unauthorized access. Therefore, the SCADA network can be connected directly to the Internet and thus to the cloud.
The service engineers use a VPN software client to establish a connection to the cloud. The VPN function ensures that only authorized persons can initiate communication using the corresponding access data. If the VPN connection has been set up, it works like a direct connection to the local network. In this way, the programming software of the controller recognizes the security devices and can simply connect them.
Summary
Modern plants are often composed of complex machines and systems with a high level of automation. As digitization in the industrial environment increases, a rising trend can be expected. These applications must have IT-level security, based on both the user’s and the system's requirements, that builds up suitable protection against the typical attack vectors such as the Internet. Access security is a constant process that can only be operated by new security architectures—such as the Phoenix Contact cloud—that the user can control.