Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) exist in two separate worlds, serving two distinct purposes. IT consists of computing systems for the processing and storage of data, while OT focuses on the hardware and software running and monitoring production systems – such as substation automation, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), and Historians. Systems in the OT domain communicate with one or more intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), using their own bearers and protocols (for example, industrial or utilities protocols), and in turn they transmit data to a centralized control center.
The substation automation and SCADA systems that enable end-to-end solutions can be deployed in a virtual environment at electrical substations. The rise of edge computing and virtualization is accelerating this convergence.
The OT benefits from this integration with a more efficient, scalable, managed, and secured infrastructure onto which numerous applications are layered. These applications include substation automation and SCADA, as well as new cybersecurity asset visibility and threat detection applications. Benefits on the IT side include secure real-time communication with the enterprise’s assets while retaining the requisite efficiency for creating, scaling, maintaining, and securing the infrastructure.
While allowing flexibility to both IT and OT management, the Dell Validated Design for Energy Edge offers a converged platform that provides service level management controls and governance for both IT and OT services.