Process Plant Search Gateway With Data Diode Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Process control systems in industrial plants face challenges in providing search functionality for complex data sets and securing data delivery to external systems, particularly due to the risk of cyber intrusions and the inability for remote access to process plant-related data without compromising system security.
Innovation Solution
A process plant search query server that analyzes and filters search queries, utilizing a contextual knowledge repository to generate relevant search results, and an edge gateway system with a unidirectional data diode for secure data delivery to external systems, allowing remote access to process plant data without compromising operational control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If process control data is made accessible to external systems for remote viewing, then remote access capability is improved, but system security deteriorates due to risk of cyber intrusions
Solution Approach 1:
A unidirectional data diode is introduced as an intermediary component between the process control system and external systems. This mediator allows data to flow only from the control system to external viewers, blocking any reverse communication that could enable cyber intrusions or unauthorized control attempts.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing direct access to the control system, the invention creates a copy of the process data that can be viewed externally. The data diode transmits replicated process information to external systems, allowing remote viewing without exposing the actual control system to security risks.
2Loss of information
If search functionality is added to handle complex process data, then information retrieval capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The search engine is designed to handle multiple types of process data (real-time values, historical data, alarm information, event logs) through a single unified interface. This multi-functional approach improves information retrieval across diverse data types without requiring separate systems for each data category.
Solution Approach 2:
The contextual knowledge repository automatically indexes and organizes process data without manual intervention. The system self-updates its knowledge base as new data becomes available, reducing the operational burden and complexity of maintaining search functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
To provide search capabilities in a process control system, a contextual knowledge repository is generated that organizes process plant-related data according to semantic relations between the process plant-related data and the process plant entities. When a user submits a process plant search query related to process plant entities within a process plant, search results are obtained by identifying a data set from the contextual knowledge repository which is responsive to the process plant search query. The search results are then presented on a user interface device based on the identified data set. To allow for searches to be performed by user interface devices external to the process plant, a data diode is disposed between a field-facing component and an edge-facing component of the process plant so that data flows from the field-facing component to the edge-facing component without flowing from the edge-facing component to the field-facing component.