Modern Monitoring for OT Networks: Bridging the Gap Between IT and OT

In IT environments, network monitoring solutions have long been the standard for ensuring high availability, security, and performance. These solutions are managed by dedicated administrators and feature distributed architectures for real-time data collection and centralized analysis. Now, as industrial automation embraces Ethernet as its backbone, the adoption of advanced monitoring solutions for OT networks is equally critical. High network availability in OT is paramount to avoiding costly downtime and maintaining seamless production.

With the annual increase in nodes using installed PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and EtherCAT field devices—and as Ethernet APL begins to penetrate process automation at the field level—this shift toward Ethernet-based OT systems is accelerating. However, OT monitoring must address unique challenges, including specialized protocols and integration with modern IT systems.

Contrasting Monitoring in Serial Bus Systems and Ethernet Networks

Monitoring approaches differ significantly between serial bus systems such as PROFIBUS and modern Ethernet networks due to their different architectures and operational requirements.

Monitoring Serial Bus Systems (e.g., PROFIBUS):

Serial bus systems focus primarily on the physical aspects of network reliability, emphasizing the quality of cables, circuits, and connectors. Diagnostics are straightforward and address physical layer issues like signal degradation or wiring faults. These systems benefit from deterministic communication patterns and simpler network structures, making monitoring relatively easy to implement.

Monitoring Ethernet Networks:

In Ethernet networks, the physical infrastructure rarely causes downtime due to its robustness. Instead, monitoring must address the complexity of logical-level interactions, including device communication and protocol performance. Key challenges include managing diverse devices with varying parameters, ensuring real-time communication and scalability, and handling non-deterministic communication patterns.

Modern Monitoring in Ethernet Networks: How It’s Done

As Ethernet networks become more complex, effective monitoring requires advanced methods that ensure reliability and performance. This includes several key practices, that contribute to a comprehensive network management approach:

Comprehensive Data Collection

Modern monitoring begins with the collection of network and device data through active polling and frame traffic analysis. Devices provide detailed information on errors, faults, and performance metrics like frame repetition. By combining active retrieval with passive traffic observation, monitoring solutions provide a complete view of network health.

Real-Time Status Assessment

Collected data is aggregated and stored in centralized systems, offering immediate insights into overall network health and device performance. Real-time dashboards allow administrators to identify and resolve issues quickly, minimizing downtime.

Historical Data Analysis

Storing network data over time enables deeper analysis to identify recurring errors or cyclical faults. This historical perspective supports predictive maintenance, helping organizations address issues before they escalate into significant problems.

Asset Inventory and Cybersecurity

A detailed, real-time asset inventory is a critical component of Ethernet network monitoring. This inventory tracks device attributes such as serial numbers, firmware versions, and configurations. It provides an up-to-date view of the network, including detailed information about connected devices. It also improves overall network security by identifying potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities based on device attributes.

Topology Visualization

Ethernet-networks typically provide extensive topology data that is critical for maintenance and troubleshooting. Protocols such as LLDP, as required by PROFINET, enable detailed visualization of the physical and logical network layout. This simplifies troubleshooting and enables faster identification and resolution of vulnerabilities.

By adopting these practices, modern monitoring solutions ensure operational reliability while enabling advanced features such as predictive maintenance and enhanced security.

Integrated Network Monitoring Solutions with smartLink and plantPerfect Monitor

To meet the challenges of modern OT network monitoring, Softing has developed a new generation of network monitoring products. The smartLink product family collects critical network data and makes it available via MQTT. In addition to network monitoring, smartLinks also support applications such as asset management.

The plantPerfect Monitor application provides a centralized solution. It aggregates data from smartLink devices via MQTT and generates high-level insights, such as asset and network status, accessible through a modern browser-based interface. It is designed for flexibility and can be integrated into IT application servers using Docker or installed on a Windows workstation.

plantPerfect Monitor is currently designed for PROFIBUS installations using smartLink HW-DP. It will soon be expanded to include support for PROFINET and EtherNet/IP monitoring. Planned upgrades will also include HART devices connected through remote I/O, which are commonly encountered in process automation.

An extensive article on this topic was originally published in German in P&A Magazine and can be found here.

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