Importance of Monitoring Your Devices that Support Your Network
SCADA and HMI systems are increasingly more dependent on Ethernet based networks and subsequently it is more important that manufacturers proactively monitor the devices connected to the network. Let’s face it; your network is only as good as the devices successfully communicating with it. In a recent survey, InSource Solutions found that 81% of the manufacturers polled use Industrial Ethernet on their network and out of those, 3% have more than 5,000 devices on the network. In the next 3 years, that 3% will grow to over 7%. Based on the numbers, plant networks are becoming more important and without monitoring connected devices, such as PLC’s and HMI’s, plants can encounter unpredictable issues:
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Broadcast storms and excessive bandwidth consumption
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Duplicate IP & MAC addresses
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Cabling Problems – connector & grounding issues
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Intermittent problems or random communication outages
Without a monitoring and diagnostic software system, problems are costly, time consuming and contribute to inefficient production caused by unscheduled stopping and starting. On average, a single issue can cost thousands of dollars:
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$1200 – Travel expenses for on-site expert
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$250 – Hourly rate for on-site support (typically 8 hour minimum)
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$1000 – Hourly downtime loss (typically more than just 1 hour!)
Most manufacturers do not want to worry about their network; they want to focus on the daily production process, generating profit and a greater return on their equity.
Consider the fact that a typical first response comes from a member of the maintenance or Automation Technology group, in many cases from those who are not necessarily ‘network experts’, wouldn’t it save time, hassle and stress if software were available to monitor your devices and add support, thereby arming your staff with the necessary information to pinpoint the problem?
"This past week and we had a process control network melt down. I was able to use the IntraVUE as a troubleshooting tool to get the issue isolated and ended up swapping out a bad network switch that for all intents and purposes, appeared to be operating properly from the front lights but was dropping links worse and worse. It took us only a little over an hour to get the mill back up and running," says Weyerhaeuser Company.
In addition, the new monitoring software from Network Vision proactively tells you when an issue may be developing, which allows you to schedule maintenance or troubleshooting time before an interruption in production.
"I want to send my thanks the team at Network Vision for the quick response and support of our network problem. Your ability to easily identify the issues with the switches and PLCs saved us a great deal of time and money. I really like the fact that we can email our IntraVUE files and you can remotely identify our problems off-line as if you are at the plant at the time of the disturbance. No more waiting for experts to arrive, or traditional IT service companies that have little understanding of our equipment or processes!"
Network Vision’s IntraVUE software tool does just that. IntraVUE keeps a close eye on all your devices that communicate over Ethernet. IntraVUE is a diagnostic package viewed through a browser or integrated with any HMI or SCADA system. Data and events are linked into the system’s alarm program as well. Due to the fact SCADA systems are more dependent on Ethernet communications, adding the IntraVUE package is also more popular. IntraVUE gives the ability to identify typical plant floor problems such as, device lock-ups, misbehaving or overloaded devices, devices or connections accidentally moved, etc. This software tool also enables the first responders to save a snapshot of the event and email to support at Network Vision or InSource Solutions for a more expert look and assistance. This not only eases the minds of personnel, it saves time and money!
Lafarge Cement appreciates the time and money savings that this type of monitoring affords, saying "… IntraVUE just saved me an 80-mile roundtrip to the plant on a Saturday night just to change-out an Ethernet PLC module. Since I was able to quickly identify the issue by simply looking at the live IntraVUE network status I just had one of our on-site employees swap out the module."
IntraVUE’s ability to automatically discover all of the devices on the network and then automatically animate their communication path in real time is unique. While providing a color-coded, real time view of devices and connections, IntraVUE can highlight problem areas, clearly making this software the product of choice for Industrial Ethernet applications. Providing a visual representation allows for easier understanding of the flow of data between devices and potential problem areas. Unlike other tools, which may have automatic discovery and then require manual mapping, or tools that provide a current view but with no trending capability, IntraVUE provides all the required components in a very easy to use package designed for the unique problems and resources of the industrial environment. Graphical viewing provides easy comprehension of the dynamics occurring on these networks. Allowing those first responders to troubleshoot the problem on their own quickly and easily or ask for assistance without spending a lot of time and money.
Let InSource Solutions and Network Vision put your network issues to rest. Call today to see how quick and easy it is to save time and money and get the best return on the network investments made at your company.
For more information, please call or email your I2 Inside Sales Coordinator, Lesia Bell 410.683.8031 lbell@insourcess.com
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Focusing on monitoring your devices also targets and identifies foreign devices gaining access on your network, infrastructure issues, and much more. Up-front awareness of an issue helps a first responder troubleshoot the problem on their own without calling in IT Support or third party vendors. Remote software support services provide IT & IS resources with tools that allow collaboration with the plant floor teams to reduce the burden of additional costs or delays for simple problems. Kraft Foods recently experienced this great offline support: