security solutions

Regarding the issue of factory workshop network segmentation, many people who are engaged in factory production management and related technologies are paying great attention to it. floor In short, we divide the network on the factory ground into many small pieces. This is done to make the network run more stable and efficient, and can greatly improve security.

First, let’s talk about why the factory workshop network segmentation can be divided into these different benefits.

First, isolate the problem of failure. You think if there is a problem with a certain equipment or an area network in the factory workshop, then after the network segmentation is available, the fault can be limited to that small area. It’s like in a large factory, each workshop is separated. If a device has a bad network, it will not affect all the equipment on the entire factory ground failure. Let other places run as well.

The second is to improve performance. After the network segment is split, the load of each small network segment can be much reduced. It's like we cut a large piece of meat pie into many small pieces. When dealing with network information traffic, each individual piece will definitely be easier to handle and less effort. As for data, you don’t have to squeeze into a network channel together, which improves work efficiency.

The third is to enhance security. After segmentation, different regions configure security policies in a targeted manner. Any firewall setting or authentication method can be handled differently. For example, divide the production area and the office area into different sections. The network in the production area is relatively rigorous and requires relatively high safety level of equipment. If the office area is divided into sections, employees may be allowed to visit the following web page to check information slightly loosely, so the security settings are not so strict. It is equivalent to the isolation and setting up levels of defense in different departments and different intervals.

Let's break down some key contents

The first is to be fragmented according to the work area. For example, according to the production process, we separate the entire process of the workshop from beginning to end. For example, the raw materials are in the beginning, the processing equipment is in the beginning, and the finished product is in the beginning, and the inspection area is also considered part. Each workspace has a corresponding network configuration to avoid interference and improve efficiency.

The second small piece is to consider the different types of equipment. Treat various large-scale production equipment as one piece, such as punching machines and compressors, and other large heavy equipment networks running alone. We also need to separate small electronic devices, such as control components and small monitoring devices. Because different devices have different communication requirements, control accuracy and everything needs to be reasonably allocated to combine network segments with these device characteristics.

The third aspect is to access the shard according to security and authorization. The important core control areas of a general factory also have those relatively confidential and particularly sensitive data processing intervals, so a separate network must be made. Only those specially authorized employees can access it through the certification channels. For ordinary daily work areas, relatively wide-point safety settings are not as tight as special areas. Let management employees perform basic operations more relaxed and conveniently.

So someone may ask what details and controversial areas are in the actual execution of network segmentation. Let's look at some common questions.

The first question is how to determine the segmentation scale. Is it better to divide it in detail or to divide it in a little more extensively, to some extent, it depends on the size of the factory. If a small factory has a total of several equipment, there are not many small employees. On the contrary, if the factory has a huge scale and complex operating conditions, it needs to be subdivided into detailed sections. For example, a large factory with a different requirement in each area of ​​a multinational level is not wrong. This is enough to weigh the specific scale and the current and subsequent predictable operating quantity.

Let’s talk about the network compatibility issues of equipment of different manufacturers. Suppose that two different manufacturers are connected through network segments in the workshop. How to allocate the differences between them. First, we must clarify whether the equipment manufacturers have special requirements. Some devices are extremely "picky" about the network environment like the arrogant princess. Then test the equipment of each manufacturer to connect to the network at the same time. The best solution is to verify the equipment in a small simulation environment first. For example, if the new configuration is useful in the experimental machine combination, then move it to actual production to use it safer. After all, the factory does not dare to make trouble!

About the cost of maintenance management after network segmentation! Some people are worried about the surge. There are indeed new changes in the maintenance process. Specialized IT technicians need to be equipped with familiar with network segment distribution and accident handling. But in the long run, prevent various large-scale potential errors and reduce huge production suspension losses. As long as you have long-term plans to calculate the size of the profits, this management is actually feasible. Don’t be too excited and invest too much at one time. You can only provide global procurement services for weak current intelligent products!

Then another one is what should you do when it comes to introducing new equipment? When accessing new equipment, the network that has been divided into several network segments must be strictly positioned according to its design architecture. If it turns out that it is divided into networks according to the device model, then find the corresponding model or major network segments with the same functions for detailed testing. During the access process, be careful not to change the existing configuration randomly. The existing configuration has little impact on the existing environment. Priority is given to ensuring that the entire operation process is not stuck and smoothly when integrating.

There is also a question about how to balance costs in the segmented scheme. Purchasing specialized hardware equipment, such as transferring traffic between devices or upgrading certain necessary software, will increase expenses, but do not blindly plan. Examine the utilization of existing basic resources and whether changes can be made based on the original things, rather than blindly spending money to exchange for the entire product. Also, the appropriate equipment for renting equipment and purchasing equipment by yourself must be considered based on the actual business length and short term.

From my personal point of view, floor is a very necessary and necessary operation for large factories with modern production. Although various small problems of scratching your head or slightly complicated and troublesome processes will continue to occur in the middle, as long as you start from reality and advance it step by step carefully, and refer to other people's experiences and lessons learned more. So in the long run, it will definitely improve the overall efficiency of factory operations and bring a steady stream of positive effects. It is a good thing that will make a huge profit!